Top Four Ways to get the Longest Life From Your Hearing Aid Batteries, including Size 10, 13, 312 and 675.

Freshness

Freshness is one of the most important ways to get the longest life from your HEARPRO Long-Lasting hearing aid batteries.  Like most things in life, batteries age as well. There is a general misconception that if you leave the batteries in the package with the sticker on, the battery will maintain normal operational life. Unfortunately, this is untrue. Whether you use the battery or not, it is losing potency over time.

Hearing aid batteries are like most batteries in that, once the sticker is removed from the back of the battery, the chemicals in the battery come in contact with oxygen and a chemical reaction is initiated.  If the chemicals in the battery are old, they will not react efficiently. Additionally, the gum on the back of the sticker may remain within the holes on the sticker side of the battery, further reducing battery efficiency.

To maximize the life of your hearing aid batteries, use the freshest batteries you can. What this means is purchase the freshest batteries possible.  HEARPRO Long-Lasting batteries are guaranteed to be always fresh.

Big Box store batteries

If you purchase your batteries from a big box store, they may not be as fresh as you think.  Big box stores may sell a large number of batteries, but they also purchase large lots of batteries as well.

Consider the process of how a package of batteries ends up on the stores shelf.  As you would expect, the big box store purchases large lots of batteries at one time.  These batteries are then shipped from the manufacturer to the big box store warehouse. If the batteries are shipped from overseas, i.e Germany, Japan or China, it will take much longer for the batteries to arrive at the store warehouse.  

The storage conditions may or may not be favorable for the storage of the batteries.(see hearing aid battery storage below).  After sitting in the the warehouse for a number of weeks to months, the batteries are shipped to a distribution center. In the distribution center the batteries again may be stored in conditions that may or not be favorable for the long-term operation of the batteries.  After a number of weeks to months, the batteries make their way to the local store and eventually onto the stores shelf. This means the batteries may already be months old by the time they make it to the stores shelf. As you can see, by the time you purchase the batteries, the are well past the prime operating period.

Storage

Hearing aid batteries should be stored in a cool dry place.  An environment that is too cold will shorten the batteries life.  As you now know, the battery produces power by a chemical reaction and if the battery is too cold, it won't be able to react efficiently. This is the same with heat.  Leaving your batteries in a hot car will have the same result. Additionally, the glue on the sticker may melt into the “breathing holes” on the battery back.

Storing your HEARPRO Long-Lasting batteries in the bathroom, in the presence of excess moisture will also lead to a shortened battery life. Lastly, you may have been told that you should store your batteries in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.  If your refrigerator will bring the temperature down to -459 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Kelvins, the point that all molecular motion ceases, then refrigerate.

Unlike a head of broccoli, a hearing aid battery should never be stored in the refrigerator.  Not only does putting the batteries in the refrigerator not extend the life of your batteries, think about what happens when you remove the cold battery from the package and remove the sticker from the battery.  The metal battery is like a metal knife kept in the refrigerator with last night's cake, with the sharp drop in temperature, condensation will collect on the battery. This condensation of moisture will then be transferred into your hearing aid.  This is not helpful to your batteries nor your hearing aids. The only benefit to storing any battery in the refrigerator is that at least you know where they are. Keep your hearing aid batteries in a cool dry place for the longest lasting battery.

Wait five minutes

Today’s high-tech modern hearing aids put a significant demand on the battery. Let your HEARPRO Long-Lasting battery sit for at least 5 minutes after removal of the sticker prior to inserting into the hearing aid.  This allows the battery to come to full charge prior to inserting into the hearing aid. See award winning study by an 8th grade student who evaluated wait time related to extending battery life.

“An eighth-grade student in Rochester, Minnesota, recently made a money-saving discovery for people who use hearing aids: Waiting five minutes to put a newly activated battery in a hearing aid may extend the battery life by two or three days.

Ethan Manuell, who wears a hearing aid in his left ear, studied the effect of “wait time” on battery life. To activate a new battery, users remove a sticker from the battery, allowing oxygen to mix with zinc-oxide inside the battery. Manuell did tests to see if waiting a little longer before putting the battery into the device would make a difference.

He found that if users wait five minutes after taking the sticker off, the battery will last up to three days longer, a considerable increase beyond the usual two- to seven-day battery life (depending on the model).

Manuell has won several awards, including a U.S. Naval Science Award, and received recognition for his “five-minute rule” discovery”.

Should you have any further questions as to how best to get the longest life from you Hearpro Long-Lasting batteries, ask the expert at info@hearpro.com.