Do flashlights "age"?

[hiloboy]

I have an itorch Venusian which is several years old. The burn time now is half of what is was when new, even with new batteries. I don't understand what can wear out. Any ideas?

 

[Bob DBF]

I have an itorch Venusian which is several years old. The burn time now is half of what is was when new, even with new batteries. I don't understand what can wear out. Any ideas?

Corrosion in wiring, switch, and components increases resistance in the components and uses batteries faster. People notice this when a battery leaks and corrodes the battery compartment, but it is impossible to see inside wires and connections without destructive testing.

If the light is repairable, one could replace all the wireing components, but most are not.

 

[lionfish-eater]

you can test the resistance of the wires with an ohm meter.
you can check for voltage drop also.
go on utube for instructions

 

[Boarderguy]

Plastics get brittle with age. O-rings get flat and brittle. Either condition will result in a leak. Replace all o-rings and be gentle with any plastic threads. Clean all contacts with a wire brush and some alcohol followed up with a q-tip and alcohol. Put some deoxit on the cleaned terminals and hope for the best with some fresh batteries.

I threw out my 20 year old flashlights that worked great in 15 ft water for dock repairs and lost items when they leaked on a 60 ft salt water dive.

 

[hiloboy]

The flashlight has never flooded and I do not see an signs of corrosion in the battery compartment.

 

[Boarderguy]

Put a fresh 18650 battery in it and give it a go. Worst that happens is it stops working while on a dive.

 

[hiloboy]

I know it is not a battery issue because the batteries work fine in my other flashlights.

 

[Boarderguy]

Maybe corrosion behind the visible part of the contract. Deteriorated solder joints could cause higher current draw to keep the light going. That could be what is causing the lower run time