What Do Audiologists Use to Permanently Glue Tubing to Earmolds?

@gorgeguy - Because that is what has happened with my hearing aid via competent audiologists since the dawn of time?

Hello @codergeek2015 , I have only once had tubing glued, I have never glued any myself, and I have changed literally hundreds of tubing over the years, when I worked for “Deaf Services”… As @gorgeguy says, you can use twin walled or thick walled tubing, this will probably give you around another 5db of gain, and also give you a snugger fit… I must confess though, my last set of hard acrylic moulds (actually made by Phonak, and not Starkey, a first for me) did come with the tubing glued, I was absolutely raging, and told my Audioligist so, or not quite, but, most definitely, I wasn’t a happy bunny though, as I had to try and remove the thin tubing, and replace it with thick walled, a five minute job, became a pain… It is very simple to change your tubing, it isn’t complicated, there is a few YouTube tutorials, and with a little practice, most folks can master it…As a rule of thumb, most tubing should be changed every 3 to 4 months, it becomes brittle, and shrinks slightly, it may become loose in the mould, or come out occasionally, it’s time to change… Cheers Kev

I use thick wall tubing that has a brass lock to help with keeping a snug fit. No glue.
I have silicone earmolds. It usually works well.

However, I now find, that if your earmolds are getting old and worn like mine, even the brass locks do not hold the tubing in place. This is what’s happening with me. It’s time for new ear molds. My earmolds are 5 years old.
Maybe the brass lock tubes would work for you.

Laura

Gorilla Glue is used by many

Hi all,

Perhaps it would help if I provide a diagram of the issue. I already know how to deal with the usual wear and tear. Not sure how any of the solutions presented here would work. The ear mold is coming apart from the inside where it’s glued/cemented. Not outside.

Basically, I try to pull my hearing aid out of my ear, and the tubing comes with it, leaving the ear mold stuck sometimes. Because the glue has worn off.

I don’t wear bte anymore because I switched to Ric. But I would mention that I had tubes that I bought on ebay, the tubes don’t harden or become brittle at all. I was surprised that such existed, maybe they were based on silicone. Silicone never hardens. The only may need to be changed is when I can no longer hold firmly to the hearing aid.

Thank you @markoo355, I am allergic to silicone, and soft acrylic, but for some strange reason, I am fine with hard acrylic, I have no idea why, obviously acrylic, hard or soft is much the same, but not according to my ears It’s a strange one! Cheers Kev

There is different type of materials used in the manufacturing of the tubes. The common ones are PVC. Stay dry tubes used a different of material. Silicone tubes (medical used) are also another chemical.
I do not understand why there are 2 sectors for skeleton molds and glue are used. Why can’t they use one-piece tube with a copper ring. Simple and easily replaceable. As moisture come in contact with the PVC tubes, it starts to harden and shrink. Whereas the stay dry tube last longer because less moisture contact.

I have been fitting earmolds in my practice for 12 years. A Custom Earmold gives BTE or RIC devices a comfortable fit and that can sometimes make or break someone’s experience with amplification.
The liquid cement offered by the labs either holds too tightly, or does not hold at all. TRS lock tubing is a good choice for silicone earmolds without having to use an adhesive, but not for acrylic. Do you have silicone or acrylic molds? I like acrylic for 90% of my patients.
Strangely enough, I use nail glue in my clinic with a light brush of it directly on the tube as I am re-tubing the mold & it works fabulously!! Yup, plain old brush on nail glue! It lasts for about three or four months without compromising the ear mold when it’s time to change the tubing… and your hearing provider should be changing your tubing about every three or four months. When the tubing gets hard, it definitely changes the acoustics of what you’re hearing. I hope that helps!

I’m sure it’s been suggested to you, but I encourage my patients to try not to pull the ear mold out by the tube.
Try to press back the top of your ear against your head; the rim of the earmold can then be easily pinched to wiggle it out of your ear. Can’t hurt to try😬.

@HearKay , what do you think about an earmold for a BTE with a permanent horn? I found it convenient because I only had to change the middle tube every 3–4 months. Any weaknesses of that solution?

What Do Audiologists Use to Permanently Glue Tubing to Earmolds?

How about that solution if I understand problem correctly: [Screenshot_20241003_004758_Gallery] There is horn permamently attached to earmold. This is old HA. In past I simply changed the short tube in the middle.