Rechargeable hearing aids in near freezing temperatures

I have Oticon rechargeable aids and have been wearing rechargeable aids dor 5 years. I have been in weather as low as 5 below zero without noticeable issues. And in the opposite end been in temperatures of as high as 105 degrees without noticeable issues. Now i admit that I am not in the extreme temperatures for long time.

Someone here had trouble with rechargeables in the cold. Similar experience. Maybe @kevels55 ??

WH

Depends how long your aids are subjected to the subzero temperatures @DaveL, I was out working in -8 or -10 C all day, but both mornings, after about 3/4 of an hour, they cut out, both aids went down simultaneously, they wouldn’t reboot, even when they were warmed up in the works van, dead as a Do Do, until placed in the charger at night… Your own body heat can sometimes prevent this, somebody suggested ear muffs, to keep the aids warm, but that kinda defeats the purpose, when you have a severe/profound loss… Strangely enough, Phonak knew all about this phenomenon, and even when I was past the cutoff date for returning, they took them back, when I requested, and replaced them with Marvel 90 RIC’s, with disposable 13 batteries, with no quibble whatsoever, I still have these aids, they still work fine, in fact I have them in as I write this, they are over 5 years old… Cheers Kev

One of the reasons why this happens is because the batteries have started to degrade, lose their properties. You mentioned that you have a KS10, so if you are still under warranty replace the battery and that should solve the problem. I have to mention that the batteries are soldered to the chip and they will solve that by replacing the whole hearing aid. You talk to Costco service, ask them about the possibility of changing the battery, tell them that it happens often, even if it’s not winter, just to be more cooperative for you. I only mention it so they can fix it for free while you are still under warranty.

Thanks Kev

We’ve come a long way.

I got a UHF radio system. Factory use. Solvents everywhere. Explosion proof radios and batteries.

Took an hour and a half to walk through the factory. The guards would get back and put the radio in the charger. As warranty ended the radio battery wouldn’t last an hour and a half.

NiCad batteries. It was the way they were being charged.

Now we have lithium
Batteries. Just don’t let them ignite.

Where’s Nikolas Tesla when we need him?

I have literally Dozens of Lithium batteries, 12v, 18v & 54v, and Nicad before that, Nicad were about as much use as a chocolate fire guard, terrible batteries! They don’t hold a charge, after some heavy usage, they deplete quite rapidly… Lithium have there own faults, but I rotate these, and some are now several years old, and are still going strong… But yes, they are a fire hazard, they need to be looked after, I have several chargers, some are smart chargers, you shouldn’t charge Lithium in adverse conditions, like subzero temperatures, you will damage them, large Lithium battery banks in colder climates need to be heated to an ambient temperature, to keep them in tip top condition, all Lithium batteries, need a BMS (Battery Management System) usually built in nowadays to each individual battery, or a collective smart charger, that doesn’t allow overcharging, or indeed charging in adverse conditions like too cold or too warm… Lithium batteries are a brilliant solution for energy greedy appliances, but you need to take a little extra care with them… Solid State Lithium Batteries are the new kids on the block, once these are fully developed, they reckon there running time will triple for the same weight of a normal Lithium Battery, allegedly giving an EV around 600 miles on a single charge, if this manifests, it will probably be the beginning of the end for fossil fuelled vehicles as we know it? That is not to say these Solid State Lithium batteries will not have problems, they will probably be a fire hazard? But not any more hazardous than gas/petrol in a vehicle at present, although it has to be be said, a Lithium battery fire, might burn much more intensely, and maybe 3 or 4 times longer, not to mention the toxicity of the fumes… Everything has a trade off, there are good and bad points, on all consumables… Cheers Kev

one of options

Well said Kev. While I was at 3M I was on the emergency brigade. Trained in firefighting. We had a firebug making tape. Couple of fires. I left after 15 years. I Solved the battery issue with the nicads I described
I have 2 lithium batteries for my new electric bike. One was damaged and replaced. Warranty. Weighs 10 pounds.

Thanks all for a very useful and informative discussion. The general point about rechargeable batteries chimes with my experience of bicycle lights, a perennial pain when suddenly you’re plunged into darkness (or semi darkness) when a battery flakes out.

On my HAs, I had the end of warranty service in May, which is to say a new pair of KS10s. I have EarGear sleeves too, a hangover from a time when I routinely killed my NHS clinic’s stock of Starkey Radius HAs, which I think were hand carved from Swiss cheese for all their robustness. Plus I cycle a lot and use my HAs as headphones while doing exercise (but contemplating cheapo wireless headphones to avoid testing the IP rating too many times, lol)

@kevels55 said:

and one that gives us easy access to swap out a rechargeable battery, so we can carry spare rechargeable batteries…

This is what I’m waiting for, before I go rechargeable with hearing aids. I dislike the built in obsolescence, and having to send them away for a battery change. Apparently, Oticon allow Audiologists to switch out batteries.

Thanks for the tip about Ear Gear guys. I wear a trapper hat in our frigid temps and it keeps threatening to dislodge my HAs during my daily dog walks. The corded version may be just what I need so I can walk without paranoia.

I haven’t walked in temps that cold, but if I was snow-shoeing or winter hiking, I’d wear a Tilly wool hat with earflaps. LUCKILY I was able to keep the flaps down over my ears without getting feedback. So perhaps that is an option - some kind of loose fitting headband that doesn’t cause feedback when worn over the ears on cold days.