Getting the Most Out of Your Hearing Aid Batteries

You could make a strong case that the most critical component of your hearing aid is the battery: without it, nothing else works, and if it fails, your hearing fails with it. In this short guide, we’ll present to you everything you need to know about hearing aid batteries so that you can get the maximum benefit out of your hearing aids.

How Hearing Aid Batteries Work

Hearing aids take a unique kind of battery called zinc-air batteries. Each battery has a sticker that covers small holes on the top of the battery. Once the sticker is removed, air enters the battery through the holes, resulting in a chemical reaction that activates the zinc and makes the battery live. When the battery is live, it starts discharging power and reapplying the sticker will have no influence in conserving its life.

Hearing Aid Battery Types

Zinc-air hearing aid batteries come in four standardized sizes, marked with standardized number and color codes. The four sizes, from largest to smallest, are:

• 675-blue
• 13-orange
• 312-brown
• 10-yellow

Each hearing aid uses only one of the sizes, and your hearing specialist will inform you which size you will be needing. Keep in mind that the numbers and colors above are manufacturer independent, but that manufacturers sometimes add additional letters or numbers to its packaging.

Hearing Aid Battery Life

Hearing aid battery life is reliant on a number of factors. Many patients get up to one week of life out of a battery if they use the hearing aid for 12 or more hours a day, but this will vary depending on:

• The size of the battery – bigger batteries have a longer life.
• The level of hearing loss – More severe hearing loss calls for more power.
• Hearing aid features – wireless functionality, noise reduction programs, and multi-channel processing, for example, demand more power to operate.
• Temperature – hot and cold temperatures can decrease battery life.

Your hearing specialist will review all of this with you, and can help you find the proper balance between hearing aid capability and battery life.

How to Increase the Life of Your Hearing Aid Batteries

You can effortlessly prolong the life of your hearing aid batteries with one simple trick. As soon as you remove the sticker to activate the battery, wait 5-7 minutes before inserting the battery into your hearing aids. By removing the sticker and laying the battery flat side up for a few minutes, air is able to properly activate the battery before you start using it, which lengthens its life.

A couple of other tips:

• Keep the batteries away from coins, keys, or other metal objects that could short the battery.
• When the hearing aid isn’t being used, turn it off and store it with the battery door open. If you don’t plan on using your hearing aids for an extended period of time, remove the batteries completely.
• Unopened batteries can last for years; still, fresher batteries are preferred because each year that goes by decreases the life of the battery.
• Store your batteries at room temperature. This rule is so crucial that the next section is dedicated to the topic.

How to Store Your Hearing Aid Batteries

There’s a dangerous myth out there suggesting that storing your batteries in the refrigerator extends their life. This is not only false; it produces the opposite result!

The reasoning behind storing your batteries in the refrigerator is that the cold temperature will slow down the discharge of power. While this may be technically true, the amount of power you will save will be negligible, and the undesirable effects of moisture will produce far greater negative consequences.

Storing zinc-air batteries in a cold environment allows micro condensation to form in an on the battery, resulting in corrosion and a high risk of premature failure. Therefore, for ideal performance, simply keep your batteries away from extreme hot or cold temperatures and store at room temperature.

Maintaining Your Hearing Aid Battery Supply

Once you figure out how long your batteries last, on average, you’ll want to keep a month’s supply. If your batteries last 1 week, and you use 2 batteries (1 for each hearing aid), then you’ll end up using about 8 per month. Simply set 8 as your reorder level, and once you consume your stock down to 8, order another pack. Alternatively, you may want to look into the price savings linked with bulk buys and maintain a supply that lasts a bit longer than one month. If you’re not certain, we are more than happy to help you put together a strategy and will handle all of your hearing aid battery needs. Just give us a call!

Have any other questions? Talk to one of our hearing specialists today!