This blog contains a number of simple money saving solutions I have discovered to potentially expensive repairs or replacements.
For Example:
Cleaning of the shower mould using domestos grot buster saved me hundreds of pounds, and the fact that it keeps the mould out of the caulk saves me hours of additional cleaning.
Sadly, I've just found that I have badly damaged a Classic High Value Wowwee Robotics RS Media Robot by accidentally leaving a set of Zinc Carbon Acid Batteries in it.
After discovering the damage one set of batteries had done, I set about opening every battery powered devices I could find, below is a picture of the large bag of dead and leaking batteries I have put out for recycling. As you can see some are cheap carbon acid batteries whilst others or apparently Alkaline batteries.
THINK! When Was The Last Time You Checked The Batteries In Your Gadgets, Toys or Remote Controls.
If its more than a few weeks, you need to check them again.
Leakage is the main issue. The zinc case corrodes as part of normal operation, and if it corrodes through in one spot, corrosive leakage occurs. This is a good reason not to use these batteries in high value electronic goods.
Remove batteries if they will not be used for a fair length of time. Running them 100% flat increases the chance of leakage.
Metal damaged by corrosion, such as battery contacts, can be scraped to remove most of the corrosion. This usualy makes the appliance work again, but corroded circuit board tracks are usually corroded completely through by leakage, killing the appliance. Repair of corroded circuit board requires scraping, washing and soldering wires on to replace the lost tracks.
Zinc carbon batteries frequently have a clear plastic film wrap applied to help contain some leaks, don't remove it.
If a lumpy surface is seen under the plastic film, the zinc case has almost corroded through and is about to leak, and the battery should be disposed of.
One way to avoid damage from leakage and thus enable use of low cost batteries is to use an external battery holder, plugging it into the appliance. This works well enough with 9v types, which use a snap on genderless connector.
Battery Corrosion Damage In Robosapien RS Media Robot
fixed1t Money Saving Household Tips
WARNING
When did you last check the batteries inside your kids toys or your own toys and gadgets? Or consider, the damage that the cheap batteries you bought, could make to very expensive toys or devices
DON'T DO WHAT I'VE JUST DONE by leaving cheap eBay seller batteries in a valuable item
This video is about Why AA Rechargeable Batteries Don't Work In Some Devices - Part 3
In this video I insert a pair of MAPLINS rechargeable batteries into an Apple Mouse to see if they are capable of powering the Apple Mouse.
In Part 4 I will test another pair of rechargeable batteries in the Apple Mouse, to test my theory that: "the size of the battery and the tips dictates whether the rechargeable AA batteries will work as a substitute as an alkaline substitute" #fixed1tRESEARCH #fixed1tMONEYSAVINGtips
This video is about Why AA Rechargeable Batteries Don't Work In Some Devices - Part 2
In this video measure a number of Alkaline and Rechargeable Batteries to gain a detailed understanding of their size and shape, I then test the largest in an Apple Mouse to act as control.
In Part 3 I will test a number of the different sizes in the Apple Mouse, to test my theory. #fixed1tRESEARCH #fixed1tMONEYSAVINGtips
This question has arisen from comments to my recent video below on Why AA Rechargeable Batteries Don't Work In Some Devices:
Sadly its a common misconception, except in those circuits that have been deliberately devised to take advantage of the extra .3 volt. In reality the 1.5V battery doesn't stay 1.5V for very long as it drains the voltage goes down rapidly as does its current. It will reach 1.2 V pretty quick. The Rechargeable Batteries on the other hand retain their 1.2 volts under load and will do so until all the current has gone in which case the voltage dives down. In fact I found a great chart:
In an excellent article by a fellow Radio Amateur Roy Lewallen. the link is at the end of this blog article.
The only time the lack of voltage has a real effect is where the speed of a devices is linked to the voltage in a cheap design, without constant current circuitry in place, and thats usually linked to a specific manufacturers devices. But the Alkaline Battery manufactures are more than happy for you to by their use once batteries, again and again... But you don't have to believe me read this great article, it describes things better than I can here. I will increase your worldly 'geek' knowledge and save you money down the line. Please share this Blog entry with your friends and relatives so they too can make the right decision. “1.5 Volt” vs. “1.2 Volt” Batteriesby Roy Lewallen
In this video series I investigate why some AA Rechargeable Batteries Don't Work In many Devices and Toys. In this Part 1 video I look at the physical aspects of the batteries and how they make affect performance. In part two I will look more closely at the battery items. #fixed1tMONEYSAVINGtips
