What is the average lifespan of a receiver for an RITE or RIC hearing aid?

It really depends on the environment of the ear. People that have more wax tend to go through receivers faster than those that don’t. I would say that a receiver generally needs to be replaced every 6-9 months but I’ve had some people who are still using their original one after a couple years and some who need them replaced every 3-4 months.

You could go with a BTE type aid which is less vulnerable to breakage cause by say wax or moisture in the ear. I have had BTE aids last for years with no problems.

The receivers are in direct contact with wax and the environment inside the ear canal (dark, often moist, and nice and warm at body temperature or higher depending on the weather) so they are more likely to malfunction over a period of time so they will not last the life of the hearing aid. Even though the part is very simple, what it’s exposed to day after day is what will over time damage them.

I would say that if you have a 3 year warranty than that will also include receivers. I know for the HA’s I dispense the warranty includes receivers.

@DocAudio said:

The receivers are in direct contact with wax and the environment inside the ear canal (dark, often moist, and nice and warm at body temperature or higher depending on the weather) so they are more likely to malfunction over a period of time so they will not last the life of the hearing aid. Even though the part is very simple, what it’s exposed to day after day is what will over time damage them.

I would say that if you have a 3 year warranty than that will also include receivers. I know for the HA’s I dispense the warranty includes receivers.

Our warranties cover receivers also and are 2 or 3 years, depending on the HA model you are fit with.

dr.amy

I recommend an annual receiver swap - but as might be expected some users need three replacements a year whilst others can survive two years on a set.

The two main killers seem to be:

1. Sharp thumbnails cutting the cables

2. Users holding the cable instead of the speaker can during insertion. This overloads the cable/speaker bond which fatigues and then fails quite quickly.

Ragtag,

I don’t have my hearing aids yet. Are you able to change the receivers yourself?

@Ragtag said:

I have had 2 Oticon Epoq RITEs for > 3 years. The receiver has been replaced in each hearing aid just once in that time. Last wk, at a center that was not my distributor, I was charged only $25!! (very inexpensive). I believe my distributor charged me about $60 for the first one. I’ve been very happy w/ RITE?RIC, as the hearing aid is smaller, tube smaller, and inner mold more comfortable than regular BTE.

My concern is that it has been implied elsewhere that , at least for the Starkey Wi Series, if you have a custom tip, then the whole receiver is custom, rather than a less expensive mass produced receiver.

I’ve seen very few receivers fail within the first year (although I’ve seen a good number fail in years 2 or 3), which seems to be more optimistic than the other professionals who have chimed in so far.

With that said, the receiver is typically a $50 to $100 part so even if it’s out of warranty it’s significantly less costly than a new hearing aid, or even a standard hearing aid repair. Also, in most cases your provider will have an extra receiver on hand and will be able to replace it in-office rather than having to send your hearing aid in for repair.

@prodigyplace said:

My concern is that it has been implied elsewhere that , at least for the Starkey Wi Series, if you have a custom tip, then the whole receiver is custom, rather than a less expensive mass produced receiver.

This is not true for the vast majority of Starkey custom molds. Only if you require the super high powered receiver is it part of the mold and hence not replaceable. The common 40 and 50dB receivers can be pulled from the custom mold for replacement or to clean the mold. I use the higher power 50dB receiver with a custom mold and take the receiver out to clean the mold all the time.

I have the Costco Signatures (Rexton Cobalt 16). The warranty is for 3 years including receivers, cleaning supplies, domes, adjustment visits. They usually have to order the receiver. I haven’t had one go bad yet in 6 months. They said they could program a loaner while the receiver is on order, otherwise, I can’t hear without someone shouting in my face.