Question About Battery Life

Butterfly

Butterfly

SF VIP
Location
Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
In cleaning out drawers, I found the mother lode of unused batteries. I don't know how to (or if you even can) test them to see if they are still good. Some of these have been in there for several years, still in packages. Anybody know how long they "keep?" I'm seriously considering just dumping the whole lot, as I have no idea how old they are, and I can't find anything that looks like an expiration date.
 

The batteries I buy have an expiration date on the package. I would go by that.
 

Store them in a freezer, it doesn't matter if they are flat,
as you will find out when you try to use any, but as they
are new it is better than throwing them away.

If you want test them first, you will need a multi-meter,
set at DC (direct current) and they should read 1.4 - 1.6
volts.

Mike.
 
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I've used a small hand-held, analog battery tester for years. It has two leads, one pos. one neg. touch to either end of AA, AAA, C, D batteries and it will show strength. Works great. Buy one at Walmart for about $10.
 
A brand new Alkaline cell, either AAA, AA, C, or D, will read 1.6 volts with no load.

Under load (as in a device that uses batteries), the voltage will be lower. When you measure a cell's voltage, and it reads normal but performs weakly when in use, then the cell is nearly depleted even when its open-circuit (no load) voltage is fairly high, like 1.4 or 1.5 volts. Those measurements are taken under no load conditions and do not give a true reading of the life remaining in the cell.

Always use NEW cells in your battery! (A single "battery" is actually called a "Cell". When several are used in your device, such as 2, 4, 6, etc, it is referred to as a "Battery".

One Cannon is called a Field Piece. Several grouped together are called a Battery.

"Lieutenant Johnson, Battery C, 9th Pennsylvania Field Artillery, Sir!"

HDH (Now you're smarter!)
 
Butterfly said:
In cleaning out drawers, I found the mother lode of unused batteries. I don't know how to (or if you even can) test them to see if they are still good. Some of these have been in there for several years, still in packages. Anybody know how long they "keep?" I'm seriously considering just dumping the whole lot, as I have no idea how old they are, and I can't find anything that looks like an expiration date.
Click to expand...

Don't dump them without testing them first. Some batteries do not leak electrons while they are not being used.

So. Go to the dollar store and buy one of those cheap testers. They have a battery inside that will work if there is an current going to the unit which has lights on it which light up according to the charge.

My friend had a drawer full of batteries, which I tested. About fifty percent of them tested good.
 
I had to alter my original answer as I wrote one of the
readings down wrong, sorry.

One test we used to do when I was young and didn't
have a tester, was to put a finger on to the bottom
of a battery and touch the positive to the tip of the
tongue, yes the one in your mouth, if it is live you will
feel a little tingle.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
I had to alter my original answer as I wrote one of the
readings down wrong, sorry.

One test we used to do when I was young and didn't
have a tester, was to put a finger on to the bottom
of a battery and touch the positive to the tip of the
tongue, yes the one in your mouth, if it is live you will
feel a little tingle.

Mike.
Click to expand...

That's only with 9 volt batteries?
 
With 9 volt batteries, you can touch both terminals to your tongue, and you'll get a stinging, buzzing sensation like a hot chili pepper, even when the battery's nearly depeted.

The tongue test doesn't tell you the voltage, only that there's some voltage remaining.

HDH
 

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