Community Chat

[sabatini]

Maybe a lot of you already know this, but it was news to me.

I'm posting this info as an FYI to others who are also unaware.

So, while at work the other night, a security guard needed to replace a battery in a smoke alarm. 

I fished around in the junk drawer of a desk, handed to him the one that'd been in there, & he tucked it into his pocket.

Minutes later, he looked 'alarmed', pulled the battery out of his pocket & tossed it onto the desk. It was smoking hot.

I googled it, and as it turned out, apparently you should never store a loose 9-Volt battery in a junk drawer where it could come into contact w/ loose metals; keys, coins, paper clips, etc., or even a foil gum wrapper.

In a few instances, 9-Volts have even caused house fires.

Here:

STORING 9-VOLT BATTERIES

Keep batteries in original packaging until you are ready to use them. If loose, keep the posts covered with masking, duct, or electrical tape. Prevent the posts from coming in contact with metal objects.

Keep them someplace safe where they won’t be tossed around.

Store batteries standing up.

9-volt batteries should not be stored loose in a drawer.

Do not store them in containers with other batteries.

DISPOSAL

9-volt batteries should not be thrown away with trash. They can come in contact with other batteries or pieces of metal.

9-volt batteries can be taken to a collection site for household hazardous waste.

To be safe, cover the positive and negative posts with masking, duct, or electrical tape before getting rid of batteries.

Some states do not allow any type of battery to be disposed of with trash. Check with your city or town for the best way to get rid of batteries.

[Nataliesgramma]

I can attest to this because we have 2 Firemen in the family and they said this to us...

[gidgetgh]

We don't have a junk drawer, but where we keep our batteries, they're all separated so that the ends don't touch each other.  Firefighter in my family also.

Good post @sabatini as not everyone will know this.

[ID2]

Yup, all my batteries are stored in a big bin in my junk drawer safe and sound. 

[candys mine]

It is just common sense to not put metal against contact points of a battery. It's what they DO.  Good tips to know for storing them away.    I put each loose battery in a plastic baggie by itself to store if I don't have the package it came in to keep the ends away from anything.  Err on the side of caution.

[meallen616]

We always keep 9 volt batteries in the original packaging, but, thank you for posting this info!

[Bri36]

I didn't know that.

I always keep batteries in the original packaging. 

[AuntG]

Interesting, ours are loose so I'd better fix that.

[PINKdogWOOD]

I've never heard or read anything to do with storing batteries.  We do keep spare batteries in their packages and then store in ziplock bags in a junk drawer.  Been doing this for YEARS, never any problem.

[Yardlie]

My friend's husband is an electrician. He told us about that. He told us that even before you throw them out to put electrical tape over the ends because there is usually some power left in them even if they seem dead. Often, a "dead" battery may not have enough juice to power whatever you had it in, but it might have enough juice left to power a lower-power item like a small flashlight.