Ok, battery (AA), brand new. After just 30 secs it became red hot and melted the device that it was powering. I thought it might be faulty and I heard that they can explode. I panicked and hid it in the garden. What should I do?
by 
whippet
ANSWERS: 5
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Dont go in the garden † .......
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What type of battery was it? (Alkaline, zinc-carbon, nickel-cadmium, lithium primary [non rechargeable]) and what was it powering? You should be ok once it's cooled down. Only lithium chemistries are really hairy in terms of explosive power, although NiCad and NiMh can melt down they tend to vent fairly safely. I have worked in a factory where lithium D cells used to go off like hand grenades with napalm (seriously) but it was the exception, not the rule. Domestic batteries typically have to be much safer. Sniff Misox is pulling your chain! Not that I blame him of course...
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Sounds to me like the device was shorting out the battery. If it was a Lion battery, it could have exploded, but otherwise unlikely. Remove the short, and it'll cool down. More likely, it will have leaked all kinds of nasty chemicals into your garden by now. You can dig it up and throw it away if you want. It won't explode now, but handle it carefully and don't get any of the goop on your skin.
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Once it's cooled down, it will not be dangerous. However, you should not handle it with your hands in case it is leaking. Use a disposable cloth or something. Contact the manufacturer and ask if they have a policy on replacing devices destroyed by a faulty battery. They'll probably ask you to send both the battery and the device to them so they can determine the cause of the failure and possibly replace it or reimburse you for it.
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Did you mix the batteries? This is a rare occurence. your device may have a short in it. Did the batteries get red hot or the device, not clear.
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