Hearing Aid Repairs

Repairing Your Damaged or Broken Hearing Aid

You can trust Chenal Hearing for all your hearing aid cleaning and repairs in the Little Rock area. If you currently wear hearing aids and you find that they have been performing at less than an optimum level or even if they don’t work at all, bring them to our office for us to look them over.

Even if you take care of your hearing aids and keep up with regular maintenance, time takes its toll on all technology, and it’s possible that yours will eventually wear out through the course of normal use.

While replacing your damaged hearing aids may be the best answer in some cases — it gives you the opportunity to upgrade your technology — there are some common hearing aid repairs that you can try if you’re having problems with one or both of your devices. Try these quick fixes:

• Replace your battery
• Remove and reinsert your hearing aid
• Clean your hearing aid using a cleaning tool
• Replace the wax filter
• Open and close the battery compartment
• Make sure the battery compartment is free of obstructions
• Check your input settings

Reasons Hearing Aids Fail

• Earwax is the number 1 killer of most hearing aids. More often than not, hearing aids can be cleaned and they will be good as new. But sometimes, the damage caused by earwax makes a repair necessary.
• Moisture from showers, sweat and humidity can all attack the electronic components of hearing aids. This could result in damage and decreased their performance.
• Just like any other device with electronic components, hearing aids can fail because of a manufacturer defect. Sometimes, this would be covered under your initial hearing aid warranty.

How Much Do Hearing Aid Repairs Cost?

The cost to fix a broken or damaged hearing aid varies based on a few things: whether the hearing aid is still under warranty, how damaged the device is, and the cost of replacement parts for your unit.

If you bought your hearing system from Chenal Hearing and it is still under warranty, your repair costs will likely be minimal — if there’s a charge at all. Hearing aids that are no longer under warranty or that were purchased elsewhere may cost more to fix. Cracked shells on custom-molded devices can be expensive, but in some cases these cracks can be repaired.

When Is Your Hearing Aid Beyond Repair?

It takes a hearing aid expert to properly diagnose a damaged hearing aid, but you can assume your hearing aids are beyond repair if:

1. Your devices are more than three years old. Hearing aids typically last for three to five years. If your hearing aids are beyond three years old, repair needs are likely to pile up, in which case it makes more financial sense to get some new devices.
2. The damage is visible. Although the damage may not be as bad as it looks, if your hearing aid has been stepped on or smashed in some other way, it may be unfixable.
3. Your hearing aids have an extensive repair history. If your hearing aid has undergone multiple repairs for the same or different issues, it may be beyond saving. Much like a totaled car, a hearing aid needing that many fixes to be functional may simply no longer be worth the repair cost, and it may make more sense financially to invest in some new units.

A manufacturer’s warranty essentially states that the product should work for as long as the warranty lasts — nothing beyond that is guaranteed. Balancing the cost of repairs with the cost of a new system (and how it will benefit your life) can be tricky, but our practice can help you determine a proper course of action after diagnosing the damage and estimating repair costs.

If you’re having any trouble with your hearing aids, please contact us. We’re more than happy to help you get your devices back in working order, or to help you determine what options are available to fix your broken hearing aid.

Caring for Your Hearing Aid

• It is necessary to clean your hearing aids regularly to remove any dirt or wax deposits. Chenal Hearing can recommend special cleaning products, such as moist towels and picks for cleaning. Make sure that your hands and fingers are clean and dry before handling your hearing aid. Household cleaning products and alcohol, which can seriously damage your hearing aid, should never be used.
• Keep your hearing aids dry. Moisture can be very harmful to the electronic circuitry of the hearing devices. They should always be removed before showering, going out in the rain, bathing or swimming. Ask us about purchasing a special dry-storage case to store your hearing aid in at night if your hearing aids did not come with one.
• All hearing aids depend on a hearing aid battery in order to function properly. There are some easy things you can do to make sure that you are getting the most out of your hearing aid batteries. Perhaps the easiest thing you can do is to turn your hearing aid off when not in use conserve battery power. Dirt and moisture can harm batteries by causing corrosion. Make sure that you wash your hands before replacing batteries, and leave the battery compartment of the aid open overnight so that any moisture can evaporate. If you notice that sound has become distorted, or if you have to turn the volume up more than usual, it may be time to replace the battery. Some hearing aids will make a beeping sound to indicate that you need to replace the battery soon. It is a good idea to keep a spare battery with you when you go out, as some can die quite quickly.
• Always handle the aids gently. Avoid dropping them, keep them out of reach of pets and children, and store them in a small protective case when they are not in use.
• Hearing aids are vulnerable to extreme cold or heat, so store them at normal room temperature and remember to remove them when using a hair dryer.
• Chemicals can also harm the devices, so make sure to remove them when applying sunscreen, hairspray, or cologne.

Frequently Asked Questions