A Dad Keeps Recharging Non-Rechargeable Batteries Despite the Risks — Reddit Explained Why That’s Dangerous

A Reddit user posted a photo to r/mildlyinfuriating showing the non-rechargeable batteries their father keeps recharging at home.

According to the original poster, their father believes battery companies discourage recharging simply to drive repeat purchases, not because it's actually dangerous. The batteries last a month or more in the remote. Commenters on the thread pushed back, citing safety concerns.

One commenter who worked at a waste disposal company described the downstream consequences. "We didn't see it a lot, but we definitely watched more than one garbage truck go up in flames," they wrote. "Every single time it was related to an improperly disposed of battery of some kind. Really cool fires, but not worth it."

Another wrote, "Fun fact, there are chargers for alkaline batteries, although they kept exploding so they aren't used anymore. For the love of god, buy him some Laddas, same as Eneloops but cheaper."

The original poster responded to suggestions about switching to rechargeables: "Then him or my mom are somehow gonna forget and throw them out, or he's just never gonna use them because 'the old ones work better.'"

One commenter examined the photo and corrected an assumption running through the thread. "It looks like these are actually 'super heavy duty' batteries, zinc-carbon, instead of alkaline," they wrote.

One commenter summed up the father's reaction: "You can't argue with stupid. Logic makes no sense to them."

"These are the cheapest you'll find for sale, and they don't store as much energy as alkaline, but their self-discharge is lower than alkaline, so they'll last longer in storage and slow-draining things like remotes. Anyway, they're still not made to be recharged, but maybe not as dangerous as recharging alkaline."

Battery makers do not endorse recharging alkaline batteries for safety reasons. Charging ordinary alkaline batteries may generate hydrogen gas that can lead to an explosion, according to Battery University.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued warnings about the dangers associated with improper charging of alkaline batteries, noting that overheating, leakage, and rupture can occur during the charging process.

The original poster has not posted an update on whether their father changed his approach.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this post. The details above reflect the original poster's account as shared on r/mildlyinfuriating.