Q: My hearing-aid batteries last up to seven days, and my watch batteries, which look similar, can last for months or years. Can’t I use one for the other?— Gene Otis, Denver
A: There is a distinct difference between the batteries produced for hearing aids and those for watches, according to the folks at Energizer Batteries in St. Louis.
Put simply, hearing-aid batteries provide more energy than watch batteries. You can’t really cross their application because, as you might guess, the hands of your watch would spin around or you’d constantly be asking, “Wha?”
The circuit involved in each mechanism operates differently. Hearing aids have three components: microphone, speaker and circuit. All need constant power in order to operate, so there’s more drain.
Watches use very little power and drain a battery slowly.
Hearing-aid batteries are powered by zinc air technology and use the outside air as the catalyst for power. That’s why they have the tiny holes. And temperature affects all batteries, so the warmth of your ear helps with its performance, too.
Watch batteries have a lower level of power and can last a very long time, since most watches don’t need much to continue ticking along. A lithium cell, for instance, can last up to 10 years.
Watch batteries are too weak for your hearing aid.
A hearing-aid battery is a bad idea in a watch since it won’t get the air necessary for the chemical reaction that makes it work — and it’s too powerful.
David Migoya wants to get the answers to your consumer questions. E-mail consumertips@ denverpost.com or write to Consumer Shopping Bag, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave. Suite 600, Denver, CO 80202.
