REMstar humidifier running out of water

[Lineman]

I fill the reservoir to the point of the arrow (below the wavy line) every night but in the morning it is bone dry (no leaks).

This is after about 6 hours of wearing the mask. I have the humidifier set to "5". I am breathing through my mouth and this is the setting that works best for me.

Is it normal to use that much water?

Can I fill the reservoir higher?

What happens if I put too much water in there?

[Goofproof]

Wow!, You have the 'Classic", and are using a FF Mask and set the HH to 5, I'd drown, You better have your lungs checked for frog egg's . You can overfill it a little but a setting of five I can't even imagine. Den and I both use ours as passover, my water last 3 days before I dump it. I keep my room at 65 deg so the air is bound to be dry in my room. If you do overfill it don't go above the circle top on the front, I'd crank it back a little on temp. Jim

[Wulfman...]

Unless you HAVE to breathe through your mouth because of nasal passage problems, I would venture to guess that you'd be able to breathe better through your nose if you crank it way down.....and you might not have to mouth-breathe.
The cool air keeps my airways open. (last night it was a little too cool)
The only time I've used heated humidification was the first night or two when I started this "journey"......and got a snoot full of water (rainout) and decided that wasn't the way I wanted to go. It's been Off ever since.

Den

[Snoredog]

this is like driving your car with your foot planted to the floor then wondering why you ran out of gas


That humidifier tank holds 11-12 oz. of water same for the Classic tank only difference is the M series tank has more surface area for the airflow to pick up moisture so it does a better job at adding humidity to the air if you want to split hairs.

I don't even use the heat on mine passover only and I can go several days without refilling the tank, I live in California where it is dry or very low humidity.

[momadams]

Mine's at 5 usually. I sometimes turn it down to 3 if it's too warm, but then my throat dries out.
It's almost out of water after 8 hours during the summer. In winter, when our ambient humidity is 10%, it's dry in the morning.
Shari

[tuna]

My humidifyer is set at max 4.0 and it last 8 to 12 hours depending on the outside humidity . I will see when winter gets here..

[RosemaryB]

Does it hurt the humidifier heater if it runs on dry?

Mine was on 2, but I had a dry cough so cranked it up to 4, since I usually use a humidifier in my bedroom when I get this dry cough and it takes care of the cough. It does seem the cough is gone, but it's harder to breathe at 4. I'm going to give it a couple more nights then turn it back down to 2. I was nearly running out of water after filling it to the line on the setting of 4

[samofny]

Does it hurt the humidifier heater if it runs on dry?

Mine was on 2, but I had a dry cough so cranked it up to 4, since I usually use a humidifier in my bedroom when I get this dry cough and it takes care of the cough. It does seem the cough is gone, but it's harder to breathe at 4. I'm going to give it a couple more nights then turn it back down to 2. I was nearly running out of water after filling it to the line on the setting of 4

According to the manual, you should never run it dry. Have you tried it without the heat?

[craftersfriend]

I have a very dumb question, how do you use the humidifier without the heat on remstar plus m series? I honestly thought it wouldn't work without turning the dial to the appropiate setting on the humidifier.

[RosemaryB]

Does it hurt the humidifier heater if it runs on dry?

Mine was on 2, but I had a dry cough so cranked it up to 4, since I usually use a humidifier in my bedroom when I get this dry cough and it takes care of the cough. It does seem the cough is gone, but it's harder to breathe at 4. I'm going to give it a couple more nights then turn it back down to 2. I was nearly running out of water after filling it to the line on the setting of 4

According to the manual, you should never run it dry. Have you tried it without the heat?

[6PtStar]

Does it hurt to run dry? I asked that question to Respronics. Below is the reply I got back:

Dear patient,

The CPAPS were tested at a setting of 5(the highest) and a pressure of 20cm. They lasted 7 to 8 hours. There are some things which will affect that time. The first thing is a large mask leak will cause faster air flow which uses the water faster. The second is the temperature of the room (cool to cold),and the third is the humidity ( dry) in the room. These all will shorten the time which the water will last. If the water runs out before you wake, the heater will not burn up. It does not go above 145 degrees on the heating plate. That is not high enough to do any damage. If you should wake at some time, it is quite alright to add water if you wish.

Product support

Some have posted that if it did run dry it would smell. Mine has almost but not quite at a setting of 3.

[Lineman]

Okay, thanks for the info folks.

I turned it down to "4" last night and have only a slighty dry mouth this morning ... and there is still a little water in the tank.

It seems this useage is probably normal for my situation. I have to breath through my mouth only, I have allergies so I keep my humidity low (below 45%), and I keep the room cool (68 degrees). I also have some air leakage around my moustache so maybe I'm wasting a lot of humid air that way.

[rested gal]

I measured the water capacity of some water chambers I have, filling each to their "fill line":

Respironics M series humidifier - 11 ounces
I wouldn't try to overfill this one at all.

Respironics non-M (classic) humidifier - 14 ounces
Can be overfilled another two ounces without problem - to 16 ounces.

Puritan Bennett Goodknight H2O humidifier (for the PB 420E,S,G machines) - 14 ounces

ResMed H5i humidifier (for the S9 with "climateline" hose) - 14 ounces

Fisher & Paykel HC 150 separate humidifier - 16 ounces
Can be overfilled one more ounce without problem - to 17 ounces.

______________________

Those "overfill" numbers I'm using are from my own experience using cpap pressures in the range of 8 - 16 cm. If a person is using more cpap pressure than 16, you probably wouldn't want to overfill a humidifier chamber much, if any. The greater force of air hitting the water is going to cause more turbulence on the surface of the water.

You know you've overfilled a humidifier tank if you hear splashing, spitting, or gurgling sounds when you turn on the air. Need to pour a little out and not fill it that much next time. Been there, done that!
Note: Water collecting in the air hose can cause gurgling sounds, too.

When I use an M series machine, I never use the integrated humidifier for it. I always use my good old F&P HC150 humidifier connected to the M machine. Holds a LOT more water than the M humidifier.

Such a handy humidifier to have, that F&P HC 150. Can be used with any brand/model machine.

My edits: Included more humidifiers.

[Lineman]

When I use an M series machine, I never use the integrated humidifier for it. I always use my good old F&P HC150 humidifier connected to the M machine. Holds a LOT more water than the M humidifier.

Now there is an idea. Using a separate humidifier with a larger tank sounds like an excellent solution (solution ... LOL). Thanks for sharing that Rested Gal!

[Ody]

With mine set on 1 I use half the tank capacity in 8-9 hours. I wonder if I will have problems during winter with a higher setting? Time will tell I suppose.