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Hearing Aid Troubleshooting
Please use the following suggestions to try and correct the hearing aid problem at home. If none of these suggestions solves the problem, then please call our office to schedule an appointment with an audiologist to drop off the hearing aid for repair. If we cannot solve the problem, then we will send the aid to the manufacturer for repair. It is an option to drop by our office without an appointment and leave the hearing aid for repair; however, the audiologist will probably not be available to meet with you at that time due to clinic hours.
Hearing aid does not work at all.
- Good battery? Check the battery strength with a battery tester; replace with a fresh battery.
- Battery inserted properly? Check that the “+” sign is facing up. If your battery has a gold coating on one side, then the gold side should be facing down.
- Sound (receiver) opening clean? Check that the sound hole is not blocked with ear wax or debris; gently clean with a hearing aid brush.
- Battery contacts are clean? Check that the battery contacts are not dirty or corroded; gently clean with a pencil eraser.
- Volume control turned ON? Check that the volume control wheel turns ON and OFF. For behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, the volume ON switch is the “M” position.
- Earmold tubing blocked (BTE only)? Check the earmold tube for ear wax, dirt, or moisture; remove the earmold from the ear hook and use an earmold blower to clear the blockage.
- Earmold tubing twisted (BTE only)? Check the earmold tube for any kinks, twists or collapse; straighten tubing.
Hearing aid is weak.
- Good battery? Check the battery strength with a battery tester; replace with a fresh battery.
- Sound (receiver) opening clean? Check that the sound hole is not blocked with ear wax or debris; gently clean with a hearing aid brush.
- Battery contacts are clean? Check that the battery contacts are not dirty or corroded; gently clean with a pencil eraser.
- Volume control turned fully ON? Change the volume position until at correct setting.
- Earmold positioned properly (BTE only)? Check the position of earmold; reinsert the earmold to ensure a proper fit.
- Earmold tubing firmly connected (BTE only)? Check if the tubing is attached to the ear hook; push tubing onto ear hook.
Hearing aid goes on and off or makes a scratchy, distorted sound.
- Dust in the volume control? Rotate and switch the volume control on and off several times to loosen any trapped dust or lint.
- Dust in the microphone? Check the microphone for dirt; gently clean the microphone with a hearing aid brush.
- Battery contacts are clean? Check that the battery contacts are not dirty or corroded; gently clean with a pencil eraser.
- Earmold moisture (BTE only)? Check the earmold, tubing and ear hook for moisture; remove the earmold, use an earmold blower to clear the moisture.
- Moisture? Throw away the battery, wipe off any moisture, keep the battery door open and allow the aid to dry overnight. Try the aid again with a fresh battery.
Hearing aid has a low buzz or hum without making sounds louder.
- Good battery? Check the battery strength with a battery tester; replace with a fresh battery.
- Earmold positioned properly (BTE only)? Check the position of earmold; reinsert the earmold to ensure a proper fit.
- Volume control ON? Check that the volume control is ON and not the telecoil switch. For BTEs, check the switch position is “M” and not “T” for telecoil.
Hearing aid has whistles (feedback).
- Sound (receiver) opening clean? Check that the sound hole is not blocked with ear wax or debris; gently clean with a hearing aid brush.
- Hearing aid/Behind-the-ear (BTE) earmold properly inserted? Check the position of the hearing aid and earmold; reinsert the device to ensure a proper fit.
- Volume control too high? Check the volume control setting; reduce volume until at the correct setting.
- Fit problem? Remove the hearing aid and place a finger over the sound (receiver) hole. If the whistle stops, then the device no longer fits the ear properly.
- Whistling (feedback) is normal when you cup your hand near the aid, when the aid is not inserted properly, while wearing a scarf or hat, or when the volume is set too high.
Please contact Texas Center for Hearing Aids for more information or to schedule an appointment.
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