CPAP expected life span

[markie]

HI all,
I'm new to the forum and wanted to ask a question about CPAP machine life expectancy. I have been on CPAP using a RESMED S8 for about 5 yrs. I've never had a problem with it but was wondering how long they last? Mine has 13937 hrs of use. Is there something I should be doing for Preventative maintenance other than checking the pressure and filter changes? I have checked the calibration using a homemade manometer and it seems to be right on the money. Does blue cross cover a replacement if I want to upgrade? Do I need new prescription to upgrade? Any help would be appreciated.
Markie

[chunkyfrog]

Blue cross has a different plan for every group, employer, etc.
You need to contact your insurance company and get them to tell you,
preferably in writing, which is the only way you can be sure they are not lying.
Five years is common, but not universal.

[markie]

Thanks for the response. Yes I'll check with my insurance company tomorrow.

[amenite]

Manufacturer's warranty on these looks to be 2 years, so yours is a bit long in the tooth. If it were me I would be on the lookout for the replacement and retire the S8 to backup status when I found it. 5 years of use seems to come up alot for replacement interval but it all depends on your plan. It could easily be cheaper to buy your own from a reputable private seller, no prescription required. That's what I would do. I'm not willing to jump through someone else's hoops to to have this therapy at my disposal 365 days per year so I have spare one (or more) of everything and DC power to run it if needed.

[Sleeprider]

I had over 19000 hours on a Remstar Auto I got in 2008. It we still running fine when I changed to a more updated machine last December. Your machine is now 3 generations old and the newer ones are much improved. Don't wait around like I did to upgrade. Your machine is a suitable backup, but a new one will give you better feedback and let you optimize your therapy. If you have a copy of your original prescription it should still be good. If not, just ask your primary doctor to write you a new script so you can update. Then go the the insurance, or just buy it on your own.

[davecpap]

My S8 AutoSet II died last week while traveling (very annoying) - didn't quite make it five years (got it summer 2010). I would not wait to replace it.

Only downside so far has been the external power brick. My S8 took up little room in a suitcase since the power supply was internal, and I could ditch the humidifier.

[markie]

Thanks for the input all. I too am skeptical on a unit 3 yrs past it's warranty. Keeping it for a backup or use in a RV is a good idea. Now that I'm retired I want to do some boondock camping and hiking. I never got the converter so trying to find one now seems impossible. Everywhere I check is "out of stock" or "discontinued item".

If I'm gonna be in the market for a new unit is there one that meets my needs of portability, quiet and good battery life? is there one that stands out above the rest that you recommend?
Markie

[jmauss]

Traveling seems to be a popular way for caps to die. Mine also died after a flight home. I bought my S9 4 1/2 yrs ago and have always put it under the seat in front of me on flights now, so no more banging around in the overhead storage units.

[jmauss]

*CPAPs doggone auto correct!

[davecpap]

good battery life?

I was just looking into this. ResMed has this guide you'll want to read:

http://www.resmed.com/br/documents/battery-guide.pdf

Of note - the new 'Airsense 10' line seems to use a lot more juice than the previous S9 lineup.

Also, if battery life is important you may want to check out a Philips Respironics unit instead of ResMed. The PR System One for example from Philips uses 12V input - so you can run CPAP off any 12V battery without a converter or inverter. Resmed on the other hand uses a 24V supply - so you need a 12V to 24V converter or an inverter to operate the CPAP. Using neither (like PR System One) is ideal because there is no power loss from the operation of converter/inverter. Inverter has more loss than converter.

VIdeo on the topic from cpap.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfRq9udX4u8

[amenite]

Resmed on the other hand uses a 24V supply - so you need a 12V to 24V converter or an inverter to operate the CPAP.

Checking this out some time back the Resmed DC input power supply for battery use operated off 12V or 24V input. It was a bit bulkier than the Respironics DC power adapter cord which does not have a brick on it, but it could take a "standard" 12V DC input like that from a common automotive type battery and output the required 24V without an inverter or anything. That was before the S10 came out, so double check your specs in advance.

[davecpap]

Checking this out some time back the Resmed DC input power supply for battery use operated off 12V or 24V input. It was a bit bulkier than the Respironics DC power adapter cord which does not have a brick on it

That 'brick' is the converter I was speaking of. It takes 12V input and supplies 24V to the CPAP machine. There is a loss involved in converting 12V to 24V - the Philips Respironics units (and others) use a standard 12V input so no need to convert anything, thats why all you need is the appropriate cord for the PR units. Also no loss since you're not converting anything.

S9 converter:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/DC-Con ... hines.html

Airsense 10 converter:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... hines.html

[Sleeprider]

Thanks for the input all. I too am skeptical on a unit 3 yrs past it's warranty. Keeping it for a backup or use in a RV is a good idea. Now that I'm retired I want to do some boondock camping and hiking. I never got the converter so trying to find one now seems impossible. Everywhere I check is "out of stock" or "discontinued item".

If I'm gonna be in the market for a new unit is there one that meets my needs of portability, quiet and good battery life? is there one that stands out above the rest that you recommend?
Markie

Markie, the Philips Respironics units operate on 12 Volt DC power and do not need to be up-converted from a standard vehicle battery. The current machines (Philips Respironics System One 60 Series) also can be separated from their humidifiers to run at relatively low power loads. The most recent Resmed machines are integrated with humidifiers and operate at 24 volts. It is clearly easier to power the PRS1 machines from a battery. There are travel CPAPs, but if you are looking for a single solution, I'd shoot for the PRS1 60 Series Auto (DS560).

[chunkyfrog]

The Devillbiss Intellipap Auto will run on AC with a simple cord,
and will run off the "lighter" socket in a vehicle, with the optional DC cord.
I like it as an off-grid, secondary machine, but many use this machine full time.
This machine has an unusually long warranty at five, count them FIVE (5) years!

[GeoffD]

Checking this out some time back the Resmed DC input power supply for battery use operated off 12V or 24V input. It was a bit bulkier than the Respironics DC power adapter cord which does not have a brick on it

That 'brick' is the converter I was speaking of. It takes 12V input and supplies 24V to the CPAP machine. There is a loss involved in converting 12V to 24V - the Philips Respironics units (and others) use a standard 12V input so no need to convert anything, thats why all you need is the appropriate cord for the PR units. Also no loss since you're not converting anything.

I own an S9 and have an A10 DME rental. It's really annoying that the two units have different power connectors and require different DC-DC bricks. I just bought an S9 12v DC- 24v DC brick for $84.95. $84.95 is better than the outrageous MSRP but a 12v machine just needs a cheap power cord anybody could McGuyver up for themselves.