Hearing Aid Batteries

Hearing Aid Batteries

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(8/pack) WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!!
10 or 10A (yellow): $3.00
312 (brown) 3.00
13 (orange) 3.00
675 (blue) (6/pack) 2.25

Hearing Aid Battery Information
Hearing aid batteries work a little differently from other batteries you may be familiar with.  Why? Hearing aids require much more power than other small devices such as a wristwatch, for example.  For many years, one of the reasons hearing aids could not be made smaller was due to the power requirements--the size of the battery had to be large.
 
Most batteries with which you are familiar (such as an alkaline battery) have two different chemicals at the positive and negative side (usually zinc and manganese dioxide) separated by an alkaline electrolyte.  Hearing aid batteries now use air as one of the chemicals so that the battery can be filled with the other chemical (zinc), keeping the battery smaller and battery life more reasonable.  (Battery life is still quite small--a week or so--compared to that wristwatch!)
 
How does the air get in there?  There are small holes on the positive side of the zinc-air battery to let the air in.  When you open a new battery, there is a tab covering those holes to prevent the air from entering until you are ready to use it.
 
Hearing aid batteries are labeled 1.45 volts, however this voltage is not reached until the air has been inside the cell for 24 hours or so.  That is, the voltage immediately after removing the tab probably measures around only 1.1--1.3 volts. After the air has been inside for approximately one minute, the voltage rises enough to power the hearing aid, which fortunately does not require 1.45 volts to operate.  So, moral of the story--when you remove the tab, wait a minute before putting it in your hearing aid, otherwise the aid may not function properly.
 
Now, the battery does begin to discharge as soon as you let the air in there, so it is best to use the battery consistently after you have removed the tab.  Battery performance (and therefore, hearing aid performance) can be affected by temperature and humidity.  It is more difficult with more sophisticated hearing aid technology to determine how long your battery will last, for some of the processing that the hearing does in various environments will use more power than if you are sitting in a quiet place, for instance.  So, in general, noisier environments will shorten battery life faster than using it in a quiet place.  Also, if you are using accessories to stream information to your hearing aids, these will shorten battery life considerably as well.
 
TIPS FOR HEARING AID BATTERY USAGE
  • Store batteries at room temperature, not in the refrigerator or car glove compartment.
  • Store them in their original container, not touching each other or loose among metal objects such as coins or keys that can short them.
  • Be sure batteries are not stored where infants, children, or pets can reach them and possibly swallow them.
TROUBLESHOOTING POTENTIAL BATTERY PROBLEMS
If your hearing batteries are suddenly not lasting as long, the following may be contributing factors:
  • Has your prescription or settings been recently changed?  The aid may be requiring more power than previously.
  • Has your noise environment changed?  Did you recently attend a concert, or for example, go on a vacation in a noisy plane?
  • Has it been quite cold or warm recently?  If it’s been humid, the battery can take in moisture that can shorten battery life.  Dryness can also affect performance, since the battery gives up some of the moisture it needs to function properly.
If you are having battery problems that these questions do not explain, be sure to keep your packaging for use in contacting the manufacturer.
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