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NHS Hearing Aid Batteries Options
In this blog post, we highlight the types of batteries we supply to support an NHS hearing aid.
How Do I Get NHS Hearing Aid Batteries?
Obtaining a hearing aid from the NHS is free of charge on a loan basis. In addition, the NHS provides you with free batteries as well. Hearing aid care is essential for its longevity and proper functioning. Using and storing the appropriate type of hearing aid batteries is an important part of ensuring that your hearing aids will perform to their best capability.
Individual NHS Trusts operate differently with regards to batteries. Some trusts require you to send off the brown book that you are given with your hearing aids with a stamped addressed envelope. They will then return this with a few weeks supply of batteries. Or you can visit a GP surgery where you can collect the new batteries on presentation of your brown book. Other trusts allow you to request new batteries via email. You should check with your local NHS Trust to find out how to obtain new batteries.
At Hearing Direct, you will find an even wider range of hearing aid batteries from a number of leading brands and manufacturers that are NHS hearing aid compatible and can be delivered within 24hrs to your door.
What Batteries do I get with my Hearing Aid?
When it comes down to hearing aid batteries, it's a case of identifying which batteries suit you and your device. As long as you insert the correctly sized battery, your NHS hearing aid will be fully powered. The NHS offers several brands including:
The above battery brands will complement NHS Hearing Aids and other hearing aid manufacturers. However, all other zinc-air brands on the market are suitable, all of which can be ordered online directly from hearingdirect.com.
How to choose Hearing Aid Batteries
There are various brands and sizes of hearing aid batteries, so before purchasing, it is important to know which battery type fits your hearing device.
Choosing a brand is mostly personal taste and preference and you may have to experiment with various brands to find which ones you prefer. We have trial packs of batteries available which let you test different brands before settling on the right one.
What Size Batteries do I need?
We supply all hearing aid battery sizes. All hearing aid batteries come in 4 sizes with numerical values. To determine the exact size you need, you have to look at your hearing aid manual or consult your audiologist.
To make the size choice easier, the batteries also have corresponding colours that are unified across all manufacturers.
- 10 = Yellow
- 13 = Orange
- 312 = Brown
- 675 = Blue
Where Do I Find Free NHS Hearing Aids Batteries?
You can get the batteries you need for your hearing aid completely free if you carry your NHS brown record book with you when you pick them up. There are a number of places across the UK where the NHS batteries are available, e.g. hospitals or GP surgeries. In addition, you can also turn to Deaf Access as they also provide the service. Some NHS Care Trusts can even send you the batteries by post as an alternative to the regular collection in person.
Hearing Aid Battery Care
The batteries usually come in packs of six so you will have spare batteries after you open the package. Make sure each battery has a protective seal on it before you change the battery. In cases where the seal is compromised, it is highly likely that the battery will not perform well. All hearing aid batteries are zinc-air, which means they become active when they first make contact with air and this process is not reversible and commences as soon as the seal on the bottom is removed.
People tend to give very little attention to hearing aid batteries which in the long run could even lead to unwanted hearing aid repairs. The more functional your batteries are, the better your hearing aids will be. The right positioning of your batteries in the hearing aids can make a world of difference. For example, if you find anything wrong with your hearing aids, always check to see that your disposable hearing aid batteries are positioned correctly.
Whether you want to book a hearing aid check or special consultation with our audiologists, Hearing Direct offers a broad range of services for people with all types of hearing-related issues.
What Causes Hearing Aid Batteries to Leak or Expand?
There are many factors you need to consider if you want to ensure the safety of your hearing aid batteries. If you're storing your batteries in a place where the humidity is high, they will absorb moisture. Now, if this goes unchecked, the batteries will start to absorb moisture through air holes. As the Zinc absorbs the moisture, it could easily result in expansion or leakage of hearing aid batteries. Likewise, high temperatures may also dry out the battery chemicals inside.
How to Make Your Hearing Aid Batteries Last Longer
Batteries will begin to discharge power as soon you remove the protective seal. However, there are things that can be done in order to minimise battery drainage and prolong its lifespan. Protect your hearing aids by ensuring they are always turned off when not in use while keeping the battery door open. This should let the moisture escape and keep any risk of corrosion at bay. It is important to take the battery out when not using your hearing aids for a long period of time. The protector case will keep them safe from harm and help extend their life as well. Never dirty your hearing aids with oily residues.
When to Change Your Hearing Aid Batteries
Some hearing aid batteries last for about 10-14 days, but the battery life will vary from person to person and week to week depending on how much power you need in your device. You will be able to hear a beep sound about 1 hour to 30 mins before the battery goes down. Don’t worry if you happen to be busy or in a noisy environment when the battery starts to run low. The battery warning beeps are usually repeated every few minutes.
You can collect replacement batteries from a number of clinics across your area. You will need to bring in the brown record book with you when obtaining new batteries.
Recycling Your Hearing Aid Batteries
To keep your batteries safe, it is best not to mix them with old ones. You should avoid putting them near metal objects (e.g. keys). Make sure that the battery's seal stays in place until you need to use them or else store them in a battery caddy.
After using up the batteries it is best to return them for recycling rather than simply throwing them away and contaminating the environment with dangerous chemicals. To assist in protecting the natural world, many manufacturers such as Rayovac have now stopped using mercury in the battery composition and provide more eco-friendly batteries.
Further Reading
As the UK's leading hearing aids provider, our blog is home to a number of valuable resources and articles. You find all sorts of topics from guides on hearing loss, all the way to product and brand reviews. We think you may also be interested in:
- NHS Hearing Aids
- NHS Hearing Aid Types
- NHS Hearing Aids vs Private Hearing Aids
- Which Hearing Aid Batteries are Best?
About Hearing Direct
We are one of the world's leading hearing aid specialists with an in-house audiology department. Hearing Direct offers a wide range of affordable products, and informational resources to help improve the quality of life for the hard of hearing. We sell:
- Hearing aids
- Batteries
- Accessories for cleaning and hygiene
- and amplified devices such as super loud alarm clocks and amplified phones.