Repairing Small Hole in Heated Tube?

Jewel wrote:Thank you to everyone for your advice. It's very much appreciated.

Can I use duct tape on the cat?

Yes, they are silly things. You can either use a hose cozy or drag the hose under a blanket (which is what I do right now). I plan to hang an old hose (any dangly will do) in a hose holder for awhile until the cats are bored with it. Then they won't bug the expensive heated hose this winter. Mostly they just want to lay on it though. My cats are almost 10 years old - they are more interested in food and sleeping than they are in dangly hoses.

Hi.

Got a hole at each end of a CPAP tube near the connectors, and found it should be easy to repair.
When I browsed for experienced solutions, it appearde that no-one developed an adequate working one (at least I could not find it), such I developed one:

Required material:

1. Methylated spirit
2. Paper towel
3. Silicon paste
4. Few toothpicks
5. Old news paper
6. Dish detergent
7. Plastic shrinking tube,having a starting diameter slightly larger than the smallest connector of your CPAP tube.
These kind of tubes are often used in battery packs or used to protect/wrap electrical cables.
I bought a 50 cm peace with 30 mm diameter for less than 1 dollar.
8. Scissors
9. Pan with water and stove or a watercooker[/list]


Working steps:

1. Spot the holes in the tube to be repaired.

2. Clean the area around the hole and part of the connectors using methylated spirit and paper towel.

3. Protect your working bench using an old newspaper or similar.

4. Put some of the silicon paste (your preferred colour) on a corner of your newspaper.
Assure you have sufficient silicon paste available
(you want more you need and certainly not to less).

In case you like, you may use medical grade silicon paste (in my case I decided to use normal silicon paste).

5. Put some silicon paste using a tooth pick at a sufficient large area around the holes, such that (after drying) pressure on the silicon paste will remain the hole sealed.

6. Tip your finger with dish detergent. Next, gently smoothen the silicon surface using your finger.

Start from a top side of the silicon paste and slide your finger such no dish detergent will be captured within the silicone layer or between the silicone layer and the surfaces of the tube/connectors.

In case unexperienced, do some trials for this step (e,g, using something comparable to the part you want to repair).

7. Wait for the silicon paste to dry (at least few hours).

8. Cut the required parts/lengths of the shrinking tube.

9. Pull your first part of the shrinking over the smallest connector of your CPAP tube towards the repair area at the most other end of that smallest connector

10. Pull the shrinking tube over the part of the CPAP tube (including the silicone material to keep the hole closed),
such the silicon material is in the centre of the shrinking tube (or the shrinking tube is covering part of the connector in case the hole to be repaired is near the connector).

11. Boil the water. Turn of the stove (or water cooker) and dip the part with the shrinking tube for 1 or 2 seconds in the hot water (or pour the hot water over the shrinking tube.

The shrinking tube will shrink immediate and capture the silicon between the shrinking tube and the hole.

12. Repeat step 11 for each hole to be repaired.

13. In case of a large hole (or even almost cut tube) you may shrink a larger piece of the shrinking tube over the CPAP tube.
In case you like, you may put some silicon at each side of the cut part before you encapsulate the CPAP tube within the shrinking tube, but it will even close without the silicon.

14. Your CPAP tube is ready to continue its life and you might be happy that your tube will serve long time service.

Most people will stop at 7, and be perfectly fine.

Use aquarium sealant.
Tropical fish are delicate, so it has to be safe.
Follow all directions carefully--including cure time.
Food safe silicone is close--but likely more expensive.

New hoses are cheap!

On ebay you can buy a hose for $6 including shipping

LSAT wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 11, 2020 2:45 pm

On ebay you can buy a hose for $6 including shipping

Not a heated hose which was the original topic.

I had a small tear in my heated tube. It was right at the joint where it meets the mask. I held over a lighter for a few seconds and it all kind of melted back together. I did it a few more times and I hope it keeps until it's time to replace the hose on schedule.

Julie wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:46 pm

New hoses are cheap!

You know I just got a Climate Line Air Heated Tube on Amazon last week for $24. Wanted to send link but price is up to $41 now. Glad I got a backup when I did. I have two cats but so far they have had no interest in it.

My cat (not the one in pic) sleeps right beside me at night, including seeing me mask up, but has never once touched the thing! Just waiting for the day it occurs to him to do it... weirdo

steverino wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 8:28 am

replace the hose on schedule.

Don't replace anything "on schedule", the schedule is a fabrication created by greedy businesses.

replace things when they fail, have a spare handy.