Is the "vacuuming service" really a big deal?

Jeffrey, I am in the same boat as you. I just go to my ENT 4x yearly to have my ears cleaned of wax. I also had the problem of cleaning everything spotless and then plugging with wax when putting the mold in the ear. My wax is insanely sticky and I no longer am able to just flush it out myself. 4 times per year is perfect for me. Well worth the money! ( I don’t pay…Medicare and 2 really great insurance policies)
best wishes
Dan

@billgem said:

The issue in my case was not wax, it was the microphones, something which I never paid much attention to. Believe me, I now pay a l lot more attention to those 4 little openings for the mikes with my cleaning brush.

BTE and RIC aids use signal processing to turn their two microphones, each omnidirectional, into a single directional mic. The catch here is that the two mics must be equally sensitive to a fair degree of precision, or the directionality falls apart.

The manufacturers, and presumably refurbishers, try to ensure equal sensitivity by using mics from the same batch in the same aid. But if the microphone ports get blocked by debris (say from months of touching them with non-pristine fingers while pushing the button or rocker switch), imagine what that does to performance. You don’t just lose volume, you lose the directionality that’s central to operation.

@bluejay2025: Me, too. I prefer it to potentially damaging the mics by poking the brush bristles into them.

I remember discussion in another thread about the cause of mic failure, and the common denominator there seemed to be vacuum use. In my case, my Prezas were cleaned during a Costco visit, and a week or so later the right aid started going very quiet in a quiet environment. Introducing noise or speech would cause the aid to work again, after which it would go silent.

I subsequently had the aid replaced under warranty. The thinking then, as discussed in the other thread, was that the vibration of the mic from the vacuuming caused the intermittent failure. Who knows what really happened, but I’m leery of getting a vac close to a mic now.

My insurance only pays for the HA’s, initial setup of them with audiologist, three visits in first year, and 5 years of batteries - that’s it. I called them to verify this. Anything else I need is on my dime. It’s not optimal but it is what it is.

Okay. That is why he wants you to buy an extra service plan. I know others that have used insurance or managed care programs get that same deal.

And what does he do during those 3 visits

Or you could do both. In other words anything you like

This thread raises a broader question about what is the best place to buy a product that will inevitably need service throughout the lifetime of the device. If you have concerns about being able to pay for that maintenance you should consider purchasing your HA’s from a place where the follow up service is included in the purchase price, like Costco. Alternatively you could negotiate a price for that with the independent audiologist at the time of the sale. There are trade offs in most purchases in life, Costco is somewhat limited in it’s offerings, but one price gets you a180 day return window, free replacement for the duration of the warranty, and free service at any Costco.

Or you find a cheap price fir hearing aids - either on-line or at Costco - and take them to your favorite Audi for professional expertise when needed. Lots of alternatives.

@hass5744 said:

The magic word here is free. The op says his audiologist wants him to sign up for a prepaid service to have his aids routinely cleaned. I feel this service should automatically be included at the time of purchase of the aids and not be an additional fee.

Some clinics are bundled and some aren’t. Sounds to me like in this case the audiologist is just giving the patient the choice as to whether to get the care plan or not rather than just bundling it in from the get-go and pretending those services are free.

If the care bundle covers annual reassessment and real-ear verification appointments along side the unlimited appointments and cleanings, it’s not a bad deal. Even better if it covers batteries and/or wax removal. Typically care packages are priced towards the average patient, but also priced to promote follow-up (clinicians do actually like their patients to hear optimally and so do like them to come back into the clinic regularly). For people who end up being in constantly, they tend to be a good deal whereas for people who decline their annual appointments they tend to be a bad deal. So it’s a question of how average you are, and how average your ears are. People with ears who hate hearing aids (moist, waxy, extra bendy, generally difficult) often need those extra appointments. Some people are also more able to care for their hearing aids than others, given individual differences in fine motor skills and eyesight.

My Audi has never charged me for what we are talking about as routine maintenance. You don’t have to go to Costco to receive that. All you have to do is ask ahead of time what is included with the purchase price. A lot of Audis don’t try to nickle and dime you after you buy aids from them.

@jay_man2 said:

I remember discussion in another thread about the cause of mic failure, and the common denominator there seemed to be vacuum use.

I remember that thread, too, @jay_man2. I scored a neat, spring-loaded vacuum device from @gorgeguy. It’s like a hypodermic needle in reverse. Hit the trigger and it delivers a single burst of reverse air flow that sucks up the wax.

I produce dry, flaky cerumen, that can get into mic ports and block the sound. My device does a good job at clearing the ports without damaging the mics.

Would this be the thread in which vacuuming was discussed as a possible cause of mic failure or is it another one? ReSound Preza issue If so, thanks if anyone can provide the link.