---
title: "Does Batteries expire? Degrades in quality"
description: "They self-discharge on the shelf, at very different rates by chemistry — and alkalines leak when flat. What actually changes over time, whether it matters, and how t"
url: https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/batteries/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Does Batteries expire?

**Does Batteries expire?: They self-discharge on the shelf, at very different rates by chemistry — and alkalines leak when flat.**

Alkaline: 5-10 years. Lithium primary: 10-20. Rechargeable NiMH: 3-5 years of useful life

Every battery loses charge sitting still, through internal chemistry rather than any external drain. Alkaline cells lose a few per cent a year; lithium primaries far less, which is why smoke alarms and cameras use them. The practical hazard is specific to alkalines: once fully discharged they generate hydrogen and potassium hydroxide leaks out, which destroys the device. That is why the advice is to remove batteries from anything being stored, and why a drawer of old remote controls so often contains one ruined one.

## How to store it

- Cool and dry. The fridge is unnecessary and risks condensation.
- Take batteries out of anything you are putting away for a season.

## How to tell it has gone

- White crusty deposit around the terminals means a leak — clean it with care, it is caustic.
- A swollen lithium cell should be treated as a fire risk and not charged.

> "Use by" and "best before" are legally different. Use-by is a safety date and should be respected; best-before is about quality, and food is usually fine well past it. Where the two diverge matters, the page above says which applies.

## Common questions

### Does Batteries expire?

They self-discharge on the shelf, at very different rates by chemistry — and alkalines leak when flat.

### How long does Batteries last?

Alkaline: 5-10 years. Lithium primary: 10-20. Rechargeable NiMH: 3-5 years of useful life

## Related pages

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- [Does Wine expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/wine/)
- [Does Chocolate expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/chocolate/)
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- [Does Honey expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/honey/)
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- [Does Sunscreen expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/sunscreen/)
- [Does Salt expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/salt/)
- [Does Frozen food expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/frozen-food/)
- [Does Canned food expire?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/canned-food/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)