On Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:21:16 +0100, ARW wrote:

dennis@home wrote:
"DerbyBorn" wrote in message
2.236...
A neighbour called me to tell me she had put new batteries in her CO2
/ smoke alarm and they were getting hot! I went to look and as you
can guess they had been fitted wrong - but I was really surprised by
the amount of heat they generated. (3 xAA)

I wouldn't be surprised, not after putting the two AA batteries into a
Lidl torch and finding it didn't work. By the time I got back to the
shop (about 5 minutes) it was melting the plastic bits.
Next time I will remember to take the batteries out.

Makes note - dennis is unable to correctly fit a pair of AA batteries
into a torch.

It was probably a torch designed for a couple of D cells.