Hearing Aid Repairs

We offer hearing aid repairs for all makes and brands of hearing aids at our hearing aid centres in Dublin and across Ireland. Sometimes, age and use can take their toll on hearing aids making them fail. While sometimes we can repair the hearing aid on the spot, occasionally they will need the attentions of a trained repair technician. If we can't repair it immediately, we will handle the return of the hearing aid to the Manufacturer's repair facility for you. However you can reduce the problems by taking care of your hearing aids with a clean and care routine.  

Six Hearing Aid Care Tips

Here are six tips from Widex to help you keep your hearing aid working.

Keep them clean: Whatever the type of hearing aid, water or other fluids should never  be used to clean them. Clean the surfaces of the hearing aid with a soft, dry cloth, use the special brush and tool supplied with the hearing aid to brush away any wax or debris around the sound outlet, microphone opening and vent.

Keep them safe: Lean over the table when inserting and removing your hearing aid. Hearing aids can easily be damaged if they fall on the hard floor.

Keep them snug: Hearing aids should never be exposed to high temperatures or moisture. Don’t wear your hearing aids while showering, swimming, during radiation treatment, or when using a hair dryer. Use a drying kit regularly, there are electronic drying stations available to dry out your hearing aids that you can use at night.

Keep in touch: Your level of hearing loss may change over time, which means that your hearing aids will have to be adjusted to meet your new hearing needs. It’s important to keep in touch with your hearing professional and have regular hearing evaluations to get the most out of your hearing aids.

Keep your batteries fresh: Open your hearing aid battery door when you aren’t using it to assure that your device isn’t using power when it’s not in your ear. Unopened hearing aid batteries should be stored in a dry place at room temperature – like a drawer. It is not necessary to store them in a refrigerator.

Keep them on: It is common for new users to feel strange wearing their hearing aids. New sounds and the feeling of a new hearing aid in your ear can take some getting used to. The best way to adjust to wearing hearing aids is to wear them as much as possible. Start with short periods of time and gradually work up to a couple hours and eventually wear them every day. Soon you won’t even realise you are wearing your hearing aids.

Hearing Aid Repair Checklist

Depending on the issues you may be having, you could troubleshoot your hearing aid on your own. Before you bring your hearing aid in for repair there are some common problems that you can check. Here are a few common hearing aid fixes you can try at home:

• Replace the battery, I know it sounds stupid, but sometimes you can get a bad battery
• Remove and reinsert your hearing aid
• Clean your hearing aid especially at the sound outlet and mic
• Replace the wax filter, often they can become blocked
• Open and close the battery compartment, this is like restarting a computer

If you are still having trouble with your hearing aid after going through the checklist  call us at 1800 888 848 to schedule an appointment and discuss hearing aid repair options.

How Much Do Hearing Aid Repairs Cost?

Hearing aid repair costs can vary depending on several factors:

(1) Whether or not the hearing aid is still under warranty,
(2) The extent of the damage done to the hearing aid.
(3) The cost of replacement parts for your hearing aid.

If you purchased your hearing aid from Connect Hearing and it is still under warranty, your hearing aid repair costs will probably be free, however it depends on the circumstance and type of damage. Out of warranty or older hearing aids that require substantial repair may cost more. Cracked cases on custom in the ear devices can be expensive to replace, but in some circumstances, these cracks can be repaired. There is also a grant available to cover some of the cost of repair of a hearing aid from the department of social protection.

When Your Hearing Aid is Beyond Repair

Much like any electronic device, a hearing aid that has suffered enough damage over time can be a complete loss. In cases like this, it’s usually better financially and for your own peace of mind to replace the hearing aid with a new model. While it takes an expert to properly diagnose a damaged hearing aid, you can begin to assume your hearing aid may be beyond repair if:

• Your hearing aid is five or more years old, the life span of hearing aids is about five to seven years. So if you’ve reached that period and are experiencing problems, it may be time to retire your technology.
• The damage is visible—and looks extensive
• If your hearing aid has been stepped on, smashed, or damaged in a way that seems unfixable, it probably is..
• Your hearing aid has been repaired several times in the past, a history of repair means a history of breakage—and history has a habit of repeating. While a new hearing aids may cost more upfront, it can more than balance out the cost and annoyance of regular repair.

At Connect Hearing we may be able to repair or at the very least least diagnose the problem with all makes and models of hearing aids. If you are having trouble with your hearing aids, we’d be more than happy to help you get your devices back in working order. Call us at 1800 848 888 or stop by one our outlets to schedule an appointment and find out what options are available to fix your broken hearing aid.