Can You Repair Hearing Aids at Home?
With a lot of technology these days, many pieces of equipment are so advance that, should malfunctions occur, they are difficult to repair alone. While hearing aids are highly technical tiny devices, there are ways to troubleshoot fixing certain malfunctions, such as intermittent sound, static or the lack of sound altogether.
Hearing aid repair can be a costly endeavor.
Attempting to troubleshoot such malfunctions at home can save a hearing aid wearer a lot of time and money. After all, hearing aid repair shops and audiologists alike will charge for any time spent diagnosing and fixing malfunctions.
Troubleshooting at home
The first step to assess problems with your hearing aid is to troubleshoot at home. Of course, troubleshooting at home doesn’t mean you should crack open your hearing aids and poke around inside. Rather, simple troubleshooting tips that check the basic function of the hearing aids can help determine whether simple maintenance issues or something bigger is causing your hearing aids to malfunction.
Common troubleshooting solutions include:
- Checking or replacing the battery
- Thoroughly cleaning all components of the hearing aid, including the shell, microphone port and tubing
- Making sure the hearing aid is turned on and set to the correct program
- Checking the volume of the hearing aid is at an appropriate level
If the troubleshooting fails to fix the problem, you will likely need to make an appointment with your hearing healthcare professional. At the appointment, they will be able to diagnose the malfunction and determine whether repair or replacement is the best option.
When hearing aids need repair
If your hearing aids can be repaired, there are a few options to help keep your overall costs down. First of all, check any manufacturer’s warranty on your hearing aids to see if any repairs are covered. Second, if you have insurance on your hearing aids, dig out your policy to learn what is covered by the insurance and what isn’t. This information will help you determine the route to take for repair.
If you’re on the hook completely for the cost of your repair, talk to your hearing healthcare professional about estimates for repair. Additionally, they may provide payment plan options to help ease the burden of your repairs.