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Review on Tenergy Charger Self Discharge Rechargeable Batteries by Nicole Slotnick

Revainrating 2 out of 5

Danger of melting household batteries, chargers and accessories

I purchased this kit in early December 2015 and have started using batteries in relatively low current draw applications. I only used one battery at a time and charged them in pairs with the included charger. After about 9 months on a charge, one of the batteries melted, damaging the neighboring battery. (See photo.) Again, the batteries were not charged. I'm obviously concerned about the prospect of an apartment fire, especially if it happens to happen while I'm away. It's not clear how much heat was generated, but it didn't damage the surrounding surfaces, despite melting the case and deforming the nearby battery. The other good news is that for 9 months I rarely used the batteries and the charger works as advertised and hasn't melted yet. and 90-day warranty" and that they "cannot" (as opposed to unwilling) issue a replacement. They did not comment on failure. They also stated that if I corrected their design defect during the warranty period (with in other words unfortunately) discovered so quickly "would have been happy to issue a replacement", assuming I assume they would be happy to have met the minimum requirements. their contract is a factor somehow. At least I'm not upset that they didn't replace the failed batteries. That's fair and they're not legally required to do so. Due to the short lifespan I will not be buying their products again. But I'm frustrated at the thought that to save a few bucks I'd have to buy rechargeable 9th Gen -volt batteries that could burn my house down. Based on THIS, I have a responsibility to warn others. Granted, batteries are inherently dangerous, and the higher theirs Energy density, the greater the risk. So maybe Tenergy's failure rate is comparable to the industry norm and I accidentally got the short end of the stick. <shrugs> But I won't be buying any more, and I urge you to be careful about the risk you buy. More importantly, I urge buyers to remember that with little use this can happen up to 9 months after purchase, so this is clearly not an infant mortality/assembly issue. Buyers, be careful and take steps to protect yourself. Please note that I buy a lot of eneloop batteries because AA and AAA alkaline cells will leak and destroy almost anything I put in them. But I've never had a leak on a 9V alkaline battery, so I can stick with them. In the meantime, I either store my rechargeable Tenergy in an ammo can and monitor their charge cycles. or realize it's not worth the pain in the butt and just drop them. Two stars for 9 months of light use and for the catastrophic failure that didn't set my house on fire. Hooray.

Pros
  • Comfortable to use
Cons
  • old