Here’s what you need to know about your hearing aid batteries
Hearing aid batteries are zinc air batteries – the zinc inside the battery is activated by oxygen in the air to power your hearing aids.
Here’s what you need to know about them:
What is the Sticker/Tab for?
The tab on the back of each battery is used to prevent the air from activating the battery prematurely. You must remove the tab to activate the battery before placing it inside of your hearing aid. Once activated, the zinc in the battery will continue to slowly drain from the battery even if the hearing aid is not in use. Make sure you do not remove the tab before you’re ready to change your battery or it might drain completely before you can use it.
“5 Minute Rule”
By waiting up to 5 minutes after removing the tab from your battery before putting it in your hearing aid you can extend the battery life up to 80%!This extra time allows the battery to absorb the maximum amount of oxygen to fully activate the battery.
An 8th Grade hearing aid user from Minnesota conducted a science experiment and made this money saving discovery.
Keep in a Cool, Dry Place
Humidity, heat, and cold can all affect the life of your battery which can result in poor hearing aid performance. Do not put them in the refrigerator.
Turn your hearing aids off when not in use
To help extend the life of your hearing aid batteries make sure you turn your hearing aids off when not in use by opening the battery door. You don’t have to take the batteries out, just make sure the door is open completely so there is no contact with the hearing aid.
Not all batteries are good even if the expiration date states otherwise.
Do not be alarmed if you’ve followed all the steps and your hearing aids are dying only after a day or two of use. You can purchase hearing aid batteries from any retailer but you don’t know how long those batteries were sitting on the shelf or in the stockroom before they came home with you. Depending on how long they have been there or where they were stored, the zinc could have somehow leaked out.Try another pack of batteries from somewhere else before bringing your hearing aid in for repair.
Important Tips:
- Remove the sticker only before you’re ready to use the battery.
- Wait 5 minutes before placing it inside your hearing aid.
- Keep your batteries in a cool, dry, place.
- Turn your hearing aid off when not in use.
- Purchase from different retailers to find which battery lasts the longest for you.
If battery care and changing batteries is not for you, ask about our rechargeable hearing aids!