Inserting new Tubes

[Chilimon]

Help, I need to insert new tubes in my hearing aids. I have been wearing aids about 10 years now and always had my Audi insert them due to the fact my canals have a weird shape, they are about 90 degrees. Every two month, it is a 30 mile round trip to get her to insert new tubes. Sometimes with my very busy schedule working 3 jobs, it is hard to get there and my tubes get that brittle, they break.

I tried inserting my own a couple times but they either tear in half or I cannot get them through. I tried silicone on the tube and sliced the end on an angle, still no luck. I have used fishing line and dental floss to try pulling the tube through. When my Audi does it, it looks so simple but she joking says how much of a PIA it is.

Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks

 

[seb]

Help, I need to insert new tubes in my hearing aids. I have been wearing aids about 10 years now and always had my Audi insert them due to the fact my canals have a weird shape, they are about 90 degrees. Every two month, it is a 30 mile round trip to get her to insert new tubes. Sometimes with my very busy schedule working 3 jobs, it is hard to get there and my tubes get that brittle, they break.

I tried inserting my own a couple times but they either tear in half or I cannot get them through. I tried silicone on the tube and sliced the end on an angle, still no luck. I have used fishing line and dental floss to try pulling the tube through. When my Audi does it, it looks so simple but she joking says how much of a PIA it is.

Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks

I have changed my tubes ever since the aid in my audi's office broke the earhook on my HA getting the tube out and it's actually pretty easy.

First thing to do is have your audi to give you maybe a six months or more supply of tubes and then your ready for when you need to change the tubes.
My instructions will work for hard acrylic molds, I don't know if it will work on silicone or vinyl molds because I have never had those.

To remove tube from HA: Take an xacto knife and cut slit in tube where it is attached to the earhook an pull tube off. If it doesn't come, you haven't cut it all the way through the tube, so cut a little deeper and then pull it off.

To get the old tube out of the mold: put a coffee cup with water in the microwave and heat it up just shy of boiling, next drop your mold and tube in and let it sit for a couple minutes. Take mold out of water using a spoon or something to grab it because it will be hot. Next grab the tube and the mold and pull the two apart, it should come apart easily, if it doesn't put it back in the water a little while longer and try again. Once you have the tube separated from the mold take an old toothbrush and scrub the earmold to clean off any wax and dirt, it should look like new when you are done.

To insert new tube: take end of tube that is already cut away and start slipping it into the earmold until it comes to the bend and stop. Now take your old tube and place it next to the new tube and mold and mark where it needs to be cut. Take xacto knife and cut through tube at end that goes into the earhook and then cut the tube even with on the end coming out of the earmold that goes into your ear. Now put the tube onto the earhook and you are done.

If the tube slips out or you just want it more secure you can put a drop of superglue on the tube just before you pull it the final way into the earmold, but if your changing your tubes every two months you probably won't need to do this.

I hope this helps.

 

[Bottesini]

Microsonic, Inc. - Tube Locks, Assemblies, & Tools

Go here. Buy the tube expander and prebent tubes. Take a small jewelers pliers and gently twist and pull to remove old tubing.

Insert pointed end of new prebent tube in mold and catch the little end with jewelers pliers and pull through. Pull to leave enough to cut then pull back so it isn't sticking out.

Cut the top to desired length, insert expander and stretch, then slip the earhook in and twist the tubing to put the earmold at the correct angle.

Practice two or three times and you wont have any problems.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Interesting methods.

 

[Chilimon]

This worked and I was finally able to insert my own tubes, only change I made was I waited until I was ready to put them in my ear before I cut them to length. The last time the Audi cut them too short leaving the mold cocked in my ear which was like not even having a hearing aid in, could not hear a person sitting next to me, big difference now.

Thanks