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Water resistant hearing aids?

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I recently purchased a set of the Oticon Chili hearing aids. They claim that they are water resistant. I sweat a lot and was wondering what exactly does water resistant mean? I was told that there is a rubber membrane under the microphone inlets so moisture can’t enter the hearing aid. Does anyone know if this is true and can I feel comfortable not to worry about ruining my hearing aids? I paid too much money for these to ruin them by sweating.

Thank you in advance
Ron

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Most hearing aid manufacturers today claim that their aids are “water resistant”. But don’t be fooled. Are the aids better under conditions of moisture than a year ago - YES. Are they waterproof - NO.

Each company has their own little way of setting up casing and mics and receivers to make it as resistant to moisture as possible. Some use rubber to seal casing seams so moisture doesn’t work it’s way in. Some put gortex linings around mics so moisture doesn’t ruin them. I know for a fact and for experience that these processes do actually help to make moisture LESS of an issue. But no one will be able to get away without a couple of hearing aid repairs due to moisture in any hearing aids lifetime.

Plus, the zinc air batteries have to be exposed to air, hence the little slits or holes in the casing around the battery compartment, so that spot is always left at risk for corrosion from moisture. And with some aids, if corrosion happens, your audi won’t be able to connect the aid to the software for programming.

So yes, they are water resistant, just not waterproof (no matter how much rain the manufacturers dump on aids in their marketing materials :slight_smile:

dr. amy

@RBJ said:

I recently purchased a set of the Oticon Chili hearing aids. They claim that they are water resistant. I sweat a lot and was wondering what exactly does water resistant mean? I was told that there is a rubber membrane under the microphone inlets so moisture can’t enter the hearing aid. Does anyone know if this is true and can I feel comfortable not to worry about ruining my hearing aids? I paid too much money for these to ruin them by sweating.

Thank you in advance
Ron

Almost everybody is using 2pi adridion…

In reply to @dr.amy

@dr.amy said:

Most hearing aid manufacturers today claim that their aids are “water resistant”. But don’t be fooled. Are the aids better under conditions of moisture than a year ago - YES. Are they waterproof - NO.

Each company has their own little way of setting up casing and mics and receivers to make it as resistant to moisture as possible. Some use rubber to seal casing seams so moisture doesn’t work it’s way in. Some put gortex linings around mics so moisture doesn’t ruin them. I know for a fact and for experience that these processes do actually help to make moisture LESS of an issue. But no one will be able to get away without a couple of hearing aid repairs due to moisture in any hearing aids lifetime.

Plus, the zinc air batteries have to be exposed to air, hence the little slits or holes in the casing around the battery compartment, so that spot is always left at risk for corrosion from moisture. And with some aids, if corrosion happens, your audi won’t be able to connect the aid to the software for programming.

So yes, they are water resistant, just not waterproof (no matter how much rain the manufacturers dump on aids in their marketing materials :slight_smile:

dr. amy

Totally agree! From a techies standpoint … no electronics are “waterproof”. There is a difference in “water resistant” and “waterproof”, perhaps a fine line that manufacturers like to push in their favor. As Dr Amy mentioned … these use zinc AIR batteries … batteries that need air to produce the electricity. And the microphones need exposure to the outside world to pick up sounds. Both of these items provide the Achilles heel that prevent “Waterproof” from being the claim. Water resistance helps, as long as you don’t drown them. When I work out in the gym, my HI’s would be as drenched as a drowned water rat.

I just made the form factor change from back to because I lost probably 30% of the availability of my aids in the cool humid fall weather here in Houston. 15 years of no problems with prior ITE analogs was replaced by relative dismay in problems with BTEs. I put ballons over them one day and got some relief but the balloons were too big to stay on well on the tiny aids.

Good Luck,
TerryB

From my experience with ReSound Live 9 aids and their iSolate nano-coating to repel water, the only thing it did for me was create a great path for the sweat to follow right to the airholes in the zinc air batteries. Unfortunately, I discovered the problem after the return period was over.

My ReSound Pulse aids are less susceptible to the problem than these stinking Live 9’s.

@jay_man2 said:

From my experience with ReSound Live 9 aids and their iSolate nano-coating to repel water, the only thing it did for me was create a great path for the sweat to follow right to the airholes in the zinc air batteries. Unfortunately, I discovered the problem after the return period was over.

My ReSound Pulse aids are less susceptible to the problem than these stinking Live 9’s.

I’m sorry Jay, but that is too funny not to get a laugh out of. Though I am sorry to hear that the “water-resistant” part turned out to have the opposite effect. But it is pretty much the same as a leaky roof on a house. Try to find the source, good luck, water is quite tricky in getting to where it can do the most damage.

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