The proper way to put in the white filter

Welterusten · Post by **Welterusten** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:43 am

I am a little concerned about the white filter and it being put backwards in my Respironics machine. In the manual it is said you should put the mesh facing the machine.
To me this is a bit confusing:
Why should the mesh be facing the air intake? Wouldn't it be possible for the fibers, due to air pressure, to get loose and circulate in the machine?
Wouldn't it therefore be more logical to put the smooth side, that seems to act as a barrier, at the air intake, to stop this?

Or am i not talking about the right sides here?

For me, the mesh side is the side were you can see a fiberous, interwoven structure.
The other side is a softer, smoother side were there are white dots placed in a regular patern.

Now, I searched a bit in the forum and it was said in a response on how to put the filter "
Plastic slick side goes inside. Soft fuzzy side is outside next to gray foam filter. Dust particles collect in the fuzzy soft particles. "

This seems to indicate that I have been wrong in identifying the mesh side, although i don't find the other side to be plastic. Slick, yes

I really don't understand this. I am not an idiot , but why can't this be explained a bit more in the manual: a picture would be nice.
I think 'mesh' is open to interpretation.

Now, I am worried that I have been breathing in fiber particles for a week, or that the machine gets clogged up.

I'm probably exagarating, but some help would be apreciated

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:01 am

This is the correct way!
Now, I searched a bit in the forum and it was said in a response on how to put the filter "
Plastic slick side goes inside. Soft fuzzy side is outside next to gray foam filter. Dust particles collect in the fuzzy soft particles. "

The fuzzy part won't come loose, the plastic grid (smooth side) goes facing the intake of the machine. Then you add the black foam filter over the fuzzy side. Jim

Welterusten · Post by **Welterusten** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:19 am

Thanks for the fast reply,
Appears then I have been using it the wrong way around since I installed it last week.

snoozysue · Post by **snoozysue** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:48 am

This seems very confusing as I used to put the soft fuzzy side facing outwards towards the grey foam filter but my local supplier, who used to work for Respironics (I live in Aust), said the soft fuzzy side goes in towards the machine and the harder side goes out.
Does it really make any difference as I have used both ways??
Does anyone from Respironics visit this forum - maybe they could clarify for me.
Sue

Xney · Post by **Xney** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:53 am

The correct way is the softer part faces outwards towards the black filter and the outside air.

The hard side should be facing inwards to the machine (it will also stay in better this way)

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:00 am

Welterusten wrote:I am a little concerned about the white filter and it being put backwards in my Respironics machine. In the manual it is said you should put the mesh facing the machine.
To me this is a bit confusing:
Why should the mesh be facing the air intake? Wouldn't it be possible for the fibers, due to air pressure, to get loose and circulate in the machine?
Wouldn't it therefore be more logical to put the smooth side, that seems to act as a barrier, at the air intake, to stop this?

Or am i not talking about the right sides here?
<They are the same sides>

For me, the mesh side is the side were you can see a fiberous, interwoven structure.
The other side is a softer, smoother side were there are white dots placed in a regular patern.
<you have this reversed>

Now, I searched a bit in the forum and it was said in a response on how to put the filter "
Plastic slick side goes inside. Soft fuzzy side is outside next to gray foam filter. Dust particles collect in the fuzzy soft particles. "

This seems to indicate that I have been wrong in identifying the mesh side, although i don't find the other side to be plastic. Slick, yes
<NOW we are making progress>

I really don't understand this. I am not an idiot , but why can't this be explained a bit more in the manual: a picture would be nice.
I think 'mesh' is open to interpretation.

Now, I am worried that I have been breathing in fiber particles for a week, or that the machine gets clogged up.

I'm probably exagarating, but some help would be apreciated

You may be over thinking this?

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:15 am

No instructions came with my filters. If there is an 'out' side, I'm not sure I could tell which side it is.

Welterusten · Post by **Welterusten** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:01 pm

GumbyCT wrote: You may be over thinking this?

Well, i can have a tendency to overthinking, but it in this case, I really find the instruction manual to be lacking. This is a medical device! If it is so important to put a filter the right way around then they should clarify this better and maybe even tell us what is the reason behind the guideline, so that, in case someone has doubts he would be able to logically arrive to the right conlusion.

i mean, i am just guessing it is because of fibers getting loose, but it could also be--as mentioned above-- that it just sticks better that way. In that case there is really no problem when yo do it wrong.

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:27 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:No instructions came with my filters. If there is an 'out' side, I'm not sure I could tell which side it is.

I believe the OP is talking about Respironics filters. The ResMed S9 filters don't have a preferred side as far as I can see.

Older Respironics filters had a plastic mesh molded into one side. That goes towards the machine. I think some newer ones don't have a mesh, but one side is sort of plastic soaked. i.e. one side is held together more tightly in order to not shed fibers from the filter. It's a little harder to see on the non-mesh version.

I doubt it makes a really big difference, but you do want the side with the plastic toward the machine to keep it from sucking fibers from the filter into the machine. It probably also helps the dust settle into the filter rather than building up a layer on the surface on the mesh side. .

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:29 pm

Welterusten wrote:Well, i can have a tendency to overthinking, but it in this case, I really find the instruction manual to be lacking. This is a medical device!

O I won't disagree with that.

I will let you know we have a real paranoid psycho overthinker who may think you are budding in on his worries.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:33 pm

Thank you.
I am relieved there is no 'wrong' side for my ResMed filters.

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:37 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:Thank you.
I am relieved there is no 'wrong' side for my ResMed filters.

lmao....there he is now lmao
And it is final

My thought is the fiber on the Respironics filters holds onto the particles where the other side (call it what you want) does not. It's kind of a V-trap for the particles to stay in.

RandyJ · Post by **RandyJ** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:48 pm

One issue could be that cpap.com and other suppliers sell a non-Respironics version of this filter, and they do not look exactly the same as the white filter that comes with a new machine.

I had a hard time myself figuring out which side was the "mesh" side on the filters I bought from cpap.com, while it was clear to me when looking at the filter that came with the machine.

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:25 pm

RandyJ wrote:One issue could be that cpap.com and other suppliers sell a non-Respironics version of this filter, and they do not look exactly the same as the white filter that comes with a new machine.

I had a hard time myself figuring out which side was the "mesh" side on the filters I bought from cpap.com, while it was clear to me when looking at the filter that came with the machine.

Good point - so it may help to mention IF you are using OEM replacements when asking.

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:28 pm

RandyJ wrote:One issue could be that cpap.com and other suppliers sell a non-Respironics version of this filter, and they do not look exactly the same as the white filter that comes with a new machine.

I had a hard time myself figuring out which side was the "mesh" side on the filters I bought from cpap.com, while it was clear to me when looking at the filter that came with the machine.

Good point. Respironics recently changed from a white filter with a tab to a rectangular filter. Has someone gotten 100% authentic labeled respironics non-tabbed filters? Can they tell whether they have the plastic mesh on one side?

I got the impression new filters don't have a visible mesh, but my filters may not have been real respironics despite the claim of the seller.

The proper way to put in the white filter

The proper way to put in the white filter

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