The length of time a hearing aid battery lasts can really influence the experience of owning a hearing aid device in terms of cost and maintenance. Learn more about hearing aid battery life in this latest Audicus blog!
There are a number of different ways to extend the life of hearing aid batteries. Proper maintenance of hearing aid batteries is cost-effective and can save you from making unnecessary purchases. The type of hearing aid battery used can also have a big influence on its longevity.
Making Hearing Aid Batteries Last
Many hearing aid batteries last from a period of two days to two weeks. In a lot of cases, the batteries meant for larger or non-wireless hearing aids last longer than those made for smaller or wireless hearing aids.
Your hearing aid battery life may also depend on the type of hearing aid that you have, as different types of devices have alternate capabilities that can consume different amounts of energy.
Hearing aid batteries are normally made of zinc, a metal that can help prolong the life of the product. After peeling the sticker off of a new battery, be sure to give it 5 minutes to be fully activated by the surrounding oxygen in the room.
Do not peel the stickers off of batteries that you will not use right away, as this can cause the batteries to lose energy unnecessarily. Streaming can have a major impact on how fast your hearing aid battery gets used up.
If you were to use your hearing aid to stream the audio from your television, for example, your battery may end up using twice the normal amount of energy!
Preventing Damage to Hearing Aid Batteries
One of the best ways to prevent hearing aid batteries from shorting out is to make sure they don’t get damaged by external forces. Moisture can cause hearing aid batteries to perform poorly or completely stop working.
You can open the battery door when you are not using the hearing aid, as this also prevents excess moisture from accumulating. Keep batteries away from rain and other forms of precipitation. A location that has room temperature is best.
When not in use, hearing aid batteries should be stored away from water sources and the room in use should not be excessively humid. Battery compartments should be kept above ground level to prevent damage from floods and leaks, as well as animals that may try to bite or swallow the batteries.
Keeping the batteries away from metal products such as keys and coins can also help prevent short-circuiting. Lastly, be sure to only handle batteries with clean hands, as grease and dirt can be damaging to them.
Although you may no longer have use for nonfunctioning hearing aid batteries, they can be useful in other contexts!
Visiting your local grocery store, electronic retailer, or websites such as earth911.com can allow you to see different nearby recycling programs for your hearing aid batteries.
Sources: AARP.org