those high powered flashlights (Halogen?)

[mary]

I have one with 1 million power rating. Since it only keeps a charge for 10 minutes or so (it is getting on a bit) I have tried to replace the bulb with one from a lower rated one. It was not possible to order one from Maplins and I was led to believe you can't get them. I managed to scavenge one from the recycling centre.I It was from a

500,000 rated spotlight. I could see that the bulb was more or less identical and so I switched it. At first it worked but when I reassembled it ,it stopped working. I thought I could have blown the bulb but the previous bulb now would not work either. Have I blown the circuit or is it harder to reassemble than I expected? I had to get the old bulb out by bending the casing with pliers and the paper clip shaped object that was there before doesn't seem to want to fit in and hold the bulb in place (but that shouldn't be the problem as the bulb was working at first just lying loosely in the casing -but won't now)

[Matty F]

I have one with a "sealed" lead acid battery which suddenly stopped lighting the bulb even though a meter indicated that there was more than 6 volts at the bulb contacts. When the bulb was inserted the voltage dropped to almost nothing. I prised out the rubber plugs on the battery and added distilled water. It seemed to soak up a lot - I had to add water about 10 times using an eyedropper. I then charged it and the torch runs perfectly again. Leave the plugs out of the battery when charging it the first time after adding water, or else the plugs will shoot into the air and disappear.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Most use genuine SLA which use a gel for the electrolyte.

[Matty F]

Being a torch it has to work with the battery upside down. Mine is bound to have had gel in it, but it's dried up.over the years. The water has soaked into a spongy material in the battery and there is now no free liquid.