HELP! Cleaning a Resmed/S8 humidifier case

I have a Resmed S8 CPAP with humidification.

Recently, a funny smell developed in the humidification tank. I noticed there is a whiteish film on the bottom, so I did as recommended and cleaned it with vinegar. No luck, the stuff comes back. Then I tried rubbing alcohol and rinsed with water, etc. No luck.

I do this every other night or so and this sour yucky smell comes back! I'm sure this is part of a natural bacterium that exists in the environment, but also of other things that get into the water as I breath at night.

You can't get IN to the humidification tank as it's sealed. I can barely stick a q-tip in there to scrape.

I'm at a loss as to how to really clean this. Can someone help? This is awful!


Thanks.

forrie wrote:I have a Resmed S8 CPAP with humidification.

Recently, a funny smell developed in the humidification tank. I noticed there is a whiteish film on the bottom, so I did as recommended and cleaned it with vinegar. No luck, the stuff comes back. Then I tried rubbing alcohol and rinsed with water, etc. No luck.

I do this every other night or so and this sour yucky smell comes back! I'm sure this is part of a natural bacterium that exists in the environment, but also of other things that get into the water as I breath at night.

You can't get IN to the humidification tank as it's sealed. I can barely stick a q-tip in there to scrape.

I'm at a loss as to how to really clean this. Can someone help? This is awful!


Thanks.

Are you cleaning/changing the air intake filters in the machine?
Are you using distilled water in your HH tank?


Den

I would switch to distilled water, it sounds like water deposits. Also there are several bottle brushes on the market, from test tube size to the larger. These are, in most instances, made with wire and are very bendable.

Yes, I used distilled water. But sometimes I think even distilled isn't really what it claims.

I also change the filters.

I found a rather innovative solution last night that actually worked this time. I cut up thin strips of a clean, white washcloth and stuck them into the tank along with hot water and some Dawn dish detergent. Then, had fun agitating for a few minutes and walla! You remove the wet cloth strips using a tweezer.

It is clean now as a whistle.

Also consider, when getting a replacement:

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

If you have the h4i humidifier, you can buy a cleanable tank. If you have the h3i humidifier, there is a kit to let you use an h4i cleanable tank. Has anyone done it?

http://www.cpapxchange.com/cpap-machine ... parts.html

Either way, get a spare water chamber. You need one anyway. Clean one tank, hook it up with no water and run the machine to thoroughly dry it. Then sit the clean tank aside dry for a week or so, and switch tanks next week. Sitting dry for long periods of time will probably help keep bacteria from growing.

Also, if you have a spare tank, you can experiment on the old one with more serious cleaning methods. You could even try things like immersing it in a pot of boiling water for a minute or so or sloshing some everclear (95% pure drinkable alcohol) in it. Either of these might damage the chamber, but shouldn't be dangerous to you. (As long as you don't start a fire with the alcohol, it's extremely flammable.)

If you're on insurance, most companies will let you buy a new humidifier chamber every 6 months or so.

By the way, shame on you ResMed, for selling non-cleanable water tanks. They're not always going to be cleaned right or replaced on schedule and some of your patients will get sick from it.

archangle wrote: By the way, shame on you ResMed, for selling non-cleanable water tanks. They're not always going to be cleaned right or replaced on schedule and some of your patients will get sick from it.

I will bet the designer got a bonus for it though. It made them a lot of money. It was a classic text book move to ensure more sales.

archangle wrote:By the way, shame on you ResMed, for selling non-cleanable water tanks.

It is a peculiarly North American delivery requirement from the US FDA, as elsewhere in the world Resmed supplies humidifier tubs that dismantle for cleaning as the standard delivery configuration with humidifiers.

Cheers,

Bill

billbolton wrote:

archangle wrote:By the way, shame on you ResMed, for selling non-cleanable water tanks.

It is a peculiarly North American delivery requirement from the US FDA, as elsewhere in the world Resmed supplies humidifier tubs that dismantle for cleaning as the standard delivery configuration with humidifiers.

Cheers,

Bill

Do you think the FDA requires it or simply allows ResMed to do it? Respironics doesn't seem to have no-clean tanks. Why ResMed and not Respironics? Or does Respironics sell cleanable tanks by default and have some special "hospital only" uncleanable tanks that us normal consumers never see.

i.e. is the FDA making ResMed doing this and the rest of the world doesn't, or is it that the rest of the world won't let ResMed do this?

Still using the same style humidifier tank since Aug '07. I have no problems cleaning it. For the first 2 yrs, I washed it daily. Then, I started slacking off and got some mold -- so freaked out I pitched the tank. I have gotten pink slime along the seam which cleans easily with a brush (skinny, bendable wire inside) and white vinegar...learned my lesson and wash every 2nd or 3rd night. I use plain old table salt if I feel the need to scrub.

I wash with Dawn, rinse, then spray the inside with vinegar and let sit for 1-2 mins. I have used Method dish washing liquid in place of Dawn when I accidentally ran out.

An RT recommended salt, lemon juice, a little water, white rice to make a slush, then shake very well to dissolve and loosen any residues; next, wash and rinse. I prefer the Dawn & vinegar routine.

My DH takes the conventional tank apart to clean it--there is a YouTube video showing how.
I wonder if anyone can do the same with the older tanks.

archangle wrote:or is it that the rest of the world won't let ResMed do this?

Definitely not. Its your tax dollars at work!

Cheers,

Bill

billbolton wrote:

archangle wrote:or is it that the rest of the world won't let ResMed do this?

Definitely not. Its your tax dollars at work!

Cheers,

Bill

I still don't understand. Do you mean the FDA requires the non-cleanable tank? Then why doesn't Respironics do the same thing? At a lower cost than the ResMed tanks, to boot, by the way.

Not that I don't think the FDA is not reprehensible in a lot of cases, but I don't understand what you're saying the requirement is.

I usually clean my S8 elite humidifier using some liquid bleach (for clothes) and also a wire brush (the ones that can be bent so can get to places easily, buy in cleaning section of Target). Very small amount of bleach diluted in regular water...slosh around...use wire brush to scrape off mold and other stuff that grows...rinse and repeat if needed. Can probably also use some dish soap but bleach seems to do wonders for killing off the mold and it doesn't grow as quickly. Just make sure you wash and rinse several times so you're not breathing any bleach-saturated water...although you'd be able to smell if you didn't remove all of the bleach anyway. Hope this helps.

This is a 3 year old thread, but, if my chamber was this bad I certainly would buy a new one