A hearing aid wax trap is a small filter that fits on the receiver port (speaker) of a hearing aid. Its job is to allow sound to pass through it but stop any ear wax, dust, or other debris from getting inside of the hearing aid.
Basic Steps to Change a Wax Trap: (See below for manufacturer-specific information):
- Take a new wax trap stick and push the blank side into the old wax trap that you want to remove.
- Pull out the stick, the old wax trap will come with it.
- Flip the stick around in your hand.
- Push the new wax trap into the hearing aid.
See below for manufacturer-specific information and for video tutorials.
How to Change a Phonak Cerustop Wax Trap
- Remove the dome from the hearing aid by holding the speaker in one and the dome earpiece in the other hand.
- Gently pull the dome off of the receiver wire. It should come off without much difficulty.
- Wipe any debris off of the hearing aid. You can use a tissue or a lint-free cloth.
- Get a Cerustop stick from the package.
- Insert the removal side (the side without a white piece on it) and push it straight into the wax trap that is already in the hearing aid.
- Pull the stick out of the hearing aid, the wax trap should come with it.
- Flip the custom stick around in your hand so the brand-new white wax trap is facing forward.
- Push the new wax trap into the same hole of the hearing aid that the previous wax trap was removed from.
- Pull out the stick and the new wax trap should remain in the hearing aid.
- Put the dome back on the hearing aid.
If you have a custom piece that was molded to your hearing aid, the above process is the same however you can skip steps 1, 2, and 10.
Purchase replacement Cerustop Wax Traps on Amazon.Cerustop used on the following hearing aids:Phonak Audeo B Phonak Audeo VPhonak Audeo QPhonak Audeo Spice Phonak Virto BPhonak Virto VPhonak Virto QPhonak Naida BPhonak Naida VPhonak Naida QPhonak Naida SPhonak Ski BPhonak Cros
How to Change Phonak CeruShield
The newer Phonak Audeo M or P (Marvel and Paradise) line the hearing aids is using a new wax trap system. I believe these will be the wax traps that are used on all future products. It is called the Phonak CeruShield Disk.
Buy more CeruShield Disks on Amazon (affiliate link) if you are running low.
Step one: Rotate the CeruShield disk to the right to find a new wax trap.
Step 2. Remove the dome from the hearing aid. Take one hand on the wire and one hand on the silicone dome and pull them apart.
Step 3. Remove the old wax trap by pushing the hearing aid into to opening labeled as 1 on the CeruShield disk until it clicks. Pull the wire out of the disk and the old wax trap should have been removed.
Step 4. Move the wire over to the hole that is labeled with a 2. Push the wire into this hole and it will click. Pull the wire out and you will see the empty slot in the disk with the new wax trap in the hearing aid.
Step 5. Replace the dome. If the old dome is clean and in good repair you may reuse it. If not I suggest you use a brand-new dome.
Images courtesy of the Phonak Audeo M Instruction Manual.
How to Change GN Resound Cerustop Wax Trap
GN Resound uses the same wax traps as Phonak, Unitron, and Widex, they are commonly called custom. You could you the manufacturers interchangeably with another company. They are all made at the same factory and are just individually and privately labeled.
For changing the Resound Cerustop white wax filters. You follow the same instruction as above for the Phonak Cerustop product. If you need to purchase an additional replacement Resound Cerustop Wax Filter on Amazon, follow the link.
Essentially you remove the old wax guard by inserting the removal side of the black stick (the side without a new white piece) into the used wax guard on the hearing aid, it will connect itself to it.
Pull the stick out and the wax guard should come out of the hearing aid and stay on the black stick.
Now switch the stick around in your hand to insert the new wax guard. Push the replacement side (the brand-new white wax filter) straight into the hole from which you just remove the previous wax guard and the new wax trap will stay in place when you pull out the black stick.
How to Change Starkey Hear Clear Wax Trap
Similar to all the other wax traps, Starkey uses a disposable stick to insert and remove the earwax protection filter. The color of the stick does not matter, originally the sticks were orange and sold in a canister. The sticks briefly switched to being black and are now yellow and sold in an 8 pack similar to all other hearing aid manufacturers.
Steps to Change the Hear Clear Wax Protection Filter in a Starkey Hearing Aid.
- Insert the empty end of the yellow Hear Clear sticks into the old wax guard in the hearing aid. NOTE: The yellow and black sticks do not need to be twisted but the original orange sticks get screwed in.
- Pull the stick out of the hearing aid and it will remove the used/old Hear Clear wax guard.
- The new filter will be on the opposite end of the stick, press it firmly into the same hole of the hearing aid that you removed the old filter from.
- Pull outward to remove the Hear Clear stick and throw it away. Each filter is for single use only.
Purchase additional Hear Clear Filters on Amazon.
How to Change Oticon ProWax and ProWax Minifit Wax Guards
Oticon uses two similar wax traps for their hearing aids. They are the ProWax and the ProWax minifit.
They are the same except for the size of the diameter of the wax trap. Unfortunately, they are not interchangeable and there is no simple method to tell which size your hearing aid takes.
Generally speaking, if your hearing aid has a dome on the end of it, you will use the ProWax Minifit and if it has a custom earmold on the aid it will take the original ProWax.
However, Oticon does change this depending on the same of the ear canal and the product. If you do not know which one to order, you may just have to take a guess.
- Remove a new applicator tool from its package.
- Push the side that does not have a white wax trap on it into the end of the used wax filter on your hearing aid.
- Pull out the applicator and the old wax trap should be attached.
- Move the applicator over to the new ProWax lines up with the receiver port. Push the new ProWax into the hearing aid.
- Remove the applicator and discard it.
You can purchase additional Oticon Prowax filter and ProWax MiniFit filters on amazon.
To change the Oticon Prowax filter or the ProWax miniFit please follow these steps.
Above Images courtesy of Oticon user manuals
Why Is the Wax Trap Important?
A wax trap is also commonly called, a wax guard or wax filter, and the names are used interchangeably. Each and every hearing aid company uses a similar device with slight differences.
Wax traps are changed “as needed” but on average a person changes their hearing aid wax traps every 2-4 weeks.
This is an essential component of the hearing aid, prior to the advent of wax traps the repair rate on hearing aids was substantially higher. The primary cause of a dead hearing aid is that it is plugged with wax and having the wax trap allows consumers to fix the hearing aid on their own without the help of a professional.
What are wax traps called by each hearing aid manufacturer?
Phonak Cerustop and CeruShield TM Disk
Unitron Cerustop
GN Resound Waxguard Cerustop
Starkey
Oticon Waxguard Prowax Minifit and Waxguard Prowax Turtle
Signia (Siemens) Waxguard C Grid, HF 4 Pro Red/Blue, Waxguard Mini RIC
Widex Waxguard Cerustop XL, Waxguard Cerustop Nano
Beltone
Bernaforn See Oticon as they use the same line.
OTC aids
Eargo HF 5 Pro Red/Blue. Please read our review of the Eargo Plus where it is explained how to clean and replace the wax guards.
Lexie Wax Guard
How to Change A Wax Trap
All manufacturers have a very similar design for wax traps. Essentially, you have a replacement stick that has a side with a new white replacement wax trap on it. The other side has a small barb on it. When the barb is inserted into the old wax trap in the hearing aid it will connect to it. When you pull the tool out of the hearing aid, the old wax trap will be attached to it. Now, switch the stick around in your hand and insert the new wax trap into the hearing aid.
Changing a wax trap is simple if you have good vision, stable hands, and good dexterity. If you have difficulty changing the wax traps either ask someone for help or please read our Tips for Hearing Aids and Hand Tremors.
