Half of my ClimateLine tubing hoses have been twisted

[cpap450]

In my year or so on CPAP, my original and third ClimateLine heated tubing hoses have been fine. But the second and fourth have been twisted with a mind of their own, and for the money I'm paying for the things, that's disappointing.

This isn't a standard "hose management" issue. My mask fits fine, and it's comfortable, and I doubt I have one sleep score a month below 100. For the record, my headboard has an end post, with a "dip" near the post, where the headboard drops a few inches. So I run the hose behind the headboard at the "dip," so that it comes in from a bit above me. And when I take my mask off, I hang it from the post. Hose management couldn't be easier.

The issue is that the "good" hoses go straight up from the rear port of the machine, and then are just loose - I can essentially position them as I like. But the bad hoses have minds of their own, built-in twists that won't straighten or loosen, and stiffly contort themselves, so that if I accidentally touch them, they'll knock my clock off my nightstand, or move in an unwanted manner moving things on my nightstand.

What can I do to loosen up these bad hoses so they just droop where gravity takes them? Or can I contact my supply vendor and ask that a replacement hose be sent? Four hoses in one year, with two of them not to my liking is a pretty bad batting average.

[rcobourn]

In my year or so on CPAP, my original and third ClimateLine heated tubing hoses have been fine. But the second and fourth have been twisted with a mind of their own, and for the money I'm paying for the things, that's disappointing.

This isn't a standard "hose management" issue. My mask fits fine, and it's comfortable, and I doubt I have one sleep score a month below 100. For the record, my headboard has an end post, with a "dip" near the post, where the headboard drops a few inches. So I run the hose behind the headboard at the "dip," so that it comes in from a bit above me. And when I take my mask off, I hang it from the post. Hose management couldn't be easier.

The issue is that the "good" hoses go straight up from the rear port of the machine, and then are just loose - I can essentially position them as I like. But the bad hoses have minds of their own, built-in twists that won't straighten or loosen, and stiffly contort themselves, so that if I accidentally touch them, they'll knock my clock off my nightstand, or move in an unwanted manner moving things on my nightstand.

What can I do to loosen up these bad hoses so they just droop where gravity takes them? Or can I contact my supply vendor and ask that a replacement hose be sent? Four hoses in one year, with two of them not to my liking is a pretty bad batting average.

I haven't seen anything like this with mine. I'd suggest hanging the hose and heating it with a hair dryer to see if you can relax it. Sounds like you don't have much to lose in trying.

[cpap450]

What can I do to loosen up these bad hoses so they just droop where gravity takes them? Or can I contact my supply vendor and ask that a replacement hose be sent? Four hoses in one year, with two of them not to my liking is a pretty bad batting average.

I haven't seen anything like this with mine. I'd suggest hanging the hose and heating it with a hair dryer to see if you can relax it. Sounds like you don't have much to lose in trying.

I will try applying some combination of heat (air, water) and hanging to the tubing. If worst came to worst, I still have the perfectly-fine prior hose.

[Dog Slobber]

This tip is curtesy of palerider.

About a minute to a minute and a half in the dryer will soften those new hoses up... depending on how fast your dryer heats up. about 90 seconds does it in mine.

Here's a before, and an after of an identical hose:

He did this with Slimline, so dryer timing may be different. I would test on your worse hose, try for 30 seconds. see how it works, then try again, increasing timing if necessary.

[chunkyfrog]

As I recall, somebody puts theirs in the dryer--not too long, though.
The exact time escapes me . . .

[ChicagoGranny]

built-in twists that won't straighten or loosen, and stiffly contort themselves,

Hose sophisticates call them packaging kinks.

[cpap450]

As I recall, somebody puts theirs in the dryer--not too long, though.
The exact time escapes me . . .

See viewtopic.php?p=1369257#p1369254 (and thanks memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=85140 for that tip)!

Updating this thread:

• I filled the tube with hot water from the tap, and hung it by its ends. That did very little; the water was room temperature within an hour
• Then I blew a hair dryer into it for a few minutes. I could feel the tube softening, but of course this was uneven, since the middle of the tube is a long way from either end
• Then I hung the tube from the middle and used the hair dryer on the outside - could notice some improvement
• Finally did the clothes dryer. I had a warm load of clothes that had just finished, so I tucked the tubing into middle of that - to protect it from clanging in the drum, and to "buffer" from the extreme heat of the dryer. Ran it for two minutes, and the hose felt exactly as I'd like it to
• As a final for now touch, it's a sunny day where I am, so I wrapped the hose tightly around a dark metal railing in the sun, and I'll leave it there for a few hours

I'll give an update later, but I like my chances that this fixes things.

[ChicagoGranny]

I wrapped the hose tightly around a dark metal railing in the sun, and I'll leave it there for a few hours

I wouldn't do that for fear of introducing new kinks. Also, sunlight degrades plastics.

I hope you capped off the ends of the hose to keep out insects, lizards, green mambas, pollen and other air pollutants.

[zonker]

As I recall, somebody puts theirs in the dryer--not too long, though.
The exact time escapes me . . .

that was palerider, iirc.

and i see the op has already did that method and has had success!

[cpap450]

As I recall, somebody puts theirs in the dryer--not too long, though.
The exact time escapes me . . .

that was palerider, iirc.

and i see the op has already did that method and has had success!

Yes, all correct. Including the success, so far anyway. The tubing was cool when I took it off the railing, which was now in the shade. I left it hanging loosely indoors, and it remained cool, and essentially kink-free. Attached it to the CPAP base, and it wasn't fighting me. Evidently the dryer (buffered by an already-warm and dry load) for two minutes is the magic bullet.

[cpap450]

Closing the loop on this topic. When I went to bed last night, the tubing was still acceptably flexible, and "played nice" with me. No stiffness, kinks, "mind of its own." I also had a lower AHI than I'd had before with this tube. So the "fix" was running it in a clothes dryer for two minutes, buffered in a pile of clean clothes that had just finished tumbling.