Resmed S9 H5is and ClimateLine Tubing

[johnnygoodman]

Howdy All,

We received communication back from Resmed regarding the S9 ClimateLine and Humidifier. Here are the core points of their bulletin:

1. These operating conditions present no known safety issue. The S9 displaying a fault message under these conditions is not intended and is a software bug.

2. This is a software issue that causes an incorrect message to be displayed. A software upgrade is being performed on units returned for warranty repair that will prevent the "Heated Tube fault, replace tube" error from preventing system operation.

3. To cause this issue one must cause the temperature in the ClimateTube to exceed 90 deg F / 32 deg C. This temperature can only be achieved if the tube is operated under one's sheets for an extended period, the room is over 77 degrees F, or the tube is in direct sunlight while in use.

4. The error goes away each time the temperature drops below the 90 Deg threshold and reappears each time the threshhold is exceeded. If your S9 shuts down during sleep, try unplugging the unit, then powering up again. The CPAP will normally come back on until the 90 Deg threshold is again triggered.

5. Substitute a Slimline tube if the problem persists as a temporary fix.

Here is advice issued in the bulletin:

1. Make sure your humidifier tub is full at the start of therapy. A dry plate humidifier can increase the chance of exceeding temperature bounds.

2. Turn down the humidifier/climateline setting.

If you bought your unit from CPAP.com and have concerns or want a software upgrade, call us at 1-800-356-5221.

Johnny

[billbolton]

1. Make sure your humidifier tube is full at the start of therapy

From the context, it appears that should read "humidifer tub is full"....

Cheers,

Bill

[johnnygoodman]

Typo corrected. Thanks Bill!

[kempo]

I just wonder how many units have been returned for the software update. It looks like hundreds of thousands of s9 units are affected.

[Marcman]

I just wonder how many units have been returned for the software update. It looks like hundreds of thousands of s9 units are affected.

Well, my S9 AutoSet (with H5i and ClimateLine tubing) started displaying this error after one or two nights of trouble-free operation (just picked up my S9 last week!). In fact, last night, I got the error twice. After the first time, I pulled the power cord and started it up again. After the second time, I didn't bother as it was almost morning anyway.

I talked to my DME and they told me that they will replace the H5i humidifier and the ClimateLine tube. I asked them about software and even pointed them to this page and they said "Resmed at this time is only replacing the tube and the H5i; they found no problems with the unit itself. At this time there is no software update that needs to be done."

This worries me, because I have a feeling that ResMed does not have their act together. I wonder if some of their support folks are saying it's a software issue and some are just replacing the hardware, because they don't understand the issue?

I have a feeling that it is a software issue, only because it seems silly to shut down the entire system if the tube is getting hot. Wouldn't it make more sense to simply shut off the heat on the tube and/or humidifier and continue to provide the pressure that the patient needs to get a restful night of sleep? Why power off the CPAP motor?

My fear is that I'm going to get a new tube and humidifier and in a few days/weeks/months time, this will happen again. At that point, I guess I would ask for a regular tube (or maybe a different brand of machine?)

[MikeSharp]

I just wonder how many units have been returned for the software update. It looks like hundreds of thousands of s9 units are affected.

Well, my S9 AutoSet (with H5i and ClimateLine tubing) started displaying this error after one or two nights of trouble-free operation (just picked up my S9 last week!).

I talked to my DME and they told me that they will replace the H5i humidifier and the ClimateLine tube. I asked them about software and even pointed them to this page and they said "Resmed at this time is only replacing the tube and the H5i; they found no problems with the unit itself. At this time there is no software update that needs to be done."

This worries me, because I have a feeling that ResMed does not have their act together. I wonder if some of their support folks are saying it's a software issue and some are just replacing the hardware, because they don't understand the issue?

I picked up my S9 AutoSet last week. Today I went back to the DME and asked about this error. The immediate response was "oh. We'll need to exchange your humidifier." They immediately placed an order with ResMed with next day shipping so I should be able to pick up my new one tomorrow.

Where did I read that this was a software bug and it was being taken care of via a firmware update handled by ResMed on a warranty return basis? Was it earlier in this thread? Somewhere else on this forum? My short term memory is s___.

ONE WORK AROUND: This may be obvious, but use your ClimateLine tube without rotating the fancy electrical connector into place. If you do this the whole problem is avoided because the S9 thinks you've connected regular tubing.

[Marcman]

Where did I read that this was a software bug and it was being taken care of via a firmware update handled by ResMed on a warranty return basis? Was it earlier in this thread? Somewhere else on this forum? My short term memory is s___.

You might have read it in the first post in this thread. That's the only place I've managed to find it.

[roster]

The maximum annual pay for non-executive directors of ResMed would jump from $400,000 to $800,000 if shareholders of the sleep disorder device maker approve a proposal announced Thursday morning by company executives

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... ector-pay/

[Marcman]

Well, my S9 AutoSet (with H5i and ClimateLine tubing) started displaying this error after one or two nights of trouble-free operation (just picked up my S9 last week!). In fact, last night, I got the error twice. After the first time, I pulled the power cord and started it up again. After the second time, I didn't bother as it was almost morning anyway.

...

My fear is that I'm going to get a new tube and humidifier and in a few days/weeks/months time, this will happen again. At that point, I guess I would ask for a regular tube (or maybe a different brand of machine?)

Just an update that I've been using the new tube and humidifer since 2010-09-29 and I haven't had a single error yet. Crossing fingers...

[Jakester]

After 10 nights with my S9 this hit me too! What a rude awakening! I talked with the DME and they've had several problems like this. He feels its a software issue or maybe alot of bad hoses but Resmed hasn't fixed either yet. So for now another hose is coming today. Guess I'll have a spare hose.

[Marcman]

Just an update that I've been using the new tube and humidifer since 2010-09-29 and I haven't had any problems.

I talked to my DME today and she said that it appears to have been some manufacturing defect in some batch. She said that all of a sudden she got 20 calls from customers with that problem in 3 days! It sounded like after replacing the problematic ones, it's been problem-free.

[Slartybartfast]

I had this problem yesterday. Here it is, November, and we had temps in the 90s. The thermometer outside my bedroom window recorded 105. And that's within sight, sound and sometimes smell of the ocean! Go figure. Both cats were stretched out about 4' long on the tile floor. You won't find this piece of information in the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, or Machinery's Handbook, but just like concrete and steel, cats are known to expand in hot weather.

Windows on the sunny side of the house had been left open all day (what was I thinking?) and it was almost as hot inside as it was outside. Inside thermometer showed 95. It rarely gets that hot here, maybe 5-10 days/year, and it's always a dry heat, so we don't have A/C. Fans work fine.

As I was changing clothes, I happened to glance at my S9 display and saw:

Heated tube failure
Replace tube

I unplugged the unit, removed the hose, then reconnected it and powered it up. Same message. So I immediately thought of all the durability posts here on the forum and assumed that my problem was related. Come to find out after doing a thorough search that this problem has cropped up from time to time. So I fired off an e-mail to CPAP.com and reported the problem. The temperature fell after sundown and by bedtime it was 80 degrees in the house. The error message went away and the ClimateLine worked all night, no problem-o. So I suspected the high ambient temperature might have triggered the fault message.

This morning, got an e-mail indicating I need to return my ClimatLine hose. Then I got another one asking for my humidifier. So I called, spoke to a very courteous and efficient customer service gal (can we still call Texas women "gals?") and learned that there have been "a few" of these reports and they want the hose and humidifier back to test to see what the problem is. I gathered they didn't think it was a widespread problem, and ResMed hasn't done anything (yet) to address the issue, but I was told that the high temperature might have triggered the fault message.

I have access to environmental test chambers, so I'm thinking of maybe coming into work tomorrow with my S9 and put it in an environmental chamber and crank the temp up and see what happens. I bet once the temp exceeds the 86 degree maximum for the ClimateLine, the unit interprets the high temperature in the hose as a fault condition and shuts down. Having no other temperature reference to compare to, what's it supposed to think?

Stay tuned.

[ww]

I called cpap.com and was told that the climate-line hose was only guaranteed for 90 days. At $51 each, that is a very expensive maintenance item. Did I understand them wrong?

[Roman Hokie]

ww, I'd not expect it to be warranted beyond 90 days. After all, generally, hoses are replaced every 90 days - at least through Medicare and many insurances.

[carbonman]

ww, I'd not expect it to be warranted beyond 90 days. After all, generally, hoses are replaced every 90 days - at least through Medicare and many insurances.

Maybe that is what Resmed had in mind w/their new heated hose....
make a product that is only meant to last a few months,
then the ignorant users will have to go to their local DME
and it will be replaced by their FatCat insc. coverage.

Cha-Ching! Win-Win! for everybody.