Repairing Your Damaged or Broken Hearing Aid
Even if you take care of your hearing aids and keep up with regular maintenance, time takes its toll on all technology, and it’s possible that yours will eventually wear out through the course of normal use.
While replacing your damaged hearing aids may be the best answer in some cases — it gives you the opportunity to upgrade your technology — there are some common hearing aid repairs that you can try if you’re having problems with one or both of your devices. Try these quick fixes:
- Replace your battery
- Remove and reinsert your hearing aid
- Clean your hearing aid using a cleaning tool
- Replace the wax filter
- Open and close the battery compartment
- Make sure the battery compartment is free of obstructions
- Check your input settings
How Much Do Hearing Aid Repairs Cost?
The cost to fix a broken or damaged hearing aid varies based on a few things: whether the hearing aid is still under warranty, how damaged the device is, and the cost of replacement parts for your unit.
If you bought your hearing system from Vibrant Hearing and it is still under warranty, your repair costs will likely be minimal — if there’s a charge at all. Hearing aids that are no longer under warranty, or that were purchased elsewhere, may cost more to fix. Cracked shells on custom-molded devices can be expensive, but in some cases, these cracks can be repaired.
When Is Your Hearing Aid Beyond Repair?
It takes a hearing aid expert to properly diagnose a damaged hearing aid, but you can assume your hearing aids are beyond repair if:
- Your devices are more than three years old. Hearing aids typically last for three to five years. If your hearing aids are beyond three years old, repair needs are likely to pile up, in which case it makes more financial sense to get some new devices.
- The damage is visible. Although the damage may not be as bad as it looks, if your hearing aid has been stepped on or smashed in some other way, it may be unfixable.
- Your hearing aids have an extensive repair history. If your hearing aid has undergone multiple repairs for the same or different issues, it may be beyond saving. Much like a totaled car, a hearing aid needing that many fixes to be functional may simply no longer be worth the repair cost, and it may make more sense financially to invest in some new units.
A manufacturer’s warranty essentially states that the product should work for as long as the warranty lasts — nothing beyond that is guaranteed. Balancing the cost of repairs with the cost of a new system (and how it will benefit your life) can be tricky, but our practice can help you determine a proper course of action after diagnosing the damage and estimating repair costs.
If you’re having any trouble with your hearing aids, please contact us. We’re more than happy to help you get your devices back in working order, or to help you determine what options are available to fix your broken hearing aid.
Protection Plus
Enrolling in this program covers your hearing system for:
- Replacement if your devices are lost
- Repair or replacement if your devices are accidentally damaged
Definitions, Terms, and Limitations
Accidental damage covers unintentional physical damage to your instruments. Gradual deterioration through normal wear and tear, dust, heat, humidity, and other forms of failure or decline in performance are not covered by this program. Your manufacturer’s warranty may cover these occurrences. Please contact us for more information.
If we repair your instruments, service under this coverage will continue.
If we replace your instruments, we will notify you of your updated coverage.
Warranty Plus: Extended Protection for Your Hearing System
Although your devices should work without defects for the life of your existing warranty, additional technological failures can occur simply because life happens. Extended coverage will protect your hearing system for necessary repairs for one or two years beyond the standard three-year warranty.
One-Year Coverage: $150
Two-Year Coverage: $200
If one or both of your devices fail outside the original warranty, the extended coverage offers additional protection into the fourth and fifth years (which is late in your device’s expected life span) — precisely when repairs are most likely to be needed.
This plan does not cover inflicted physical damage of any sort, accidental or otherwise, including water damage. Gradual deterioration and normal wear and tear are covered as an extension of the initial three-year warranty. Please contact us for more information.
If we repair your instruments, service under this coverage will continue.
