[fire hazard] Fenix E20 flashlight got HOT!

[space-time]

I had this Fenix E20 flashlight for about 2 years. 2AA cells, very bright. Today it didn't work, so I put 2 fresh AA NiMH cells, still didn't work. I left it on the table (MY HUGE MISTAKE HERE) and ran some errands around the house. For the record, there is no way to tell whether it's ON or OFF just by pushing the button.

Anyway, I left it on the table, kid (2 1/2) found it and push the button, open it, took AA cells out, put cells back in, pushed the button a few more times, he saw it doesn't work and left it on the couch. All this time I watched him but didn't think much of it, kids take batteries in and out of toys all the time.

So now I am sitting here and I see a bright light, I look and the flashlight came ON by itself. WTF? I try to reach to shut it off, the damn thing it's HOT. It almost burned me. Luckily I was here and nothing caught fire.

[tenders]

Gosh, I don't think much harm can come from 3 volts worth of energy stored in a pair of AA batteries, but I cannot imagine how any flashlight could meet $31 worth of expectations.

[space-time]

who said $31? there was a super sales, I think I paid ~$15

I think Eneloop AA can put out over 10A...

[tenders]

I didn't mean to assign any blame, just noting that it's a pricy light.

10A at even 3V is only 30 watts. A AA battery can't sustain that for more than a couple of seconds at most. A night light bulb by comparison runs around 5 watts and while it can get hot, it takes a long time to get there and probably can't ignite anything.

[space-time]

maybe the couch would not have burned, but when I fond this thing so hot, it freaked me out!

YMMV

[Bernie]

This one will start fires.

See the video. It cooks eggs too.

4100 Lumens with an Adjustable High Efficiency Reflector

[space-time]

Bernie wrote:
This one will start fires.

See the video. It cooks eggs too.

4100 Lumens with an Adjustable High Efficiency Reflector

WANT!

[mattkime]

in the UK they're called torches.

[Racer X]

tenders wrote:
Gosh, I don't think much harm can come from 3 volts worth of energy stored in a pair of AA batteries, but I cannot imagine how any flashlight could meet $31 worth of expectations.

ever been hit with a taser? that jolt is far less energy than is contained in 2 fully charged AA batteries. Ever seen a cellphone melt down from a faulty battery?

[tenders]

C'mon. A taser has been engineered to operate at thousands of volts, not 3, and aren't powered with off-the-shelf batteries. And no, I've never seen much damage done from round AA batteries, alkaline or carbon. Cellphone batteries have diifferent chemistry and much more surface area.