CPAPtalk.com

I'd be interested to hear comments from long time CPAP users (or APAP or whatever) on the lifespan of CPAP machines in general.

In particular, I have a Remstar APAP with CFlex purchased in 2006.

This is kind of a follow up to a previous question. I am hoping to learn.

It might last three years and it might last fifteen. For planning purposes figure five.

11006.6 hours on my machine and still going strong. Started July 27,2006.

Brenda

bdp522 wrote:11006.6 hours on my machine and still going strong. Started July 27,2006.

Thanks Brenda! I bought mine about the same time (a month or so before) and it seems to be ok.

roster wrote:It might last three years and it might last fifteen. For planning purposes figure five.

Thanks for the input. Have you had any experience either way? Meaning, how many machines have you gone through?

roster wrote:It might last three years and it might last fifteen. For planning purposes figure five.

Sorry Roster, I just noticed your timespan at Cpaptalk.com. That answers my question somewhat, unless you have had machines a long time before.

What about a backup machine? Those of us who have severe cases, do not ever want to miss a night of therapy and are prepared in case our machine fails. Even a one day old machine can fail.

I recommend getting one of the latest machines with software to use as your primary machine and keep the old one as a backup. About once per month I use my backup for a night or two to make sure it stays in good working order.

APRIA, the High Demon of all DME's, allows a "new" CPAP every 5 years.

But since it's Apria, I'm sure that is not based on any study or facts... it's somehow profit driven.

And with Apria, you may or may not get a new machine, it very well could be a used one.

I have over 10,000 hours on mine now and it "seems" to be working as it always has.

I have another year and 1/2 to go to get a new one, but will still buy one as soon as I am eligible so I can have a "spare" in case one decides to retire..

I wish there was a way to get the machine tested annually to make sure it's calibrated properly and functioning as designed, other than sending it back to the Mfg.

I have an 8 year olds Respironics that does nothing but put out the air at the set pressure- not an auto, pre exhalation relief and it still works fine!

I don't use it except as a backup to a backup! I really like exhalation relief!

When I had a retitration in 2008, I took it to the DME (I got this one locally here in Canada), to see if it was holding it's pressure properly. He tested it with a manometer and it was fine then - that was after almost 6 years of nightly use.

I have since been ordering my machines online and bought a small manometer for home use. It is not as good as one the DME has I am sure but it seems to work.

pratzert wrote:APRIA, the High Demon of all DME's, allows a "new" CPAP every 5 years.
.

It's your insurance and not apria that decides.

pratzert wrote:

I wish there was a way to get the machine tested annually to make sure it's calibrated properly and functioning as designed, other than sending it back to the Mfg.

Any DME can test this for you in minutes with a manometer

Hi

Just got a new machine old one has 18,342 hours on it still going strong (about 7 years) only got a new machine because I wanted a auto because of weight loss

Gary

LSAT wrote:

pratzert wrote:APRIA, the High Demon of all DME's, allows a "new" CPAP every 5 years.
.

It's your insurance and not apria that decides.

pratzert wrote:

I wish there was a way to get the machine tested annually to make sure it's calibrated properly and functioning as designed, other than sending it back to the Mfg.

Any DME can test this for you in minutes with a manometer

Hi LSAT,

It's not true that my insurance decides the coverage when it comes to Durable Goods.

I have CIGNA and have had many, many exchanges with them about this coverage and their response is that they have a contract with Apria to be their exclusive DME provider and ALL limits and questions of coverage are deferred to Apria.

I have even gone thru my State Insurance Regulator with an appeal about covereage and it ended up not being Cigna who answered the Court, it was Apria.


And not every DME provider will check you machine either.

Apria held an "Open House" and told people to bring in their machines and insurance cards. When I asked them to check my machine, they looked at my records and told me I didn not buy the machine from them and they would not touch it.

Maybe a good DME company would, but then again, Apria is NOT a good DME company.