Hearing Aid Repair Services
If you have hearing aid problems, contact your audiologist, advisor, itinerant teacher or classroom teacher who will be able to help. If you need further assistance, contact van Asch.
Please do not send repairs directly to the supplier, unless you wish to pay for service costs.
Do not include moulds with hearing aids sent for repair - you may need the mould for use with a spare aid.
Hearing Aid Repair Request Form
Please print this form, complete it and send it with the Hearing aid to van Asch Deaf Education Centre for repair. Looking after your hearing aids
Moulds
To clean your mould:
- Remove the tubing from the hook, but do not remove the hook from the hearing aid - this can damage both the hook and the hearing aid.
- Use warm water with a little detergent.
- Leave the mould in the water for 3-5 minutes, then use a small brush, e.g. an old toothbrush, to clean it.
- Rinse with clean warm water.
- Make sure there is no water in the tubing. Any water can be removed with a puffer.
- Dry the mould with a soft cloth.
Batteries
Remember to take the battery out if you are not using your hearing aid.
Always check that you have the battery in the right way.
Use a battery tester to check batteries. Remember to do this at the end of the day, when your battery is at its weakest.
Hearing aid care
Always look after your hearing aids.
- Do not get them wet.
- The hot water cupboard is a good place to dry your hearing aid with the battery out, and the battery drawer left open.
- It is a good idea to 'work' the volume control occasionally to clean the carbon track. This helps prevent noisy and intermittent volume control operation.
- DO NOT attempt simple repairs with cyanoacrylate adhesives (Superglue). This can lead to expensive repairs.
In-the-Ear aids
These are small and fragile, and need careful handling. Check regularly for any wax build up. Remove any wax carefully with the correct instruments.
FM Test Button receivers/headsets
These should be used only for pinpointing an existing fault. The entire system, i.e. cords, shoes and aids, should be checked daily via a stethoclip (if aids are set at high output, pinch the stethoclip tubing to reduce the volume). If a fault is found, the test button or phones can be used for testing the FM system for the fault. The majority of FM faults are caused by faulty Y cords or shoes, and testing via the test button will not pick up these common faults.
CAUSES OF FAILURE - HANDLING/CARE
The major problem created by faulty equipment is that often the student has put up with unreliable operation for an extended period prior to the equipment being sent in for repair.
Students observing the following simple rules would achieve an estimated 30% reduction in breakdown
Hearing aids
Never remove an ear mould from the ear by pulling on the hearing aid or mould tubing:
This breaks the front end housing of hearing aids.
Cracks hooks which causes feedback.
With softer silicon moulds the tubing is easily pulled out of the mould this weakens the fit of the tubing, causes feedback & eventually ruins the mould.
- Never attempt to remove the tone hook from the aid as this will often result in damage.
- When cleaning moulds be sure to remove the mould tubing from the tone hook by grasping the tone hook and mould tubing, avoid putting any stress on the casing of the aid.
- Never carry the aid loose in a pocket without a protective case.
An increase in the number of Widex and other behind the ear hearing aids requiring repair following damage to the hook front/casing of the aid are also due to incorrect handling, the incidence of breakage will be significantly reduced if the aids are handled correctly. Loose/cracked tone hooks on Oticon aids can also often be attributed to these handling issues.
FM Systems
Incorrect handling and lack of care is the biggest single cause of failure with FM systems.
I think it helps to remind users occasionally that these systems cost between $2,500 and $4,500.
- Never wind the microphone cord or receiver output cords around the body of the transmitter or receiver. Unplug microphone and DAI cords when the equipment is in transit.
The sockets these items connect to are very miniature and easily damaged. Any sideways stress will damage the contacts and cause an intermittent connection eventually requiring repair. Similarly if the microphone and receiver plugs are left plugged in to the transmitter and receiver while in transit, any weight applied to the equipment will again damage the sockets.
Encourage Students to store the equipment when not in use in a rigid container (Warehouse or Payless Plastics). A backpack loaded with books is not a good container for an unprotected FM system, the soft leather case supplied by distributors of the equipment is not adequate protection. Classroom Teachers need to be informed of these frailties and of the care required for ongoing reliable operation.
We would expect Students fitted with MicroLink systems to utilise the supplied carry case for protecting components not in use.
Our Technicians
Tony Dwyer has many years experience in the electronics field, and has been involved with van Asch since 1975. He is responsible for the repair and maintenance of hearing aids, FM's and assistive devices, and for the supply of batteries and accessories.
Phil Henderson has been employed as a technician at van Asch since 1978. He started as a trainee technician repairing hearing aids and school AV equipment. Since 1991 he has been responsible for computer and network support for the Centre's administrative and classroom computers.