Saturday, April 22, 2006
Choosing a Hearing Aid Vacuum
We get calls every week from folks needing a hearing aid vacuum pump for their office or lab. Most are looking for something that will clean hearing aids on a professional level, without spending a lot of money. And most have done a little research so they are somewhat aware of vacuum pump specifications – the problem is the spec they are focused on is usually the wrong one.
There are two important specs when it comes to vacuum pumps as they relate to hearing aids. One is the vacuum capacity. This is the number most folks are familiar with as it is the one given in advertisements to tout the most powerful vacuums. It is given in inches of Mercury and looks something like this: 25” Hg. The number relates to the vacuum level the pump is capable of. In other words, a pump with the specs listed above will pump the air out of a box until the vacuum level inside reaches 25” Hg. The higher the number, the more air will be removed from the box.
The second number is the amount of flow the vacuum pump has – and this is the most important spec when it comes to cleaning hearing aids. Flow has to do with how fast the air is being pumped and is given in liters per minute, or cubic feet per minute. So if a vacuum pump is rated at 4 lpm, that means the unit will pump 4 liters of air in one minute. Think of that pump as moving a couple of 2 liter Pepsi bottles of air in one minute. The higher the flow the more air will be moved, and the more debris will be removed.
So where does the “Hg number become important? When you are using the vacuum pump for drying the hearing aid, then it is important to have a strong “Hg number. You will be drawing the most air out of the box, and the most moisture out of the hearing aid (a very efficient technique by the way).
Here is a link to an article that gets a little more involved: Hearing Aid Vacuum
So, when you’re shopping for a vacuum pump for the office, look for the unit with the most Flow, and if it comes with a high “Hg you’ve scored a winner. Do you want a recommendation? Look At This
There are two important specs when it comes to vacuum pumps as they relate to hearing aids. One is the vacuum capacity. This is the number most folks are familiar with as it is the one given in advertisements to tout the most powerful vacuums. It is given in inches of Mercury and looks something like this: 25” Hg. The number relates to the vacuum level the pump is capable of. In other words, a pump with the specs listed above will pump the air out of a box until the vacuum level inside reaches 25” Hg. The higher the number, the more air will be removed from the box.
The second number is the amount of flow the vacuum pump has – and this is the most important spec when it comes to cleaning hearing aids. Flow has to do with how fast the air is being pumped and is given in liters per minute, or cubic feet per minute. So if a vacuum pump is rated at 4 lpm, that means the unit will pump 4 liters of air in one minute. Think of that pump as moving a couple of 2 liter Pepsi bottles of air in one minute. The higher the flow the more air will be moved, and the more debris will be removed.
So where does the “Hg number become important? When you are using the vacuum pump for drying the hearing aid, then it is important to have a strong “Hg number. You will be drawing the most air out of the box, and the most moisture out of the hearing aid (a very efficient technique by the way).
Here is a link to an article that gets a little more involved: Hearing Aid Vacuum
So, when you’re shopping for a vacuum pump for the office, look for the unit with the most Flow, and if it comes with a high “Hg you’ve scored a winner. Do you want a recommendation? Look At This
