Dryer for rechargeable hearing aids

An added benefit to my rechargeable aids is, they’re far less subject to moisture than battery aids.

I use a drying jar. That uses heat and or air.

???

I use a Hal Hen dessicant drying jar that doesn’t use heat and/or air. Is that what you’re referring to?

One of the “major negatives” with rechargeable aids is you really can’t dry them out like hearing aids with disposable batteries. So called “weak” drying devices for rechargeable HA are no where near the performance of a Global II Dry and Store aid drier. Such is life but unfortunately those who live in very hot and humid areas will notice more moisture related HA problems with rechargeable aids. And now since 2/3 of the country is looking at above average hot temperatures year in - year out, moisture related problems will increase for all types of aids but certainly more so for rechargeable.

I have never encountered such a limitation. Nor can I imagine why a dessicant in a jar would be incompatible with rechargeable HAs. Can you point to any specific brands that say this in their product description?

They are washable but don’t get that dirty in normal wear. A couple tiles a month.

Hearsay from a photography friend that desiccant create a very dry environment in the drying jar or box. HA dryer does not but just enough to dry up the moisture in the chamber of 30-50 C for 4 hours.
If desiccant create an environment of very very low moisture, will this situation damage the rubber or the electronic parts? I have no answer.
Another possible scenario is the chemical used to make the desiccants. Will chemical release any gas during the drying process??
Maybe short term storage will not damage the HA but long term storage (1-2 months) will. Camera are store for quite a long time versus HA.

This restriction sounds pretty ridiculous, as the drying cups the box contains are identical to those that sit in Phonak’s recharging boxes… The cups are, indeed, filled with standard silica gel. This is of the yellow/orange sSORB type, which is stained with methyl violet as an indicator. When the beads lose color, the silica (cups) can be regenerated in a microwave oven (a minute or ten at 800 W). Hum… don’t ever put your HAs in a microwave, ofc…

@jeffrey said:

I’ve always heard the exact opposite, in terms of rechargeables handling moisture far better.

If Oticon Real is representative of the overall market, then that’s not so. This is a page from the manual for Oticon Real miniRITE R (rechargeable) and miniRITE T (disposable). The first paragraph applies to both models.

Except for disposables’ battery drawer vulnerability, both kinds are apparently similar in their water resistance. Moisture in the battery drawer is a big problem for some people, and not an issue for others, the majority I suspect. Microphones, pushbuttons and receivers aren’t any better protected in rechargeables.

@stevemink said:

So called “weak” drying devices for rechargeable HA are no where near the performance of a Global II Dry and Store aid drier.

Yep, even Dry & Store’s flagship rechargeable dryer, the DryBoost UV, is clearly weak in comparison to the Dry & Store Global II. Much lower temperature, no desiccant block, and shorter cycle. But is the DryBoost UV inadequate, or is the Dry & Store Global II overkill? Maybe hearing aids are better sealed these days, so less drying is needed? I don’t know. Also, rechargeable aids get warm from the inside while they’re charging, because the battery heats up (I assume).

@WhatDidYouSay said:

They are washable but don’t get that dirty in normal wear. A couple tiles a month.

Well, I was just joshing with you, based on the common mental image of dirty foot socks. I have no doubt that HA socks would not be grungy or stinky!

@Tealover said:

I looked online at the desiccant jars, but the info said “not suitable for rechargeable hearing aids”

It IS puzzling … but just looking at my Lumity Life aids, they are induction charged, so there is NO open port, prong, or anything in the BTE unit. Even so, the speaker has that open pinhole where the wax guard sits … so wouldn’t it be a good idea to drop the induction rechargeable into such a drying unit? I have no idea!

I must be missing something. I don’t see in the paper that you posted any discussion at all about rechargeables vs battery in terms of moisture resistance.

When you write “except for the battery drawer vulnerability, the two types are equal”…that sort of begs the question. “Except for a hole in the bottom of my boat, it floats as well as boats without any leaks.”

A quick look on-line brought up an article on the pros and cons of both type aids:
“Hearing aids equipped with rechargeable batteries have a high IP rating, meaning the casing is tightly sealed to be resistant to dust and moisture. In addition to reducing maintenance issues and improving device performance, this means no button batteries being mistaken for candy (unless the entire hearing aid is mistaken for candy, which is not unheard of).”

@jeffrey said:

I don’t see in the paper that you posted any discussion at all about rechargeables vs battery in terms of moisture resistance.

I edited my post to clarify that the image is from the manual covering both kinds of aids.

@jeffrey said:

When you write “except for the battery drawer vulnerability, the two types are equal”…that sort of begs the question. “Except for a hole in the bottom of my boat, it floats as well as boats without any leaks.”

It sounds like you’re thinking of the battery drawer as an opening that exposes the entire aid to moisture. It isn’t. The rest of the aid is sealed off from the battery drawer. The manual page I posted says what to do if the battery drawer gets wet. If your battery drawer gets wet routinely because of sweat or rain, then maybe a rechargeable aid is a better choice for you. But for other people, the majority I would guess, the battery drawer vulnerability doesn’t present frequent problems.

@jeffrey said:

A quick look on-line brought up an article on the pros and cons of both type aids:
“Hearing aids equipped with rechargeable batteries have a high IP rating…

I posted a manual page saying that both models of Oticon Real, rechargeable and disposable, have the same IP rating. The other manufacturers can do the same thing, and my assumption is that they do. What does the manual (or manuals, if separate for each battery type) for your hearing aid say?

What I find puzzling in this discussion, is that the real enemy of electric devices are salts, not the water per se. The driers you use will remove the water but will leave the salts behind, When remoistened these salts are both the corrosive and conductive threat to electronics … or maybe there was no threat in the first place.
My aids are rechargeable KS10T’s. Haven’t dried them during the last 20 months.