Tips for using hearing aid batteries

10 TIPS FOR USING HEARING AID BATTERIES

TIP 1: Always wait 1-2 minutes after removing the sticker.

Hearing aid batteries are of the "zinc-air" type, ie they are activated after removal of sticker, by the oxygen through the entry of oxygen. You should always wait 1-2 minutes after removing the sticker before inserting it into the hearing aid or processor. The battery absolutely needs this time to be fully activated.

Some users react to this: but if I put my batteries in the device right away, isn't there just oxygen? After all, the device is not airtight. Then why wait? The reason is that if the batteries are immediately placed in the device, the device immediately starts to “draw” power from the battery. This has barely reached “power” and can only supply little energy. Result: sometimes it seems as if the battery is not good and because they are immediately “drained” again, they last considerably less long! If you have a battery tester, you can see it too. Immediately after removing the sticker, the battery supplies much less power than after 2 minutes.

TIP 2: Just store the batteries at room temperature in a dry place

Some people think that they should keep the batteries in a cool place so that they last longer. That's why they put them in the fridge. DO NOT! As a result, the batteries condense unnecessarily. Condensation can cause the battery to corrode, which can be seen by the gray dust that will settle on the battery edge. Just in the drawer of your desk or closet is fine.

TIP 3: Remove the battery from your hearing aid if you are not going to use it for a long time

If you do not use your device for a longer period of time (more than eg a month), you should always keep the battery(ies) outside the device, as with any other battery-operated device.

TIP 4: Placing back the sticker when not using it makes no sense

As mentioned in tip 1, the battery is activated by removing the sticker, causing the oxygen to come into contact with the zinc. It makes no sense, for example, to put the sticker on every night with the idea of prolonging the battery life. Once activated, it remains activated and the battery behaves just like any other battery.

TIP 5: Efficient battery change

The most convenient method to change a battery and efficiently use the time it takes to wait 1-2 minutes after removing the sticker is as follows:

Remove the new battery from its packaging.
Remove the sticker. The oxygen can now enter the battery immediately.
Now put the new battery in a place on your desk/table and stick the sticker next to it on the table/desktop. You can now easily remember that this is the new battery.
Remove the empty/old battery from your hearing aid.
Put this old battery upside down back in the package where the new battery used to be. Because the old battery is in the package the other way around, you can immediately see which batteries are new and which are old. The advantage of this method is that when you are "on the road" you immediately have a temporary storage place for your old batteries.
Now put the new battery in the hearing aid. In the meantime, approx. 1-2 minutes have passed after step 2. and the battery has received sufficient oxygen.
Stick the sticker that is still stuck on the table on the back of the package, so that you temporarily get rid of that waste.

Try to learn to follow this sequence when changing the battery.

TIP 6: Protect the environment

Nowadays, no harmful substances are allowed to be used and the hearing aid batteries that are intended for single use are all of the zinc air type. This type of battery is the most environmentally friendly (or if you prefer: least environmentally harmful) that can be used for a hearing aid and/or the processor of a cochlear implant. After the battery is empty, the battery mainly consists of the metal casing and the internal zinc. The two materials are easy to separate and recycle.

Waste batteries and accumulators are small chemical waste (KCA). You must therefore hand them in separately, so that the harmful substances do not end up in the environment. Therefore, hand them in at the chemo cart or another collection point such as a supermarket. That is better for the environment and makes it possible for manufacturers to reuse valuable substances such as the metal casing and the zinc.

At tip 5 we gave you as a tip under step 5. to put the old batteries back in the package. You cannot confuse them with the new batteries (because they still have a sticker on them) and the old batteries don't lie around that way. As soon as the package is full of only old batteries, it is useful to transfer old batteries into a special container and store them. This prevents them from lying around in the household and accidentally ending up with the residual waste. For recycling, it is also better not to keep batteries at home for too long, but to hand them in on time. At least before rust spots appear. This makes it more difficult to take apart batteries.

TIP 7: Purchase a battery tester

Especially for hearing aid batteries, there are special testers (key ring design) with which you can test your batteries, if you are in doubt whether a battery is an old or a new battery.

TIP 8: Batteries in a warm and humid climate

If you travel to a warm and humid climate, the batteries may oxidize slightly. In practice, however, it turns out to be rare. However, you should be aware of this, because oxidation can damage your device. Power One batteries are the only ones guaranteed not to oxidize. If you go to a warm country, it is therefore best to use these Power One batteries. In practice, a battery will also last less long in a warm or cold country than at average temperatures.

TIP 9: Batteries when using stronger hearing aids

If you have a slightly stronger hearing aid, batteries from the lower price segments may give too little power or have too short a life. When in doubt, get a Trial Pack with a number of different brands first. Especially with the brands Oticon and Widex, the batteries of PowerOne and Rayovac often give a better result. These batteries are also very suitable for hearing aids that can, for example, make wireless (Bluetooth) connections and therefore consume more power.

TIP 10: Batteries When Using Cochlear Implants

For cochlear implants (CI) you need so-called "Implant Power" batteries with a high power. They are the size of the hearing aid batteries with the blue sticker, but deliver significantly higher power. CIs usually require 3 batteries. It is important that you always replace them at the same time. You should never mix old and new batteries. It is also recommended to switch off the processor when replacing it and only to switch the processor on again after the renewal. This benefits the life of the batteries because it prevents unnecessary peak loads.