Is It Possible To Put Hearing Aid Batteries In The Wrong Way Round?

[Stargazer]

I have some hearing aids which do not seem to work even though I have put new batteries in (with some difficulty) and even unscrewed the thin tube to feed a cleaning plastic wire thing though it.

[Tuvok]

Possibly - as they are presumably watch-type batteries.

[maggiebee]

Don't think you can put the batteries in the wrong way, but you can forget to take the backing off (which I have done often). Other than that you see to be doing everything right.

[Canary42]

I almost suggested that Maggie, but didn't dare to (although when doing it for my Mum I often made that mistake, fortunately spotting it as I closed the device afterwards).

[Buenchico]

The battery/ies will have the positive side marked with a + symbol.

There should also be something, on the hearing aid itself, to indicate which side the + symbol should make contact with or, as in this illustration, to go alongside:
https://wdh02.azureedge.net/-/media/oticon/main/images/support/imagespot/insert-the-battery-in-behind-the-ear-hearing-aids-step3.jpg

[Stargazer]

Thank you everyone. They are Specsavers with an orange tab on the battery. The tab is on the flat side but it does not indicate which is the + side. The batteries are Rayovac size 13. I used the plastic wire to thread through in case they were blocked. However I have reverted to my original slightly smaller hearing aids which have a brown tab on the battery and these work.

[Canary42]

Seeing Chris's picture brings it back to me - in my Mother's hearing aid if the batteries were inserted the wrong way they didn't seat properly and stood proud so the holder wouldn't close. It could be forced unfortunately which was why she always got me to do it.

[Buenchico]

I've never known a button cell not to have the positive side marked on it (although it's always the 'flat' side anyway).

Rayovac definitely think that they put a + sign on their batteries, as this video is from their own website:

[jennyjoan]

Flat side is plus side then close easily. If you force you break hearing aid

[bhg481]

Have you tried turning the volume up? It's easy to accidentally grip the aid and turn the volume down by moving the adjustment rocker.

[gingejbee]

^many modern aids don't have any volume control - they are pre-programmed to the hearing loss of the ear.

[jennyjoan]

But on some aids there is a tiny lever. You need to gently move the upper lever to get volume