Can I replace the rechargeable battery of hearing aids at home?
- Koorosh Nejad
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Technically speaking, yes, but it may not be a wise move. Here is why.
Since about 2018, hearing aid companies have started introducing rechargeable hearing aids to the market. This was great news to patients with dexterity issues, or arthritis or poor sight, as dealing with small batteries every week was completely eliminated. Starkey was among the first to introduce rechargeable batteries in custom-made ITC and CIC hearing aids, which was a leap forward.
The direction has not changed. The latest releases of new hearing aids, including Phonak Infinio, Widex Allure, Oticon Intent and others, are only in rechargeable form factor.
My best advice to patients is to make sure that you get the longest possible warranty for your hearing aids, so in the event of a degradation of the battery life, you have the option of sending them to the manufacturers to get a new rechargeable battery at no extra cost. In my experience, most rechargeable devices go through a decline in their battery run time before any other fault.
How long run time should I expect for my rechargeable hearing aids?
While the average life of premium hearing aids can be around 7 to 10 years, the life of the batteries in the rechargeable hearing aids could be shorter. Please note that all batteries go through a degradation process. Likely, you would not notice a decline in the battery of your rechargeable hearing aids in the first 2-3 years, simply because the batteries still offer 15 to 17 hours of run time, which is the time between waking up and sleeping of an average user. In year 4 or 5, you may notice that you hear the low-battery alarm in your hearing aids in the late evening.
What other factors affect the life of the rechargeable battery of my hearing aid?
Like other battery-operated devices, the operating temperature is a factor in a rechargeable battery. Batteries tend to degrade quickly in warmer operating environments. Another factor is the severity of your hearing loss. The battery of hearing aids set for severe to profound hearing loss, especially at lower frequencies, tends to go through deeper charge and discharge cycles, which reduces the life of the rechargeable battery.
I want to buy rechargeable hearing aids, but I am worried about the life of the rechargeable battery. What should I do?
If you are in the market for new hearing aids and the model you are interested in is rechargeable, all you need to consider is to make sure that you have at least a 5-year warranty. Most major retailer such as Specsavers only offer a 3-year warranty on their hearing aids. Most patients ignore the importance of the warranty period in safeguarding their investment.
If you have a short list of 2 or 3 hearing aids, then you can see which one has a longer battery run time to start. For example, Oticon Intent's battery life is 20-24 hours for start versus the battery life of Starkey Edge AI is 31 hours in miniRIC and 51 hours in RIC model.
Can I replace the rechargeable battery of my hearing aids myself?
The short answer is yes, you can. But you need to be very skilful to do that, pretty much as skilful as a lab technician with experience of repairing and maintaining hearing aids. My advice is against replacing the rechargeable batteries yourself because:
If the job is not done correctly, you might damage your hearing aids. Facing a much bigger cost for saving a small expense.
Most rechargeable batteries for hearing aids that you can find online are not the genuine models that the manufacturers use. For example, the PowerOne Accu Plus promotes a 57 times a 312 battery life. If you multiply 57 by the average of 5 to 7 days of run time for a non-rechargeable battery, you realise that if you trust the advertiser, it will only last for about a year of rechargeable life span, which is much less than most rechargeable hearing aids. Technically speaking, you have to replace it with a new one in about a year, and you need to pay about £80 to £90 for each unit.
Most rechargeable hearing aids have a small algorithm which optimises the charging process of the rechargeable battery. This is critical to improve the life of the rechargeable battery. Also, to make sure that the battery is not overcharged. When a new rechargeable battery is placed in your hearing aid, the lab technician resets the battery clock, which simply sets the algorithm for a fresh start. For Oticon rechargeable batteries, this can be done by your audiologist, as Oticon only ships the battery out to your audiologist. If you do replace a rechargeable battery for your hearing aids, you have no setup to reset the battery algorithm, which results in under- or overcharging the battery.
And yet another challenge is that the rechargeable batteries that you purchase online may be out of date or have little time left to hit their expiry date.
If you are not skilled or missing the right tools to disassemble your hearing aid or assemble and seal it back after replacing the rechargeable battery, you may leave your hearing aids exposed to moisture and dust, which can damage your hearing aid quickly. Again, a big cost for saving a small expense.
Where is the best place to send my hearing aids for new rechargeable batteries?
My advice is to let the manufacturer replace the rechargeable batteries of your hearing aids. This way you will ensure:
The workmanship of the work
The quality of the rechargeable battery in your hearing aids
You get a longer run for your investment
What hearing aids have the longest rechargeable battery operating time?
At the time of this post, the record run time of a hearing aid with a rechargeable battery belongs to Starkey Edge AI. The battery life of Starkey Edge AI is 31 hours in miniRIC and 51 hours in the RIC model. The battery life of Signia Pure Charge and Go BCT IX is the next best with 38 hours of run time.
Questions?
If you have concerns or questions about replacing the rechargeable battery for your hearing aids, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can write to us or book a free Zoom meeting with our audiologist.
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