Hearing Loop System Installations
Hearing loop design, installation and testing for churches, public buildings, schools and commercial premises.
We design, install and test hearing loop systems across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East.
Our work includes new induction loop installations, testing existing systems and upgrading or repairing loops that are no longer performing as they should.
We work in churches and places of worship, public buildings, schools and colleges, halls, auditoriums, reception areas and other commercial buildings.
Hearing loop installation across London and the South East
A hearing loop sends audio directly to a compatible hearing aid or cochlear implant fitted with a telecoil.
The loop creates a magnetic field carrying the audio signal. This allows the listener to receive the microphone or sound-system feed through their own device rather than relying only on sound travelling through the room. The system can be connected to microphones, public address systems and other audio sources depending on how the building is used.
We install loops ranging from smaller systems at reception and public-facing points through to larger installations covering halls, churches and other audience areas.
Designed around the building
A hearing loop needs to be designed for the room it is going into.
The size of the area matters, but the construction of the building can have just as much effect on how the system performs.
Steelwork, reinforcement, underfloor heating and other metal within the structure can reduce the magnetic field or make coverage uneven. Nearby rooms also need to be considered because the magnetic signal is not contained by walls in the same way as normal sound.
We survey the building before specifying the amplifier and cable layout so these factors can be considered at design stage.
For new builds and refurbishments, getting involved early also allows the loop cabling and equipment positions to be coordinated with floors, walls, containment and the wider AV installation before finishes are complete.
Testing and commissioning
A hearing loop should be measured across the area it is intended to cover.
We test new systems against BS EN IEC 60118-4:2015+A1:2018, which sets the performance requirements for induction loop systems used with hearing aids. Design, installation, testing and maintenance practice is covered by PD IEC/TR 63079.
Testing looks at field strength, frequency response and background magnetic noise across the listening area.
We take readings at different positions rather than checking one point and assuming the rest of the room performs the same way.
Where certification forms part of the project, the relevant test information is provided at handover.
Testing existing hearing loops
We also test hearing loops that are already installed.
A system can appear to be operating because the amplifier is switched on while still failing to provide suitable coverage across the room.
We measure the loop first and then look at the installation before recommending replacement.
Problems can come from the amplifier, cabling, microphone feed, connections or calibration. If the existing equipment is still capable of providing the required performance, we will retain it and deal with the part of the system that actually needs attention.
Older equipment does not automatically need replacing simply because of its age.
The audio feeding the hearing loop
A hearing loop can only reproduce the signal it receives.
If the microphone is poorly positioned or the source audio is unclear, the hearing aid user will receive the same poor signal directly through the loop.
We therefore look at the microphones and wider sound system as well as the loop itself.
In churches this might mean lectern, pulpit and radio microphones. In a public building it could be the microphone at a reception desk or the system used for announcements.
Where the loop forms part of a wider sound or AV installation, we can design the two together and provide the loop with the correct audio feed from the start.
Hearing loops in churches and places of worship
Churches and places of worship are an established part of our hearing loop work.
Older and listed buildings can be more demanding because of their construction, floor build-up, metal within the structure and restrictions on cable routes and equipment positions.
We survey the building before deciding on the loop layout and can plan the installation alongside a wider church sound or AV system.
Where the building is listed or subject to approval, we can also provide the technical information needed for the proposed installation and work alongside the architect and wider project team.
At Bromley Synagogue the connections into the loop amplifier were renewed and the system then performed as it should. At St Mary’s in Ticehurst the existing amplifier was worth keeping, so it was retained, rewired and recalibrated. At St James the Less in Hadleigh the amplifier stayed and the loop cable was checked along its length, then repaired where it needed it.
An older loop that is still capable of meeting the required performance does not need replacing simply because it has been there for a number of years.
Hearing loops in schools and education
We install and test hearing loops in schools, colleges and other education buildings.
This can include halls, reception areas, lecture spaces and other shared rooms where pupils, students, staff or visitors need access to spoken information.
Where the room also has a sound or microphone system, the loop can often take its feed from the same installation.
Planning these systems together makes it easier to coordinate the equipment, cabling and controls before work starts.
We can also test older loops in existing education buildings and advise on what needs attention before assuming the system needs to be replaced.
See our schools and education work.
Hearing loops in public buildings
We install hearing loops in town halls, public buildings, meeting spaces, reception areas and other places where information needs to be accessible to visitors.
The system depends on the area being covered. A large hall may need coverage across the full listening area, while a reception or service point may only need a localised system.
Approved Document M recognises hearing enhancement systems in reception points and rooms used for meetings, lectures, classes and performances. Induction loops are one of the technologies that can be used.
Where sound, AV and hearing assistance are being installed as part of the same refurbishment, we can design them together.
See our public building AV work.
Hearing loops and the Equality Act
The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers and organisations carrying out public functions to make reasonable adjustments where disabled people would otherwise be placed at a substantial disadvantage.
A hearing loop can form part of those adjustments, but the legislation does not state that every building must use an induction loop. The right solution depends on the building, the service being provided and the people using it.
Where a hearing loop is installed, it still needs to perform effectively. Having the equipment and signage in place does not confirm that suitable coverage is being provided.
If you are unsure how well an existing system is working, testing is the best place to start.
Hearing loops in new builds and refurbishments
For new buildings and major refurbishments, we prefer to be involved before floors, walls and ceilings are finished.
We can work from architects’ and consultants’ drawings to establish the loop layout, amplifier position, audio feeds, cable routes and any requirements that need to be coordinated with the main contractor or electrical installer.
This is particularly important where steelwork, reinforcement or other construction may affect the magnetic field.
Leaving the hearing loop until the end of the project can significantly reduce the available cable routes and make an otherwise straightforward installation more difficult.
Hearing loops alongside sound and AV
Hearing assistance is often only one part of a wider project.
A church may be replacing its sound system. A public hall may need new microphones, displays and AV. A school may be upgrading a hall used for assemblies and performances.
Where OBAV is carrying out the wider installation, we can design the hearing loop, audio feeds and associated cabling alongside the rest of the system.
Our commercial AV installations cover sound, displays, control and the infrastructure behind them.
Where public address or life-safety systems are also involved, see our PA and voice alarm service.
When a conventional hearing loop is more difficult
Some buildings are more challenging for induction loop systems than others.
Steel frames, reinforcement, metal flooring systems and neighbouring rooms can affect coverage or increase overspill.
We look for these issues during the survey rather than after the loop has been installed.
If the building presents a problem, we explain what is affecting the system and what would need to change to achieve suitable coverage.
Handover and ongoing testing
Before handing over a new hearing loop, we measure the system across the listening area and check the quality of the audio being fed into it.
We also show the client how the system operates and provide the relevant test information where this forms part of the project.
Existing loops can be retested later as part of ongoing maintenance, particularly if changes have been made to the building or sound system.
Experienced hearing loop installers
We design, install and test hearing loop systems in churches, public buildings, schools, halls and other commercial premises.
Our experience includes new installations, older systems that need testing or repair and hearing loops installed as part of wider sound and AV projects.
We are used to working with architects, consultants and main contractors and can provide the technical information needed for new-build and refurbishment projects.
OBAV is SafeContractor approved and ISO [[NUMBER: exact ISO standard to confirm]] accredited. Our engineers are employed by OBAV and can continue to support the system after installation.
Hearing loop installations
Accreditations
OBAV is SafeContractor approved and certified to ISO [[NUMBER: exact ISO standard to confirm]]. Copies of our certificates are available on request.
[[NUMBER: SafeContractor registration number, the ISO standard, certificate number and certification body]]
OBAV is the trading name of Old Barn Audio Ltd, company number 06040735.
Our engineers are employed by OBAV rather than subcontracted, so clients can come back to the same company for testing, changes and support after installation.
What clients say
[placeholder, hearing loop review 1]
[placeholder, hearing loop review 2]
[placeholder, hearing loop review 3]
Hearing loop questions
Do we legally have to install a hearing loop?
Not necessarily.
The Equality Act requires reasonable adjustments where disabled people would otherwise be placed at a substantial disadvantage, but it does not require every building to use a specific type of hearing assistance.
A hearing loop is one recognised option, and the most suitable solution depends on the building and how it is used.
How do we know whether our existing loop is working?
It needs measuring. A loop gives no outward sign of having stopped working, and the people affected by it are often the least likely to complain. A test measures the field strength, the frequency response and the background magnetic noise across the area the loop is supposed to cover, and reports which parts of that area fall short. We test existing installations as well as systems we have fitted ourselves.
Which standard should a hearing loop be tested against?
BS EN IEC 60118-4:2015+A1:2018 for performance, and PD IEC/TR 63079 for design, installation, testing and maintenance practice. BS 7594 was withdrawn on 7 August 2023, so a specification or certificate still naming it is out of date. Approved Document M’s own list of referenced standards still cites BS 7594 in its 1993 edition, which is worth knowing if the point comes up in a tender.
How often should a hearing loop be tested?
RNID recommends maintaining a hearing loop every twelve months. Beyond the calendar, the trigger for remeasuring is change. New lighting, new heating, a new ceiling or a rearranged room all alter the magnetic environment the loop was originally set up in, so a system that measured correctly two years ago is not evidence that it measures correctly now.
Will the loop be audible in the room next door?
A magnetic signal is not stopped by a wall in the same way as normal sound, so some spill is inherent and the design has to take neighbouring areas into account. How much spill there is depends on the layout. If the room handles anything confidential, tell us at survey stage, because designing for low spill is straightforward and changing it once the floor is down is not.
Can a hearing loop go into a listed church?
Usually, and it needs surveying first. Listed and historic buildings can be harder because of their size, their construction and the amount of metal within or underneath the floor, and there are often restrictions on cable routes and on where equipment can be fixed. OBAV has been installing induction loop systems in churches and listed buildings for many years, and where the loop is part of a wider church sound system the two are best planned together.
Does a hearing loop work with cochlear implants?
It works with a cochlear implant whose sound processor has a telecoil, and the telecoil normally has to be enabled by the user’s clinician first. Some current processors have one built in and some need an accessory, so it varies by device. The same applies to hearing aids, though most aids issued by the NHS have a telecoil built in.
Our building has underfloor heating and a steel frame. Is a loop possible?
Possibly, and it needs surveying before anyone gives you a price. Steelwork, reinforcement and other metal can reduce the field or make it uneven across the listening area, and that has to be looked at before the installation is agreed. Where the building presents a problem, we explain what we have found and what would be needed to achieve suitable coverage.
Arrange a hearing loop survey
If you need a new hearing loop, want an existing system tested or are planning hearing assistance as part of a refurbishment, get in touch and tell us about the building.
Old Barn Audio Ltd
Unit 15 Wylands Farm
Powdermill Lane
Battle
East Sussex TN33 0SU
01892 752246
enquiries@oldbarnaudio.co.uk
We work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East.