So I went to buy some HA batteries

[TambourineMan]

I had read that the mercury free HA batteries do not last as long as ones that contain miniscule micro parts of mercury.

I went to three different chain drugstores in MA: CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid. I only found mercury free HA batteries for sale.

I did not quick research online to see if the MA legislature had passed a bill to save us from instant death caused by using batteries containing mercury, but somehow this extreme hazard has escaped their usual diligent attention to micro managing our lives.

Is the reason all these stores have stopped selling batteries containing mercury because the EPA is now requiring them to have collection facilities for batteries that contain mercury and it's easier to switch than fight?

If this is the reason, then how come the EPA doesn't require them to have collection systems for burned out or broken CFLs? (Then maybe stores would go back to selling incandescent light bulbs (once the law phasing in a ban of them was changed, or course).

Thank goodness for LocalBattery.com They still sell PowerOnes.

[/rant off]

[DFPope]

I have been buying up a couple of years worth of the Power Ones while they still have mercury.
EPA = Government = Idiots, what more can I say.

[TambourineMan]

What's the realistic shelf life? I can get 60 PowerOnes (size 13) on LocalBattery.com delivered for $29. My first set of batteries lasted over a week.

[DocAudio]

Battery life estimates:

size 13 = 10-20 days
size 312 = 5-8 days
Size 10 = 3-5 days
size 675 = 14-25 days

More use = less time for battery.

[Mick Shu]

from the Power One web site

The air holes of the battery are initially sealed with a protective film. They are kept this way, in an "inactive state", until they are needed. The self-drain of zinc air batteries with protective film attached only amounts to around 3% a year. The film is removed when the battery is inserted into the hearing aid. After several seconds of activation time, the battery begins to produce current. In the activated state (with protective film removed), zinc air batteries can only be stored for a limited period and should be used as quickly as possible.

[DFPope]

The batteries I have been getting have a use by date of 11/2015.
I have some Power One and some Duracell which are both made by Varta in Germany.