Changing BTE tubes

One of the persistent problems with BTE aids is keeping those plastic tubes that connect the BTE to the ear mold supple, clean, and free of cracks. So I have a supply of tubes which I replace every 6 months or so. I have found tubes for sale on ebay that you can buy in bulk to do this. I have had a few problems, however, gluing the plastic tubes into soft molds which I now use (soft is best for feedback suppression and tight fit). Soft earmolds really do not hold the new tubes in very well-they need to be glued in. If I replace without glue I will risk losing the hearing aid. But I have found that liquid super-glue works, the stuff that is sold in dollar stores with lots of cautions on the label and that hardens instantly. My dollar store has two kinds: gel and liquid. You want to use the liquid, and put just a drop or two way up on the shaft that goes into the earmold. This solved a little home-repair problem for me very well.

With soft molds, you should get tubing with tube locks (either a plastic or metal ring around the tubing that helps lock it in place).

Thank you for this tip. I will ask my audiologist for them.