Batteries for HR92s now Duracell Industrial batteries have been discontinued

[Bilbomacuser]

I’ve been using low self discharge NiMH batteries for years with the HR92 without issues. I didn’t know there was a specific NiMH setting, I’ve just had them set up as default. The only issue I’ve noticed is that the battery charge level shows as 2 bars instead of 3 bars when the batteries are fully charged, but they still typically last many months. In fact I’m still using a load of several years old Uniross low self discharge nimh batteries - when my children were young I bought dozens for their toys, which are now spare. I occasionally run a test cycle in the Technoline charger and dispose of any with significantly reduced capacity. More recently I have bought either Fujitsu or Panasonic low self discharge nimh batteries which seem just as good as uniross were, and I think the capacity is slightly higher. For anyone who has used NiMH that aren’t low self discharge, you’ll find they’re a waste of time because they lose significant charge after a few months even if not being used, so totally unsuitable for something like the HR92 where the power draw is low and the aim is to charge them infrequently.

I’ve been buying them from battery logic for years. The charger (technoline) they sell is really good too, any batteries that have been unused for a while can be put through a refresh cycle that also tests their capacity. If refresh fails to restore decent capacity (in a very old battery) then I throw it away.

I bought the evohome system because it’s more environmentally friendly - minimising energy use in rooms when it’s not needed. I wouldn’t be happy using disposable batteries. The other thing I had issues with for disposable batteries is the dramatically higher incidence of leakage - I’ve had several devices ruined by leaked batteries (thankfully not the hr92’s), decent brands such as Ducacell, including the industrial ones, Panasonic etc all leak, especially in devices that are used infrequently like torches. I’ve had lots of disposable batteries leak that are still in date. Out of dozens of low self discharge nimh batteries I threw away one single battery because I thought it might have been starting to leak, but it was subtle unlike the complete mess that disposable batteries cause.

I’m not sure how long exactly I get in the hr92, but I suspect it’s 12 months, possibly longer especially in some rooms if feels like I rarely need to change them.

Although the voltage is different for nimh batteries, it’s rare for this to cause issues in use - apparently the voltage of a disposable battery drops MORE as soon as a current is drawn, so the voltage rating of a battery (when there is no current draw) is very misleading when comparing 1,5v disposable vs 1.2v nimh. I would strongly recommend everyone tries them.

[philchillbill]

All I see in that article is that Ikea plan to stop selling virtually all non-rechargeable batteries (not just Alkaline) over "environmental concerns".

So just buy from somewhere other than Ikea... When buying in bulk from places like battery station is so much cheaper I don't know why you would buy them from Ikea anyway.

For a moment there you had me thinking there might be some legislation coming in like that "banning" household filament bulbs, but no.

The real answer to waste disposal concerns with non-rechargeable batteries is to provide easy to access disposal options for recycling. Here in the UK you occasionally see corner stores with a place to dispose of used cells, but it can be hard to find locations like this so I'm sure most end up in landfill via general household waste as people don't know what else to do with them. That's a problem that could be addressed as they can and should be recycled.

Correct, but if IKEA thinks this is a good idea then other will follow. When Apple introduced white earbuds, we suddenly all had white earbuds. When they introduced the notch, all phones adopted notches. IKEA are the biggest retailer of batteries in the world. So sure, it's not legislation, but it may become a trend nevertheless.

For the record, every supermarket in NL has battery disposal banks as you enter the store. But even then, rechargeable is more environmentally friendly than recycling.

[filbert]

I’ve been buying them from battery logic for years. The charger (technoline) they sell is really good too,.

I can also recommend Battery Logic - good service - and the Technoline charger. I used one for a few years until I connected it to the wrong power supply

[filbert]

For the record, every supermarket in NL has battery disposal banks as you enter the store.

Same in the UK. Also, our local 'recycling centre' - AKA the tip - has a battery disposal point. I'm sure most do these days.

[gordonb3]

Haven't used rechargeable batteries for way over ten years now. They always turned out to be a disappointment, the spare set I brought to be able to continue being just as empty as the ones they needed to replace. Even happened with Duracells, like they have a timer that says stop working X minutes after charging regardless of (any) load.

As for NL, we have this show on television that investigates claims about consumer products and there was an episode on whether known brand batteries are really better than no-name batteries. It turned out that most batteries are in fact produced in the same factory, even those from known brands. Which sort of confirms what I found myself, as I have one of my HR92 units running on a set of ARO (home brand of MAKRO wholesale stores) batteries for over two years now. Granted, the motor on that HR92 is rarely activated, but at a quarter to a third of the price of a known brand like Varta, Kodak, Philips, etc. I'd name that good economy.

[filbert]

Haven't used rechargeable batteries for way over ten years now. They always turned out to be a disappointment, the spare set I brought to be able to continue being just as empty as the ones they needed to replace. Even happened with Duracells, like they have a timer that says stop working X minutes after charging regardless of (any) load.

That doesn't happen with the NiMH "Low Self Discharge" type. I keep them for months after charging and they're still good. Same with power tools, I used to have to put my drill on charge the day before I wanted to use it. With the modern rechargeable (lithium, in this case,I think), it's always ready to use.