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Q: Dry & Store UV damage?

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Just a week ago, I abandoned my caviar-jar with silica-gel sachets in favour of a Dry & Store Global II box, and I’m quite happy with it. My only peeve is that the thing is so damn bulky given that my hearing aids will comfortably fit in a matchbox with lots of room to spare, but never mind.

But something that does bother me a little is whether or not the UV lamp has any long-term discolouration effect on the transparent tubing part of my Be 9000 . I know the UV part of the cycle is only supposed to be 1.5 minutes, but I wouldn’t mind some reassurance on this score before I remove the bulb. (Yes, I know I could have bought the Zephyr, but I only thought of this issue after I placed the order. :o)

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I have concerned about the same thing. Just the UV from the new fluorescent light bulbs discolor plastic materials. Intentionally exposing aids to the UV and resultant ozone may be a problem long term.

Jeff

I’ve been using my Global Dry N’ Store for almost 2 yrs and have had no problem with discoloration of the tubing or domes. I change tubing and domes about every 1-1/2 to 2 months.:slight_smile:

Well if that were the case we couldn’t wear the aids out in the sun. Keep in mind that tubing needs to be replaced from time to time because it will harden and crack. That will occur way before any discoloring will happen from UV rays if that damage ever occurs.

@Gargravarr said:

Just a week ago, I abandoned my caviar-jar with silica-gel sachets in favour of a Dry & Store Global II box, and I’m quite happy with it. My only peeve is that the thing is so damn bulky given that my hearing aids will comfortably fit in a matchbox with lots of room to spare, but never mind.

But something that does bother me a little is whether or not the UV lamp has any long-term discolouration effect on the transparent tubing part of my Be 9000 HAs. I know the UV part of the cycle is only supposed to be 1.5 minutes, but I wouldn’t mind some reassurance on this score before I remove the bulb. (Yes, I know I could have bought the Zephyr, but I only thought of this issue after I placed the order. :o)

You’ll find that the tubing dies much sooner on your aid if you handle cement or plaster. Least that’s what my customers have found.

In reply to @GadgetsRme

@GadgetsRme said:

I’ve been using my Global Dry N’ Store for almost 2 yrs and have had no problem with discoloration of the tubing or domes. I change tubing and domes about every 1-1/2 to 2 months.:slight_smile:

Hmmm. OK, that sounds like a lot of changes… :slight_smile:

Trouble is, I’m using a pair of Resound Be 9 (like these, Explore types of hearing aids and learn how they work | ReSound US7) which set me back the best part of $AU10K, so my concern is somewhat pressing. My “constant care” cover from the audiologist’s shop should cover any damage in the next couple of years, but after that I’m on my own.

Guess I’ll just take out the UV bulb a bit before the cover expires… :wink:

[quote=Gargravarr;48475]Hmmm. OK, that sounds like a lot of changes… :slight_smile:

A quote from the owners manual:
“The sound tube and dome should be changed every third month, or sooner if the sound tube becomes stiff or brittle.”

As soon as I notice any brittleness in the tube, dome or its retaining curl they are out of there. The last thing I want is either irritation from a stiff tube or dome in my ear or losing a piece in my ear because I tried to stretch the life. That said usually the retaining curl is the first to go. I do spend a lot of my day outdoors and have the aids in about 16 hrs a day. :slight_smile:

Another question, I have aids. They have a thin tube with a wire running through it to the speaker in the ear canal. I’m sure that wire/tube combination is much more expensive to replace than a simple tube. It is a twist fitting on the air but the wire appears permanently attached at the receiver.

How will long term exposure UV affect that tube? I don’t think it is meant to be replaced every three months or so. I wonder if that tube is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty?

Jeff

@jlgreer1 said:

Another question, I have BTE RIC aids. They have a thin tube with a wire running through it to the speaker in the ear canal. I’m sure that wire/tube combination is much more expensive to replace than a simple tube…

That’s pretty much what I meant in my original question. Everybody here seems to have assumed I was talking about aids, whereas I have ReSound Be 9 devices (as shown here: Explore types of hearing aids and learn how they work | ReSound US2). These, while not of the same type as your aids, also have a fine wire inside a narrow plastic tube.

But never mind, I’ve made a decision: my care plan covers all repair expenses for two years, so if I notice any problems with discolouration or cracking in that time, I’ll get it fixed and stop using the UV bulb.

It’s my understanding that regular tubes have to be replaced because they get stiff, brittle, and then painful.

(or ) BTE tubes, with the wire inside, don’t have this problem. The tubes aren’t meant to be flexible, they’re permanently molded/shaped in a certain configuration and then they stay that way.

I’ve had a Dry & Store for almost ten years. I put my previous aids in it every night for over four years and never noticed any effects of the UV on the plastic, either to the mold and tubing or to the aid itself. Same for the aids before them. I doubt the UV is strong enough to do any damage. I’m a little skeptical that it does much at all, frankly. The warm dry air blowing over the aids is probably the biggest benefit.

In reply to @jdtruly

I have been using a Dri-Aid jar in various form for the better part of 40 years. My last from Siemens was purchased in 2003 and has NEVER had to go in for repair. The case started to break apart just a month ago and now I am having to go through the task of finding a new aid I can live with.

The UV in these things is apparently a very short wavelenth that doesn’t penetrate the plastic. Only the surface. So there isn’t supposed to be any wear and tear on the plastic. Also, and correct me if I’m wrong, the light on stays on for a couple of minutes, not the whole 8 hour cycle. This is based on what I’ve read, not experience…so take it for what it is worth. I’m skeptical of the requirement for a UV light…seems unnecessary to me.

I opted to buy the D&S Zephyr. Smaller foot print, no UV, nicer price. It keeps my hearing aids nice and dry…and the ear molds are nice and warm in the morning if I don’t oversleep!

The UV light on my D&S is on for only a short time in the cycle, maybe 15 mins or so. The bulb is a standard germicidal UV light bulb…the one in mine is made by Philips and can be had for less than $10. IMO, the warm air is probably the main benefit of the D&S, the UV light might be of some small benefit, and the desiccator brick is mainly a way to introduce a consumable into the system but not of much real value either. Then again, I live in AZ where the humidity hovers around 10% in the summer (it was down to 2% last week) so a desiccator probably doesn’t do much more than the open air.

Since there have been no new messages in this topic for some time I’m assuming the conclusion was that (a few minutes of) UV-C light doesn’t noticeably degrade the () tube/mold…

I’ve gone to using the Dry and Store Zephyr as the Global made my soft earmolds and tubing go hard quickly. I don’t trust the UV at all.

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