PILAS

I have just bought a new appliance. Which batteries should I use?

Please check your instruction manual, this should explain not only the size and type but also how many you require.

Check if your device requires saline or alkaline batteries, nowadays most appliances require alkaline batteries. If unsure it is always best to opt for alkaline.

If unsure about the terminology used for the battery in your instruction manual, please see the table below which may help you identify the type by a more commonly known name:

Small	R03	AAA	(1.5V)
The most common	R6	AA	(1.5V)
Medium	R14	C	(1.5V)
Large	R20	D	(1.5V)
Brooch	6F22	6R61/ 9V	(9V)
Flask	3R12	4.5V	(4.5V)

When should we use rechargeable batteries?

You should use rechargeable batteries when you have an appliance that requires a high intensity current such as digital cameras, MP3, MP4 or remote control cars. A rechargeable battery works best when it is being used frequently, they are not recommended for appliances that use very little power over a very long time such as clocks or remote controls.

I have placed a new set of batteries in my CD player and the CD player still does not work

The most common reason initially is down to incorrect battery insertion. Please check to see if the batteries have been correctly inserted according to the instruction manual.

Check immediately how you have placed the batteries in the appliance and check that the battery's positive and negative poles are correctly placed inside it. Normally, all appliances that use batteries tend to indicate in their interior how the batteries should be placed. Check to see if the positive and negatives poles are correctly aligned, most appliances will indicate which way the poles need to be inserted.

I have placed a new set of batteries in my equipment they are heating up.

Batteries can heat up whilst being used, but they should never reach temperatures where we cannot touch them (temperatures higher than 50ºC).

If the batteries are heating up a lot, it is very probable that one of them is short-circuited. Take out the batteries out of the appliance, check that the insulating labelling that covers them has not suffered any damage and that when you insert them, the contacts (springs) do not go into the negative terminal's groove where the label ends.