The frustration of a poor performing hearing aid might make you want to toss them in the junk drawer with other malfunctioning broken electronic devices. The cost of abandoning your hearing aids represents a significant financial waste while eliminating the advantages and benefits they provide as well as increasing your risk of other mental and physical health issues.
The investment you make in repairing a malfunctioning hearing aid is minimal when compared to these consequences, which is why we provide hearing aid maintenance and repairs to the Southwestern Louisiana community.
Common Repair Issues of Hearing Aids
There are three main causes for hearing aid failure or reduced performance, including:
- Earwax Buildup. All hearing aid manufacturers provide wax filters and cleaning tools to prevent wax buildup because it is responsible for between 20% and 30% of hearing aid breakdowns. Earwax caked-on electronic components and internal tubing must be eliminated to function properly.
- Moisture Damage. Moisture will cause delicate electronic components and batteries inside your hearing aids to corrode, which causes the circuits to fail. Corroded components and battery leads require part replacement for the device to perform as designed.
- Physical Defects. In addition to loose wires and damage to your hearing aids’ structure, the most common physical defects relate to damaged or defective microphones, receivers, tubes, tips, and earmolds. Replacing these damaged or defective parts as well as securing detached wires are common repairs.
By practicing the daily hearing aid cleaning, maintenance, and troubleshooting recommendations of your hearing aid manufacturer, you can recognize physical damage and defects before it becomes a more significant issue and is easier to repair.
Cost of Hearing Aid Repair
The cost of a hearing aid repair depends on what types of repairs are required and whether your instrument is still under warranty. Consequently, costs for hearing aid repair can vary from $0 up to $375, depending on the repair level. A quick fix in our office will cost a lot less than major repairs and parts replacement or return the unit to the repair manufacturer.
When Is a Hearing Aid Beyond Repair?
There are times when replacing your hearing aid is a better option than repair. If your instrument is between three and five years old, it reaches the end of its life expectancy.
Hearing aid technology is advancing at such a rapid pace, so replacement parts and the outdated technology in your device reduce its market value as well as its performance capacity.
Hearing aids less than three years old that have seen extensive damage or undergone repair multiple times are apt to continue needing repair, causing repair costs to exceed a replacement’s value.
Proper Care Reduces Repair Costs
The complex circuitry in your hearing aids can be damaged by earwax, moisture, debris, excessive temperatures, and harsh chemicals, and they need to be handled with care to extend their service life, which includes:
- Daily cleaning over a soft surface
- Keep them dry, especially the battery compartment.
- Proper storage (away from pets and children, UV exposure, extreme temperatures)
- Avoid contact with harsh chemicals (hair care products, colognes, cleaning solvents, etc.)
Acadian Hearing Provides Expert Hearing Aid Repair
Acadian Hearing Services has over 85 years of combined experience working with hearing aids. I am delighted to be working with such an incredible team of audiologists since coming from McMillin Hearing Aid Service, where I accumulated more than 36 years of experience with hearing aid technology, including building custom hearing devices. If you or a loved one needs help with a hearing device and would like to schedule an appointment, contact us for service at the Lake Charles office nearest you, or click here to book an appointment.
