Oticon Rechargeable Battery (Replacement and/or Storage)

pvc

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Demant/Oticon – has battery door access to the rechargeable battery:
Oticon is the only Big-5 manufacturer to allow battery door access for replacing the rechargeable battery. A pin-tool can be used to open the tamper-resistant battery door. It requires only a gentle push. The picture below, and a → Utube video shows how to open the battery door.

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  • The Oticon OpnS use a Z22 Li-ion (3.8 V / 17.5 mAh) from Zhuhai Zhi/ZeniPower
  • The Oticon More uses a Li-ion 60 L3 (3.7 V / 20.5 mAh) from Accu or Varta
  • A newer Z22A Li-Ion (3.8 V / 20.0 mAh) from Zhuhai Zhi/ZeniPower replaces both original batteries for OpnS and More
  • Tip for DIY pin-tool ; A Sim Card Tray Pin Eject Removal Tool does not work. It's too big. If you need to devise a DIY tool maybe use a hand-file/grinder to flatten the tip of a small sewing needle held steady in the grip of sturdy Pliers.
You can find instructions for replacing the batteries at the End Fitting step of Oticon’s Genie2 fitting software (and select Batteries in the left pane). The instructions include “Reset battery statistics” in order to guarantee accurate daily usage beeps:

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Oticon Rechargeable Battery replacement has four steps;
  1. Charge the batteries first; The batteries may be in battery protection mode (see Tip below) thus you need to prep the battery in the charger before attempting to use the new battery. After using the charger to disable battery protection mode, then Connect your hearing aids in the fitting software.
  2. Select which new battery (Right or Left) for entering a serial number
  3. Enter a new battery serial number, enter anything, it’s just record keeping, I would choose a date (2023-06-26 or similar), then repeat and enter the serial number for the other side.
  4. Reset battery statistics. This guarantees accurate daily usage Beeps.
Here’s some rechargeable battery issues (for other than Demant/Oticon) you may want to consider;
  • Rechargeable batteries degrade over time. That is, a battery that is a few years old will need to be charged sooner than a battery that is new. An Internet search says “Rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries have a limited life and will gradually lose their capacity to hold a charge. This loss of capacity (aging) is irreversible. As the battery loses capacity, the length of time it will power the product (run time) decreases.”
  • Most (except Demant/Oticon) rechargeable batteries are built-in and are not replaceable except via expensive factory repair which may be covered by warranty if you plan accordingly and consider your expected years of battery usage.
  • If you ever want to use rechargeable hearing aids as a backup pair then you need to think about battery maintenance. You can’t just put them in a desk drawer and forget them. Long term storage may cause Lithium-Ion batteries to stop working. Rechargeable batteries are not meant to be stored without conditioning. New rechargeable HAs come with the battery partially charges and the hearing aid turned off. To activate (turn on) new hearing aids place the instruments in the charger until the instrument LED turns orange. Note that it is also OK (but not necessary) to leave the instruments in the charger until they are fully charged (green LED).
  • Caution: Lithium-Ion batteries may shut off in sub zero temperature’s!

You can do an Internet search for “how to store li-ion battery”, and you will find many sets of instructions. I think that the Internet instructions are not an exact science. But you can get a good idea about how to store your batteries by reading some of the instructions below. My guess is, store at room temperature (partially-charged 50% to 60%) and perform a full charge every 3 months, before storing again at 50% to 60% charge. Instructions from the Internet follow;
  • Storage; Charge 40% to 50% of the battery charge, and store in a dry environment. As long-term storage will cause the battery activity passivation and accelerate the self-discharge rate, the ambient temperature should preferably be between (10℃-30℃ / 50F-86F), in addition, it is necessary to do a charge/discharge cycle every 3 months to maintain its activity and recovery performance.
  • Storage Measures For Daily Lithium Battery Users; For Lithium-ion batteries which need to be stored for a long time and not used, they should be kept in a state of 50%-60% charge. They should be recharged every 3 months.
  • How long is the battery life? Lithium-ion batteries can be charged up to 1,000 times (depending on capacity). However, these values can only be achieved under optimal conditions. Depending on the handling and maintenance of the battery, the number of cycles may be reduced. During the service life, the capacity will decrease. Generally speaking, when the nominal capacity of the battery is less than 70%, it is called worn-out.
 
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Okay, I replaced the batteries in a pair of Oticon More hearing aids. Instructions are in the OP/Original Post above.

If you are unsure and happen to reverse the +/- battery polarization when inserting the new battery (it’s easy to do because of lack of markings, or hard-to-see markings) then the hearing aid will flash orange in the charger. My new battery had a + marking in it. The old/dead battery had no +/- markings. The More hearing aid had a + marking that was hard to see!

You can literally type anything as the new battery serial number so I typed the date "2023-07-20" for left serial number and the same for right serial number.

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Battery replacement by your audiologist may be cheaper than DIY replacement because of outrageous after-market prices ($165/$200 a pair on EBay)? If you have the opportunity to build a relationship with a local Audiologist (for purchasing supplies) then perhaps you should do so. Such a relationship allowed me to purchase the newer Z22A Li-Ion (3.8 V / 20.0 mAh) from Zhuhai Zhi/ZeniPower which replaces both original batteries for OpnS and More) for $40 each.

Also I found another source for the Z22A batteries. But I have not tried it yet; I will post the following link here in case someone else has a need for new batteries at a reasonable price (currently $52 each) -> Listen 2 Life.
 
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Whoops, I was mistaken about the hearing aids having no +/- battery polarization markings. It's just hard to see. If you have trouble seeing the markings on the battery door, then just place your hearing aid in this orientation with the butt end facing your right and the + side will be facing you. Don't ask whether it's the left or right hearing aid because both left and right for any hearing aids are physically the same (Yes, they are). Note the direction of the red arrow. You can pull the battery out and push it back in (in the direction of the arrow).

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ETA: Edit to add;
DIY School Li-ion Rechargeable Battery instructions have been consolidated into three DIY School Hearing Aids PDF files. Hopefully, this will simplify the presentation.
  • Li-ion Rechargeable Battery History
  • Li-ion Rechargeable Battery Replacement
  • Li-ion Rechargeable Battery Storage
Note that if you download the PDF files (as opposed to viewing the PDF files from cloud storage) then you will have a mixture of old/obsolete PDF files and new PDF/replacement files. Sorry: I recommend viewing the PDF files online from always-available 24/7 cloud storage.
 
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Thanks @Dankailo But I would not trust that website. They seem geared toward sales and not for selecting the correct rechargeable battery for a specific hearing aid.

Choosing a rechargeable battery for a hearing aid is complicated. It's not simply about the correct size 10, 312, 675. It is more about battery chemistry that will provide the best (Energy Density, mAh) and the correct size for your hearing aids.

imo; The hearing aid manufacturers (consulting with battery manufacturers) have chosen what is best at-this-point-in-time and for Oticon that is the Z22A Li-Ion (3.8 V / 20.0 mAh) from Zhuhai Zhi/ZeniPower.

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I cringed when I saw a recent post about using the Power One ACCU Plus Ni-MH (1.2 V / 21 mAh). Here's a comparison;
  • Power One ACCU Plus Ni-MH (1.2 V / 21 mAh)
  • Z22A Li-Ion (3.8 V / 20.0 mAh) from Zhuhai Zhi/ZeniPower
ACCU Plus has only 1.2 Volts. That's not enough! Will it even work to power your hearing aids. Will your charger still work? I don't think so. Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH) battery chemistry. That's old school, is is not?

Also did you see the BOLD notice:

Notice: Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries Can Not Be Returned Once They Are Opened!

 
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Powering a 3.8 Volt device (with a gas tank of 20 mAh) is a way-different than powering a 1.2 Volt device (with a similar milage gas tank). ;)

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Disregarding the device voltage requirements (just for the sake of comparison), it is still roughly only 1/3 (one third) of what you need.
 
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Yes, the bold notice says so!

Notice: These Items Are NOT Returnable After Opening! These Batteries Do NOT Work With Oticon Hearing Aids, Z Power Chargers, Or Other Brands/Devices. They Are Designed To Work With PowerOne Pocket Or Pen Chargers



Power One ACCU Plus Ni-MH Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries, 1.2V, Size P312.

Thanks for your kind explanation.
 
Someone asked "You mentioned that an international eBay seller was previously a good source for these batteries. Can you share the seller's contact details?"

HMm; I actually forgot where I said that :oops:
  • I got $40 each from an Audiologist that I have a minor working relationship with.
  • I had mentioned that HoH-Community-Member @fireinzell found a pair of -> Z22A’s for (60€ /$66) so the price is coming down (circa 2023-4Q).
You can try International sellers of Oticon hearing aids; South Korea, Ukraine, etc. But they tend to dislike selling standalone rechargeable batteries and prefer packaging new rechargeable batteries together with hearing aids. Or, they may sell batteries standalone at a higher price.

I strive to keep the DIY School Hearing Aids (v2.2) PDF file (Li-ion Rechargeable Battery Replacement) updated with any new sources for rechargeable batteries.
 
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