Energizer Max C Batteries (LR14) - 4 Pack

These are Energizer Max C cells, four to a pack. C is the short, fat size that sits between an AA and a D, and it is the one that catches people out, because plenty of households never buy one from one year to the next. The chemistry is alkaline, which is the everyday workhorse type, and the international code for an alkaline C is LR14. If the cells you are taking out are stamped LR14, or the compartment simply says C, these will drop straight in. Each cell gives the usual alkaline 1.5 volts.

C cells turn up in the things that need a bit of bulk behind them rather than a trickle: large rubber torches, camping and storm lanterns, portable radios, door chimes, wall-mounted alarm sounders and the bigger children's toys with motors or sound in them. Four is a useful count, because a great many of those devices take two or four at a time, so a single pack either fills one appliance or refills two. Check the polarity marks inside the compartment before you load them; a C cell is heavy enough that a reversed one is easy to miss.

The pack states a 10-year shelf life, which is the figure that matters if you are buying cells to put in a drawer for the winter power cut rather than to use tonight. Nothing here needs charging and nothing needs an adaptor: open the card, load the cells and keep the spares in their tray so the ends cannot touch anything metal. This listing is one pack of four, and the minimum order is six packs, sold in multiples of six. We also list Energizer alkaline cells in AA, AAA, C, D and 9V sizes.

How do I know my device takes C cells?

The size is usually moulded into the battery compartment or printed beside it, either as C or as the code LR14. C cells are noticeably shorter and fatter than a D and much larger than an AA.

How many cells do I get, and what is the smallest order?

One unit of this listing is a card of four C cells. The minimum order is six of those packs, sold in multiples of six, so twenty four cells in total at the lowest quantity.

Can these be recharged?

No. Alkaline cells are single use and are not designed to go back into a charger. If you want cells you can top up again, you need a rechargeable type rather than an alkaline one.

How long will they keep before I use them?

The pack states a 10 year shelf life, so a spare card kept somewhere cool and dry should still be ready for a torch or a lantern years after you bought it.

Can I put one of these in alongside a cell that is already half used?

Better not to. Replace the whole set at once and keep to a single chemistry, because a tired cell sitting beside fresh ones drags the whole set down and can leak.

What voltage does each cell give?

Each cell gives the standard alkaline 1.5 volts, so four of them in series come to six volts, which is what most four-cell torches and lanterns are built around.