When it rains, it pours...

DreamDiver · Post by **DreamDiver** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:28 am

Now that my mask broke, my M-Series humidifier has decided to start leaking. From what I understand from research on this forum, my humidifier is just now hitting the age when it's likely to start leaking. It's contains the old, discontinued version of the water chamber. I've put a pan under the machine in order to stop it from messing up my night stand, but I'm still worried about the humidifier itself.

Is it worth buying the $26.50 replacement chamber, or am I wasting my time? Should I just buy a fischer and paykel humidifier standalone humidifier and bag my machine-specific one?

I'd like to get other people's experience.

Chris

LoneStar · Post by **LoneStar** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:26 pm

For what it's worth, after doing extensive reading and researching on xPAPs with integrated humidifiers regarding pros and cons and problems, I bought the F&P HC150 outright from the start; I didn't go the integrated route.

The cons and related problems seemed to outweigh the pros in my mind. - LISA

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:29 pm

In the meantime... 100% pure silicone applied to the leaking chamber should help.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:44 pm

_SWS, you are soooooo CUTE! I just LOVE your picture, cigarette and all. Those glasses are soooo attractive on you. Not everyone could get away w/wearing THEM and looking good. Grrrrrr. Youse one hot putzy!!!

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:13 pm

Wow are her hormones flowing or what?

On another note - DD if you have insurance they should cover no matter the choice.

I have both - I do like the integrated for travel and the FP for home. If I had to get another - it would the DC powered integrated but make sure it IS DC powered.

Slinky you hottie you!!! Think she likes the smell of smoke?

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:18 pm

DreamDiver wrote:Now that my mask broke, my M-Series humidifier has decided to start leaking. From what I understand from research on this forum, my humidifier is just now hitting the age when it's likely to start leaking. It's contains the old, discontinued version of the water chamber. I've put a pan under the machine in order to stop it from messing up my night stand, but I'm still worried about the humidifier itself.

Is it worth buying the $26.50 replacement chamber, or am I wasting my time? Should I just buy a fischer and paykel humidifier standalone humidifier and bag my machine-specific one?

I'd like to get other people's experience.

Chris

I bought my backup F&P HC150 for less than $50 on cpapauction.com ... shipping included, brand new in unopened box, with spare reservoir.

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:35 pm

Slinky wrote:_SWS, you are soooooo CUTE! I just LOVE your picture, cigarette and all. Those glasses are soooo attractive on you. Not everyone could get away w/wearing THEM and looking good. Grrrrrr. Youse one hot putzy!!!

That kinda flattering talk is enough to make a grown monkey cry...

Cheers to you and that wonderful silver tongue of yours, Slink. Reading that perfectly-worded flattery just brings out the primal instincts. I said it before and I'll say it again: You're absolutely at the very top of the primate.... no, make that the entire animal kingdom hierarchy in my book! Happy Easter as well!

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:46 pm

And you, -SWS. I've been admiring your picture for so long ..... I just couldn't stand it any longer. I had to tell you just what a hot putzy you are!

carbonman · Post by **carbonman** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:07 pm

DreamDiver wrote: Is it worth buying the $26.50 replacement chamber, or am I wasting my time?
I'd like to get other people's experience. Chris

In memory of the junkyard dog, may your wisdom live on.

Snoredog wrote:the ONLY tank that had the problem was made back in 2006, those tanks should have all been replaced by now. Back then the rumor was it was caused by a defective injection mold at Respironics. "Time" has proven that rumor to now be false, it was like I said it was back in 2006, a stupid design to begin with.

IF your tank has a 2007 mfg date stamp, it is NOT the defective tank of that earlier era. If yours is leaking with a 2007 injection mold date, it doesn't mean it is defective, just that it is a stupid design to begin with.

IF you are smart, when you find a tank that doesn't leak you will NEVER EVER EVER take it apart for cleaning. Even the defective tank will work fine if you hot-glue or epoxy the tank lid to the tank.

I haven't cleaned my tank since I got it, if I did, I'd put about 1 tsp of bleach in a container of water pour it in, overfill it a bit and leave it in the sink to soak a few hours, guarantee nothing will be growing in that solution. Rinse it out for a few minutes and should be good to go.

That is the downfall on that design, taking the tank apart to clean, the HC150's tank doesn't come apart and that design has been used for years without any problems or people becoming sick from things growing in the tank.

It is the stupid mfg instructions that say you have to clean it every night, they say that so you cannot sue them if something does decide to grow inside the tank like from using well water with a dead rat doing the back stroke deep down inside your well. Use only distilled water in your chamber and nothing should be growing in it to begin with.

DreamDiver · Post by **DreamDiver** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:11 pm

Wow, thanks everyone for your responses. I appreciate Snoredog's remarks, very much. I remember when he made them! Nevertheless, I'm a victim of the very same bad design. So I took it entirely apart to look closer. It's made of four parts:

The silicone seal (3 in the image) is a poor design, I grant, but I can't see any wear or problems with it, or the part in the interior of the machine to which it abutts. However, I have noticed that the blue rubber ring (4) has gotten looser and tends now to snag when put back into its groove and snapped back together:

This closeup shows how the ring snags.

I'm curious if the problem is with the ring (4) or the silicone gasket (3). I don't see any water settling under the tank where it sits inside the humidifier base. I only see it leaking from the bottom of the humidifier base. So it makes me wonder - is the leak coming from the tank - either the ring or the gasket - or is it coming from somewhere else inside the humidifier?

SWS - Where would I lay down the bead of silicone - the gasket or the ring? I'm assuming you're talking specifically about the tank.

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:19 pm

DreamDiver wrote:However, I have noticed that the blue rubber ring (4) has gotten looser and tends now to snag when put back into its groove and snapped back together:

As it turns out, there's another trick I would try first:

1) Very carefully clean out both upper and lower channels (where the rubber ring rests) of any and all deposits, then
2) Lightly coat the entire blue rubber ring on all sides with Vaseline of all things.

That's an old trick for large O-rings on various negatively-pressurized canisters. That may hold you over for quite some time. If that doesn't work, I'd place 100% pure silicone sealant along that entire seam, to create a water-tight seal.

roster · Post by **roster** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:52 pm

-SWS wrote: .......2) Lightly coat the entire blue rubber ring on all sides with Vaseline of all things.
......

His machine will get lipoid pneumonia! $%@&%&#@&!

(JK )

DreamDiver · Post by **DreamDiver** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:07 pm

-SWS wrote:Lightly coat the entire blue rubber ring on all sides with Vaseline of all things.That's an old trick for large O-rings on various negatively-pressurized canisters. That may hold you over for quite some time.

Vaseline it is for tonight. I don't wash the tank out every night. More like once a month. I figured out early that the thing wasn't going to last a month if I washed it every night. Still, if the blue ring is the cause, why the heck don't they sell them separately? This kind of forced-manufacturer-upsell should be illegal. The parts should all be available separately. This is just the the resmed UMFF elbow thing - make you buy a whole assembly when all you need is the valve frame - the most fragile part of the mask.

Sorry, just venting.

Hopefully, this will last long enough until I get the new version of the water chamber. Wish me luck.

@Rooster - I was afraid of that....

jnk · Post by **jnk** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:10 pm

rooster wrote:
-SWS wrote: .......2) Lightly coat the entire blue rubber ring on all sides with Vaseline of all things.
......
His machine will get lipoid pneumonia! $%@&%&#@&!

(JK )

ww · Post by ww » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:25 pm

DreamDiver wrote:Wow, thanks everyone for your responses. I appreciate Snoredog's remarks, very much. I remember when he made them! Nevertheless, I'm a victim of the very same bad design. So I took it entirely apart to look closer. It's made of four parts:

The silicone seal (3 in the image) is a poor design, I grant, but I can't see any wear or problems with it, or the part in the interior of the machine to which it abutts. However, I have noticed that the blue rubber ring (4) has gotten looser and tends now to snag when put back into its groove and snapped back together:

This closeup shows how the ring snags.

I'm curious if the problem is with the ring (4) or the silicone gasket (3). I don't see any water settling under the tank where it sits inside the humidifier base. I only see it leaking from the bottom of the humidifier base. So it makes me wonder - is the leak coming from the tank - either the ring or the gasket - or is it coming from somewhere else inside the humidifier?

SWS - Where would I lay down the bead of silicone - the gasket or the ring? I'm assuming you're talking specifically about the tank.

The best thing to coat the gasket with is a silicone grease (used to be called DC4) and now available as a plumbing grease. It will not affect any gasket material adversely and ensures an adequate seal.

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