How hot is TOO HOT?

[xkaes]

This isn't really or totally a repair question, but this is as good a location to ask it as any.

I've run across a couple of flash units that have caused me to ask it -- the brand or the model are irrelevant, so here goes.

On one flash, I inserted the correct batteries correctly, and turned on the power button to see if it worked. I had no idea how long it would take for the READY button to light, but after 30 seconds, I assumed it was dead or needed "forming". But after another few minutes, the light had not gone on and the unit was super hot. So I turned it off, of course, and I'm not turning it on again.

With a completely different flash, I proceeded in exactly the same way. After a few seconds, the READY light illuminated, and I popped the flash a few times to test it's features. All is good, I thought, so I took out the battery and they were hot. Not to hot to handle, but well above warm.

I've used a lot of flashes -- Minolta, Vivitar, Sunpak -- but never had hot batteries. Warm? Can't remember that either.

So, how hot is too hot? Is it a sign of impending doom?

 

[ic-racer]

Are they the correct batteries?

 

[mshchem]

Recycle

 

[thinkbrown]

Given sufficient time, every electrolytic capacitor will turn into a resistor. Those flashes likely have very leaky capacitors and are drawing excessive current from the batteries

 

[F4U]

Leaky capacitor. Be advised that "leaky" doesn't men something leaking out of the capacitor. Leaky refers to the breakdown of the paper or plastic (usually) electrolyte that separates the poles. Or it can be a drying up of the liquid or paste compound impregnating the paper The leakage of the electrcity becomes sever eenough in some cases where the capacitor siimply has no storage power and is actually presenting a short across the batteries, causing them to overheat and either explode or go dead quickly.