THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARING AID DEHUMIDIFIERS & DRYERS

Excessive moisture is one of the main causes of hearing aid failure, as you might assume. Humidity, water, and even sweat can combine to decrease your battery life and deteriorate other critical components over time. That's why it's essential to dry your hearing aids regularly if you live in a humid climate or immediately if your device has been submerged in water. Roughly speaking, there are two main options: a dehumidifier and a dryer. Although they might seem like the same thing, there are some key differences. Let's look at how we can tell them apart from each other.

WHAT IS A DEHUMIDIFIER?

A standard room dehumidifier is a powered device that removes moisture from the air. From this device, some people might assume that hearing aid dehumidifiers are also powered machines. Not so. Many dehumidifiers look like a regular plastic tube with a lid, often known as a drying package. They include a desiccant that absorbs moisture without affecting the hearing aid itself. It's a similar concept to the silica gel packets you see in packaging for some processed snacks. To use them, you put your hearing aids in the dehumidifier and close the lid before going to bed. A hearing aid dehumidifier usually doesn't need batteries or electricity. It is also an easy way to know where your hearing aids are kept overnight. Most are cheap and last for a minimum of six months and up to two years. Although they are an excellent choice for everyday use to keep your devices moisture-free, they are less useful when your system has been immersed in water. That's when a hearing aid dryer might be more helpful. You also have to replace the drying capsule about twice a year, which can be a hassle as the drying ability slowly deteriorates before you realize you need a new one.

WHAT IS A HEARING AID DRYER?

Dryers use a power source, as opposed to the dehumidifiers we described above. Drying machines use several drying techniques:
  • UV: These use UV light to destroy any bacterial or viral traces.
  • Forced-air: To help dry devices faster, these use a mini-fan.
  • Heat: This uses heat to help dry out the hearing aid.
  • Desiccant: This relies on the same dehumidifying agent used in non-powered hearing aid dehumidifiers.
Typically, electronic dryers can also come with other features, such as disinfectants, deodorizers, and timers, built into them. These hearing aid dryers are faster than a standard non-powered dehumidifier and can complete a cycle in 30 minutes.

REDUX: CUTTING-EDGE DRYING

With the Redux, we offer a completely different way of drying your hearing aids. Aside from being electronically powered, there is no other comparison between a UV drying machine and the Redux. Unlike the drying techniques mentioned above, Redux uses vacuum drying, which decreases the air pressure in the chamber and, in turn, lowers the evaporation point of any moisture in the hearing aids. Here's why we believe the Redux is better than traditional dryers:
  • Compared to an average of 30 minutes for conventional drying devices, Redux end-point drying takes just over 12 minutes for most hearing aids.
  • Redux monitors the difference in humidity and stops when the hearing aid has been dried thoroughly.
  • Redux not only extracts the moisture; it shows you how much has been removed in real-time to the 1/10th of a uL.
  • Based on thousands of dying sessions, our HCP partners record moisture was extracted from 98 percent of hearing aids treated, with 77 percent of these hearing aids being reported as seeing an improvement in functionality.
If you're looking to give Redux a try, talk to your hearing care professional today!