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Phonak L90 sometimes red LED after charging - what does that mean?

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The L90s are still new to me, as of today, I’ve had them a week.

I charge my L90s overnight. In the morning when the aids are in the charger, sometimes the LEDs are green, sometimes red, and sometimes one of each.

Looking on the app on my phone after I put them on, they are both charged 100%. So I just wonder what the red lights mean.

I couldn’t find the answer in the manual that came with the book.

Thanks

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From what I’ve read, L90’s are similar to Costco KS10’s, which I’ve been using for ~2 1/2 years. I recently had some charging issues that may have been fixed by a firmware update at my local Costco. You can read about it at Costco apparently fixed my KS10 charge problem

Other recommendations: Push the aids in the charger sockets firmly so they make good contact and occasionally rub the contacts on the aids against some rough cloth, like jeans (but not too often or you might wear out the contacts).

Also, to make your batteries last longer, don’t leave them charging all night. Either (1) partially charge in the evening so it takes just a bit in the morning (which is what I’ve been doing lately) and then (2) turn them off, unplug charger & put aids into unpowered charger till morning. Otherwise, do #2 and then connect charger to a timer so the aids are ready when you need them.

If you use a timer, don’t set the timer so it turns the power off while the aids are charging. That can leave the aids on and discharging.

I have set the timer so the charging starts at 4 AM. I turn the aids off and put them in the charger when I go to bed. They’re ready to go when I get up.

Red means you didn’t insert the hearing aid into the charger all the way and it didn’t charge properly. Make sure the wires are not crossing each other in the charger well or one of the hearing aids might not be all the way into the charger.

Jordan

I’m thinking heat. I charged them in a dehumidified room that gets quite warm at night.

This morning, both aids were red, and not fully charged.

I let them cool, put the charger in a different room, and they charged.

Either a coincidence or possibly heat.

What do you think?

BTW, I can’t use a timer because my charger has an internal battery, and will charge the aids even when it’s unplugged. So I need to think about a different solution, because I need them charged in the morning.

Not sure how hot your heated room gets, but it’s probably best not to let sensitive electronics languish in temps above 90F.

That said, I don’t think heat is causing the RED lights in the morning. I think as FredO and Jordan say, it means you haven’t seated the aids correctly. Are these in an induction charger? (maybe that’s just for Lumity Life such as I have) Cuz if you need to seat them just right, you’d likely feel or hear a ‘click’ in the typical charging base.

For induction chargers, I have to wiggle the aids a bit and then cross my fingers and hope they aren’t in askew, cuz on rare occasions I don’t put them in right.

If you’re doing everything right to seat them and still get red lights, it’s time to take them in. There was a firmware update out in early Sept, so ask if your aids already had that performed before you got them. Charging base could also be faulty, so make sure it’s firmly plugged to the base AND the wall socket.

Ah, just GIMME battery-operated aids ANY DAY! Way easier to swap in a new pair of batts and off you go.

FOR THE RECORD: A Phonak rep I met with today told me they’ve gotten such a tsunami of backlash from customers who want BATTERY-OPERATED aids that one is in the works … Um, I’ll believe that when I see it. They make more money with rechargeables: bases, multiple pairs (cuz non last 20 hrs on a single charge) and pitching the so-called “waterproof” claim which - if you really put it to the test - simply doesn’t hold water.

We do see problems in winter over here in the UK with Phonak rechargeables not charging because they are cold. It’s rare (and usually when a professional wants to fit them and they’ve been stored in a cold store cupboard) but something to consider.
If it is the cause holding them in your hand for a couple of minutes sorts them out.

In the summer, the room with the dehumidifier gets very warm, probably >90F (a guess) overnight. Then I open it up in the morning, and don’t have to worry about my dust mite allergy. The room has foam sound-proofing for recording music.

I live in Florida, and choose not to use the . I work outdoors 2-5 days per week, and I find if you live in AC, you never get acclimated to the heat.

I thought the dehumidified room would help dry the aids.

Last night I moved the charger out of the dehumidified room, and they charged just fine. No red lights, and 100% in both ears.

If that is consistent, I’ll figure it was the heat, if not, look for something else.

All in all, I like the L90s better than my old OPNs, but I really prefer the old, replaceable batteries.

Recharging seems like a good idea, less cardboard/plastic/battery waste, but the trade-off is less dependability. Eventually the rechargeable battery will have to be replaced.

With the old batteries, I would change them twice a week, and never have a problem.

On the other hand, having the rechargeables in a sealed case means my aids are more water-resistant to perspiration and an occasional rain shower.

Next time, if they offer a choice, I’ll choose replaceable batteries.

In reply to @Moore8

@Moore8 said:

We do see problems in winter over here in the UK with Phonak rechargeables not charging because they are cold.

Are hearing aid batteries also subject to the cold? My dad used to store his in the fridge, but I’d always keep mine at room temp in a dry drawer.

BTW for those who “mothball” a pair of rechargeables, I was told by a Phonak rep yesterday that ONE WEEK is the optimal time for disuse. Beyond that, one risks the rechargeable aid flaking out, not waking up or perhaps not charging to full capacity.

So I will continue to swap my two pairs of rechargeable Lumity Life aids every other day TFN.

In reply to @BobbyBoomer

@BobbyBoomer said:

Last night I moved the charger out of the dehumidified room, and they charged just fine. No red lights, and 100% in both ears.

One last thought: what about the wall socket they were plugged in to? If the charger is working as indicated by moving the unit outside of the hot room, perhaps it wasn’t drawing current when plugged in?

In reply to @BobbyBoomer

@BobbyBoomer said:

Recharging seems like a good idea, less cardboard/plastic/battery waste, but the trade-off is less dependability.

Add to that list:

  1. More bulky gear to travel with (charging base, power cord).
  2. Inconvenient to ever put aids in UV/sanitizer unit cuz whenever they come out of ears, one is anxious to CHARGE THEM UP.
  3. Safety issue if one is in a war zone, traveling overseas, camping, etc., and always needs a power source to recharge aids. I used to travel with a month’s supply of batteries when I wore my Marvel aids.
  4. Inconvenience of needing wall socket no matter where one is - hotel, relatives, etc. Charger is only good for 3 full charge-ups before it needs to be plugged in.
  5. Rechargeables have trouble-shooting issues: both aids AND charging base need to be checked if performance issues crop up.

In reply to @1Bluejay

@1Bluejay said:

Are hearing aid batteries also subject to the cold? My dad used to store his in the fridge, but I’d always keep mine at room temp in a dry drawer.

Never, ever keep any batteries in the refrigerator. Remember how your car has a hard time starting in the cold? It’s because the battery is cold.

There was an urban myth going around years ago that got people to store batteries in the fridge.

So, should you? The answer from battery makers is a uniform and unequivocal.

“That’s a long-held myth, and the answer is no,” says Tom Van Voy of Panasonic Energy Corp. of America.

All the major brands recommend a clean, dry, room-temperature environment.

1Bluejay - I totally agree, but what can we do? Everyone has gone to recharge.

So far, not putting the aids/charger in the dehumidified studio has worked. No more red lights and partial charges. I’ll do it again tonight.

Bob

@1Bluejay said:

Are hearing aid batteries also subject to the cold? My dad used to store his in the fridge, but I’d always keep mine at room temp in a dry drawer.

@BobbyBoomer said:

Never, ever keep any batteries in the refrigerator. Remember how your car has a hard time starting in the cold? It’s because the battery is cold.

@kevels55 was in the mountains I believe with not so easy people (clients not colleagues) he worked with at his work.

His rechargeable Aids cut out due to the cold and he needed his charger to restart Aids but was not easily able to pop home to sort.

Since then, he’s wanted disposable batteries.

Not in the mountains Ruth, I was actually on the Black Isle, weather was around-8C or -10C, rechargeable Li-on batteries have a BMS (Battery Management System) and as such, they are designed to cut out around -1C, they will not reboot until placed back in the charging dock, once the BMS cuts in… Your body heat, will make the temperature variable. This happened twice to me, a couple of weeks apart, on both occasions I had 5 extremely challenging clients, whom had been sentenced by the courts to do Community Service, lone working, out in the sticks, and leaving me in a very vulnerable situation, fortunately they behaved, but it was slightly stressful… My first, and definitely my last experience of using rechargeable aids, even though I was past my trial date, Phonak swapped them out for the replaceable battery version, without a quibble, those Marvel 90’s still work perfectly well, I used them very recently for a couple of months, although they have an inherent fault of blowing 105db receivers, they only last about a year… Cheers Kev :wink:

Aye Ruth, if we step back in in history, it was called the Black Isle because it was once upon a time covered in trees, I lived on the Black Isle for many years, In Avoch (pronounced Awk) moved slightly north about 11 years ago, approximately 20 miles, I miss it, but tragedy struck, our boy was killed, a Scania lorry mechanic on a call-out (at midnight) he won the UK Scania apprentice of the year, in 2009, he was only 22 years old when he died, he hit Black Ice, then hit a tree head on, Keez mercifully died instantly… But, my wife couldn’t bare to look at his room door every day, he was such a larger than life character, so we moved… I can see the Black Isle from my living room window, it holds a lot of bitter-sweet memories for me, but most of these memories are full of joy & laughter… Cheers Kev :wink:

Thanks for sharing Kev.

:sunflower:

I’m glad it hold happy memories as well.

My friend has just come back from visiting all the Islands. Her pictures are amazing.

Thank you Ruth, tis very much appreciated :heart:… Technically speaking, the Black Isle is a peninsula, although it is nearly surrounded by water, 2 rivers at its west end, almost cutting it off, The River Conon, and The River Beauly… Weirdly though, your emoji was Keez favourite flower, The Sunflower… :sunflower: Xx

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