Batteries can get wet and will still work because they are sealed. You should dry them off with a paper towel. Salt water will corrode them. If they are in a device take them out and dry everything out, the battery will be fine, but the electronics may be damaged due to short circuit.
If you notice that your battery has been leaking and getting wet, the best action to take is to remove it immediately. The room you are operating in should be well ventilated.
Also, keep all sources of heat away. To avoid contact with a dangerous leak, use appropriate eyewear and gloves. Proceed to clean out the leaking battery compartments. You can use a toothbrush for this purpose or a swab of cotton wool.
The battery’s parts can be recycled. So, don’t discard it. Put it in a bag and take it to the right recycling firms near you. Afterward, you need to wash your hands with soap and running water to remove all the residues and fluid that might have landed on you. Should you experience eye contact with these fluids or residue, seek immediate medical attention.
If you have a toy race car, a torch, or a tv remote that uses batteries, you have encountered cases where your batteries are leaking and getting wet. This is especially true if you have left them to run for way too long. In most cases, you will notice a white powder and some fluid exuding from them. Under such circumstances, such batteries become unfit for use. Just not to mention that they can damage parts of your devices.
You should not take leaking batteries for granted. Aside from potentially damaging parts of your devices, they can cause fires and health issues.
What Causes A Battery to Leak?
If you have been wondering why your batteries are leaking, perhaps you didn’t know that when batteries work, they exude a fluid. As they release energy to run devices, gas formation takes place. This may cause the battery cells to rapture making it wet. Usually, such a leak is sealed to prevent further rapture.
Even though batteries are designed to withstand rapture, the build-up of gases inside it, occasionally, gets so severe that rapture and leakage become inevitable. One of the reasons why your battery is leaking and getting wet is because you are leaving it to run a device for too long. Even if the device is not working, it periodically whisks away the remaining power in the battery. Consequently, a huge amount of stress builds up in the battery causing leakage.
How Can You Prevent Your Battery from Getting Wet?
You can stay out of the rain.
The most ideal method of preventing your batteries from getting wet is to take them out if they are not in use. Additionally, do not leave devices connected if they are not working. Discharge them as soon as you are done with them.
Also, if you are using multiple batteries in one device, it is highly recommended to use a power source from the same brand of batteries. They should also have the same energy levels. The reason behind this is that batteries have the potential to drain those which supply low energy. This propagates leakage. Generally, try to avoid energy imbalance in your batteries.
Wet batteries may become unfit for use so dry them off.
