Looking for ways to extend the lifespan of your Duracell hearing aid batteries? Well, despite the fact that there’s no magic tip or trick we can give you to drastically extend their lifespans, we can offer you some decent advice regarding some of the factors that cut back on hearing aid battery longevity.

Let’s get into the first and most obvious of them - and it has to do with those little colored tabs that you use to identify the hearing aid batteries in the first place.

Why Do You Need to Keep Those Little Tabs on There?

Let’s make something clear right out of the gate. Those colorful little tabs that you use to identify the sizes of your Duracell hearing aid batteries? They’re not just there for identification purposes and you should never remove them until you are absolutely sure you’re ready to install the batteries.

If you remove them ahead of time, the batteries will start to die and there will be nothing you’ll be able to do about it. This is because the majority of modern hearing aid batteries (Duracell hearing aid batteries included) are called “zinc-air” batteries, which means they use the oxygen in the air as a catalyst to release energy.

Most batteries are zinc-air batteries, which have a cell full of a zinc compound that interacts with the oxygen in the air to release energy. The little colored tab protects the fuel cell from the air until it is time to remove the battery. Taking it off exposes the fuel cell, causing the battery to slowly drain, whether it’s installed in a hearing aid or not.

So, the best thing you can do to preserve the lifespan of your hearing aid batteries is simply to leave those little colored tabs right where they are until you are ready to use the batteries.

So What Else Impacts the Life of Your Duracell Hearing Aid Batteries?

All that business about colored hearing aid battery tabs making it easy to find the size of a battery being said, there are other factors that will affect the longevity of hearing aid batteries. Here are some of the other factors affecting the life of Duracell hearing aid batteries that you can at least partially control.

Humidity and Moisture

The second biggest thing affecting the lifespan of a hearing aid battery is exposure to moisture, humidity, or oils, which can cause corrosion. Exposing batteries to excessive moisture, oil or humidity can cause them to corrode or start to drain, which will adversely affect their lifespan. If the situation is particularly bad, it can even cause the batteries to die before you’re ready to use them.

So what’s the safest thing you can do about this? Just make sure you store your Duracell hearing aid batteries in the driest location possible and do not handle them until you’re ready to install them.

Age

Another thing that can be considered to have somewhat of an effect on Duracell hearing aid batteries is their age. As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to use your oldest batteries first so that they don’t fade in storage.

Given acceptable conditions, some hearing aid batteries can last up to a few years. Some manufacturers advertise that their batteries can last around 4 years or so at most if conditions are ideal. All the same, you should mark your batteries with a date when you buy them and always use the oldest ones first.

Storage Conditions

Storage conditions will also impact the life of your hearing aid batteries; not just the number of years in storage they’ve been kept. A commonly held misconception is that hearing aid batteries should be stored in extremely cold temperatures, and so people keep them in the fridge.

In reality, both exceptionally cold and very hot temperatures may have the potential to adversely affect the lifespan of hearing aid batteries, and so you should simply store your batteries in a cool, dry place. It is moisture more than the temperature that affects this.

But there’s actually another really good reason that you should not keep your Duracell hearing aid batteries in the fridge. Opening and closing the door of the fridge (or freezer) where you keep your batteries, will let air in. That air is likely to have more moisture than there is in the air in the fridge, which then will condense on the inside of the fridge.

So, in essence, you might be actively exposing your hearing aid batteries to extra moisture just by keeping them in the fridge. Keep them somewhere cool and dry, but not in the fridge.

How They Are Handled

You should also exhibit concern when you handle your hearing aid batteries, because the oils on your skin, much like atmospheric moisture, can quickly damage or even corrode hearing aid batteries. Before you take your batteries out of the packaging, washing your hands with soap and water and allow them to dry thoroughly before you take the tabs off. Every little bit counts and this small act will help safeguard the longevity of your batteries.

How Quickly They Are Installed

Another thing that affects the lifespan of Duracell hearing aid batteries is how quickly they are installed after you take the tabs off. Some may not know this, but a good rule of thumb is to take the tabs off and let the batteries “breathe” for a few minutes before you install them. This few minutes of “breathing time” lets the batteries’ cells get exposed to air and start activating before you install them in the hearing aids. It also helps to ensure that you’ll get the most long-lasting power from them.

Contact Us If You Have Questions

There you have some of the best information regarding what actually affects Duracell hearing aid battery lifespan and what you can do about it. If you have any questions about hearing aid batteries or what else you can do to make sure you get your money’s worth, get in touch with us at sales@localbattery.com and we would be happy to assist.