Questions About My Old Panasonic Cordless Phone

grammarqueen · ‎03-18-2010

I stopped using a landline about 2 years ago, and I finally decided to donate my cordless Panasonic phone to be sold at my church Christmas fair in November. It has sat around unplugged all this time so I decided to charge it up in order to go in and wipe out any of my data I had put on there, like other people's phone numbers. I checked it after about an hour, thinking it would be enough of a charge to accomplish this task. However, the data on the little phone screen just kept flickering in and out, so I opened the back of the case when it hit me the battery was probably dead as a doornail. When I touched the battery, I couldn't believe it - it was hot! I quickly went to unplug it from the wall outlet and that was really hot too!

I've Googled it and come up with nothing. The plug was behind my desk, so I had no idea if it got this hot the years I was using it, or if something is wrong with it now. Likewise, while the battery was hot to the touch when I actually opened the cover and touched it, again, when I used the phone before I never noticed the phone getting hot. After the initial battery placement when I first got the phone there was no reason for me to open the cover.

So my options seem to be to either buy another battery and hope it works, but I've read where they are expensive and you might as well buy another phone anyway. Another is to donate it, but my data would still be on it that I don't want anyone to have. And who would want it? Buy an expensive battery for a 15 year old phone? Lastly, I could just throw it out, taking out the battery and disposing of that properly as hazardous waste. What do you guys think?

gizmogal · ‎05-09-2014

Throw it out. Certainly not worth investing in a new battery, which may be hard to find if the phone is as old as you say. And where is the benefit of donating something that might be defective or possibly dangerous? It has no use as is, it might not work even with a new battery, and it is old enough to be hard to repair or have few desirable features of more modern models. That puts it in the junk category. If you don't want it, who would?

Dispose of it wherever electronics are accepted for recycling in your locale.

Dead, outdated electronics have no value. No one will be able to revive it for retrieving your saved data. No worries there.

sunshine45 · ‎03-09-2010

throw it out or take it to your local dump that accepts electronics.

cordless phones are VERY cheap now.

********************************************
"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

Naturesbeauty · ‎03-19-2010

For the cost of the batteries you can buy a new phone with 3 handsets. Check out Costco.

Naturesbeauty · ‎03-19-2010

Best Buy has containers in the front of the entrance where you can dispose of old electronics and batteries.

January121 · ‎03-21-2010

Throw it out!!!!

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

Check for batteries at Amazon. I got batteries for my 2 Uniden phones for less than $10., and have one extra. They've been working great for several months. Charge the phones once a week. Just make sure the connection is identical to what you've got.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

It's had a good life, toss it.

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

@Kachina624 wrote:
Check for batteries at Amazon. I got batteries for my 2 Uniden phones for less than $10., and have one extra. They've been working great for several months. Charge the phones once a week. Just make sure the connection is identical to what you've got.

@Kachina624 I have a Uniden as my kitchen wallphone. I found the same item # battery at WM.....but the battery plug was larger..........so I "operated" on it with a paring knife. I got it to fit. (I can't find a NEW cordless with a wall bracket that fits in the space I have.)

♥Surface of the Sun♥

juperier · ‎10-21-2014

@Desertdi wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
Check for batteries at Amazon. I got batteries for my 2 Uniden phones for less than $10., and have one extra. They've been working great for several months. Charge the phones once a week. Just make sure the connection is identical to what you've got.
@Kachina624 I have a Uniden as my kitchen wallphone. I found the same item # battery at WM.....but the battery plug was larger..........so I "operated" on it with a paring knife. I got it to fit. (I can't find a NEW cordless with a wall bracket that fits in the space I have.)

@Desertdi Unless you have a background in electronics, I wouldn't recommend "operating" on the battery plug (by which I'm assuming you mean the plug on the adaptor/charger that plugs into the phone). You could easily damage the phone and/or create a fire hazzard if the electronics in the power supply don't match up with what the phone requires. In other words, there may well be important differences other than the plug not fitting.