Question: I was watching a YouTube video in which a gentleman with a smoke detector took the 9-volt batteries out and just threw them into his rubbish container. Guess what? His house caught fire. It turns out that when your batteries run out, there’s still a charge in there. So the recommendation is that you take electrical tape and put it over the heads of the batteries. Can you let people in Hawaii know they can prevent fires if they would just take the initiative and tape their batteries before throwing them into the trash?
Answer: We asked the Honolulu Fire Department whether it had any recommendations about disposing of 9-volt batteries, which can be found in most homes, in smoke alarms, toys and other household items.
HFD said it follows recommendations and guidelines from the National Fire Protection Association, which warns that 9-volt batteries can be a fire hazard because the positive and negative posts are close together.
If a metal object touches the posts, it can cause a short circuit, which then can generate enough heat to start a fire.
The NFPA advises:
» Keep batteries in the original packaging until you are ready to use them.
If the batteries are not in the original packaging, keep the posts covered with masking, duct or electrical tape to prevent them from touching metal objects.
» Keep them in a place where they won’t be tossed around, and do not store them loose in a drawer or container with other batteries.
» Store batteries standing up.
Regarding disposal, the NFPA says:
» Do not throw 9-volt batteries into the trash.
» Take them to a collection site for household hazardous waste (see below for disposal information on Oahu).
» To be safe, cover the positive and negative posts with masking, duct or electrical tape before disposal.
» Some states do not allow any type of battery to be disposed of with trash. Check with your city for the best way to dispose of batteries.
On Oahu, find information on how to dispose of auto and rechargeable batteries on the city Department of Environmental Services website: www.opala.org/solid_waste/what_goes_where_table.html#batteries.
But for 9-volt batteries, you are advised to take them to the department’s collection site for disposal of household hazardous waste.
"We definitely do not want residents to dispose of 9-volt batteries into the trash because it would eventually end up at HPOWER," said Lori Kahikina, director of environmental services. "We don’t want them there as most of them contain heavy metals."
Public announcements for household hazardous waste drop-off events are done every two months, she said.
The next event is set for July 12.
Question: Concerning Oceanic blackouts or partial nonworking stations, does Oceanic automatically issue a refund of some sort to all customers, or do its customers have to call in individually for the one- or two-day blackout or partial blackout?
Answer: Oceanic Time Warner Cable will not do automatic refunds unless a service interruption is for
24 hours at one time, said Sandy Davis, Oceanic’s director of customer care. Customers can track whether they had interruptions that add up to 24 hours per service and call to request a prorated credit, she said.
Auwe
To the distracted female driver of a Ford SUV on Kalanianaole Highway near Aina Haina Shopping Center. You kept braking and stopping several times, almost causing me to rear-end the car in front of me, which would have rear-ended your vehicle. When I caught up with you, I saw you texting. It is illegal to text and drive! — Concerned Senior Citizen
Mahalo
To a kind stranger. We were dining at Haleiwa Joe’s one Saturday only to find our car battery had run down because we left the lights on. Fortunately, someone had jumper cables and helped us out. We are deeply grateful. — Bill and Millie
Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
