HEARING AID BATTERIES

7 Factors that Affect Battery Life & 7 Tips to Maximize Performance

By Serena Ransom

Hearing aid batteries come in many different sizes, each lasting an approximate amount of days depending on the battery capacity. The color of the battery sticker determines the type of battery.

*Please note approximate lifespan is based on wearing for an average 8-hour day. Times may vary.

The life of a hearing aid battery depends on many different factors. Some of these include:

1. Hearing loss severity: the more severe the hearing loss, the more power is required and the more drainage we see in the batteries. This is why, often times one hearing aid will die sooner than the other; it is working harder!
2. Average wearing time: the more time you wear the hearing aids throughout the day, the more battery consumption. Battery life in the chart above is calculated based on the average 8 hour day. Some people wear their hearing aids much longer and this will affect the hearing aids accordingly.
3. Hearing aid age: as hearing aids age, so do the battery components inside the hearing aid. The reactors inside the hearing aids can corrode over time which can cause batteries to either not work at all or provide significantly less usage time than normal. If this happens, you may want to consider looking at purchasing new hearing aids.
4. Battery age: batteries come with an expiry date generally within a few years of manufacturing. For this reason, at iDenture & Hearing with a service plan, we provide you with up to date batteries at each check-up to ensure batteries are in good working condition.
5. Storage conditions: batteries should be stored in a cool dry place with an ideal storage temperature of 15⁰C. Batteries that are stored in extreme heat or cold conditions may not last as predicted.
6. Wearing environment: hearing aids are constantly working to analyze every sound in our environment. If an individual is in a quieter environment such as at home, the hearing aid is not working as hard as if an individual were in a loud environment such as a restaurant. The more sound inputs, the harder the hearing aid must work resulting in greater battery drainage.
7. Bluetooth Usage: some hearing aids have the capacity to stream Bluetooth from devices such as cellphones, computers, and televisions. Streaming results in greater battery drain because the hearing aid is working to maintain a connection to another device.

Some tips to maximizing your battery potential include:

1. Always store batteries at room temperature.
2. Check best before dates prior to purchasing batteries.
3. Allow batteries to sit for 1-3 minutes after taking the sticker off before inserting into the hearing aids. This will allow the zinc and oxygen electrodes to mix so you can maximize battery life.
4. Open the battery door of the hearing aid each time you remove your hearing aids. Although this method does not stop the batteries from draining, it will minimize battery drain.
5. If you are not planning to wear your hearing aids for more than a few days, remove old batteries from the hearing aids to prevent possible corrosion.
6. Disconnect all Bluetooth devices when you are not streaming. This will not only preserve the life of your hearing aids, but also the life of your Bluetooth device!
7. If you experience batteries that are not lasting the approximate amount of time according to the guidelines (see above), consult your hearing healthcare practitioner. It is possible that you may have received a bad batch of batteries or something may be faulty with your hearing aid which can be sent in for repair.