Accu chek insight batteries

[Phil65]

Ok, so I had an email from Accu chek stating that batteries should be changed every 2 weeks, regardless of the battery indicator reading. Madness! I reckon my batteries last 2-3 months at least! Money making?

 

[trophywench]

It says to improve the life of the pump, to change them much more often. Sounds batty Phil - but as well as the AAA, there is also an internal battery which keeps it ticking over whilst we eg change a battery. I imagine it's the internal battery and hence everything else electronic in there, that they want to prolong the life of.

Anyway it's very good news for anything else you may have in your house that uses AAA batteries - eg Pete found an ancient tiny torch last week, we had chucked in a drawer, whilst looking for something else. Original battery was dead - he picked up the one I'd taken out of my pump and was on the side and stuck it in - bingo. So if the discarded pump batteries have even more life in em - what's not to like?

They don't charge us for the batteries anyway - they don't appear on their invoices to the CCG - so I'm unsure why Roche would actively want to pay extra money to Energiser (the only people who will profit) if they didn't need to?

 

[Radders]

Ok, so I had an email from Accu chek stating that batteries should be changed every 2 weeks, regardless of the battery indicator reading. Madness! I reckon my batteries last 2-3 months at least! Money making?

I haven't had that email. How very strange, given that the pump is set to expire after 4 years anyway. Actually, my first pump had a 6 year life so to me that proves it's built in obsolescence.

 

[SB2015]

Although ours come up for renewal after four years, as the guarantee from Accu Check runs out, we are encouraged to keep giong until it is necessary to change it, or they have a big enough group for the pump update, or you are off ona big holiday and need to have a pump with you that is under guarantee.

Having said that as I was absolutely set on sticking with the Combo, I got mine a fortnight before then four years was up.

 

[Radders]

Although ours come up for renewal after four years, as the guarantee from Accu Check runs out, we are encouraged to keep giong until it is necessary to change it, or they have a big enough group for the pump update, or you are off ona big holiday and need to have a pump with you that is under guarantee.

Having said that as I was absolutely set on sticking with the Combo, I got mine a fortnight before then four years was up.

I didn't realise it was just a guarantee that runs out after 4 years. My original pump (a Spirit) has a count down timer on it which counted down the days to six years. I was told it would stop working after that. I got my Combo about six weeks before it ran out and was told it would last four years so I assumed it was the same. It was meant to be temporary until Roche sorted out the problems they were having with the device for filling cartridges, since they don't do pre-filled ones with Apidra, but that hasn't happened and given reviews on here I am grateful and want to stick with the Combo. The DSN said that if I took the batteries out of the Spirit, I could keep it as a spare and the countdown would stop, but I am not so sure given what Jen said about the internal battery.

 

[trophywench]

No I'm not sure about that either. However - the Combo isn't timed, and can just go on until it shuffles off this mortal coil - however if owt goes wrong with it after the 4 years then Roche are most unlikely to help you - unless I imagine it's dead simple, like Oh - just press the down button twice and that'll cure it, type of advice.

So yeah, you will be without it until your clinic extract their digit and get you a replacement - so after the 4 years you cannot possibly afford to be without immediate access to both long and fast acting insulin, pens, needles etc etc - and I wouldn't set foot outside the UK without both - and if the destination is even slightly exotic - you will need enough 'emergency' supplies in addition to all the flipping cannulas etc etc etc to last the entire duration of the holiday. (At least we only normally go to France, and I know both Novo and Levemir pens are available on scrip, even though they'll cost me of course since we have no Travel cover (won't cover me now for less than 4 figures and won't cover Pete at any price as it's less than 12 months since he was treated for prostate cancer) and I wouldn't want to wait until I actually needed a flippin ambulance so would just access a local GP before the standby pens I have run out. Although, mine of course is still under guarantee so I'd just ring the helpline and get it sorted - I assume within a few days same as the UK.)

 

[SB2015]

When I got my new pump I was advised to keep my old one as a spare. Simply take out the batteries, and the settings would stay in both the handset and the pump. as Jenny says there is no countdown on the Combo.