Plain Water vs Scented Water

Hi

Me again, I've been wondering about whether it is wise to add just a tiny drop of some essential oil or eucalyptus oil or whatever to my humidifier - am only talking a tiny drop - I find the chlorinated water smell a bit much at times, I don't want the hassle of buying distilled water

Thoughts my fellow CPAP'ers or Hoseheads

Cheers Katagal

Buying distilled water is NOT a hassle. It's less than $1 gallon at grocery and drug stores. Chlorinated water is not recommended by any of the humidifier manufacturers. Adding anything to your humidifier water may void your warranty if a problem arises. Using non=distilled water will require that you thoroughly clean your humidifier more frequently with vinegar. Using distilled water I RINSE my humidifier once a month.It's MUCH more of a hassle to NOT use distilled water.

So I can use water from water filter jug then?

Katagal wrote:So I can use water from water filter jug then?

Tap water will tend to leave mineral deposits in your humidifier. You can reduce this by cleaning the humidifier more often. It will also help if you don't let the tank run dry and dumping the water out every day.

Your water filter jug may reduce some contaminants, but it probably won't remove much of the dissolved minerals.

Distilled water will help prevent the growth of bacteria or mold in your water tank. They may not be a problem, even with tap water, but the risk is less with distilled water. With distilled water, dumping the water is less necessary, and cleaning is not needed as much. I use distilled and dump and clean the tank once a week. Even that is probably overkill.

I say don't add any kind of scent to the water. If you must do something, put a cotton ball with the oil near the air intake.

I agree that distilled water is worthwhile. One gallon is pretty cheap and lasts pretty long. It's worth it to me for the ease of maintenance and better cleanliness.

By the way, you might want to get a dishwasher safe water tank for your S9 if you don't already have it. (And curse you once again, ResMed for selling that disposable tank with the machine in the US.) You can also take the disposable tank apart, but it's a lot harder to do than with the washable tank.

Kat...been told by numerous folks DO NOT put any scents into your humidifier! I bought the Pur Sleep starter pk, but you can do basically the same thing with a small piece of something absorbent (cotton ball, quilt batting, ect), couple drops of scent you like, and set it close to your filter at the back of your machine! It does make doing treatment soooo much nicer with the pleasant smells!! I've also read on here where several use tap water, they say you have to clean it more often if you don't want that "scaley" look to your tank, but that's the only harm in it. I have well water, but picked up a jug of distilled on a trip to Walmart, because I don't like cleaning!! If you don't go often, pick up two or three, then you have them on hand...just a thought!!

Never put ANYTHING in your tank besides water--the whole point of CPAP is to open your airway which is a direct passage to your LUNGS. Your lungs do not need aerosolized particles of anything besides air--essential oils do NOT belong in your lungs!!!!

Ditto what everyone said! Not only is it bad for YOU to put ANYTHING in your humifier water, it's bad for your humidifier. The oils will eat into the plastic parts and probably pit the metal.

Before I got my Pur Sleep kit, I used a cosmetic cotton pad with a drop or 2 (you don't need any more than that) on then put the pad in a tiny pottery pinchbowl which was then placed right near the air intake. They both work equally well.

Cheers,
xena

Distilled water is the only thing we have ever used in our machines.
It has no smell.
The only time I have used a fragrance is when I put an incense cone (not lighted) near the air intake when the furnace vent under my machine shelf carried the unmistakable scent of an unlucky mouse.

Katagal wrote:So I can use water from water filter jug then?

Filtered water is not distilled water. Filtered water still contains some minerals, if it didn't, it wouldn't taste good. Distilled water is made from the condensed steam of boiling water, which leaves the minerals behind.

I tried using filtered water from my refrigerator's water dispenser the first time I used my machine. It wasn't good enough and it produced that dusty smell you get if you use tap water in an ultra-sonic room humidifier (where you can see the white dust from the minerals accumulate on your furniture). I switched to distilled water the next day,

I use tap water. I am not hauling gallons of distilled water over icy sidewalks in the winter. And no the grocery store that delivers doesn't carry it.

All you have to do to get rid of the chlorine smell is put the water in an open container a few hours before you use it, the same thing you do for a fish tank.

I use distilled water only in my tank. As far as hauling water. I buy 4 gallons at a time which last me 4 months. In the summer months I run on passover only and in the winter set on auto at 68 degrees. I use a on average a tank a water a week.

I also use Pur sleep which I love for those stuffy nose nights.

msradar65 wrote:I use distilled water only in my tank. As far as hauling water. I buy 4 gallons at a time which last me 4 months. In the summer months I run on passover only and in the winter set on auto at 68 degrees. I use a on average a tank a water a week.

I also use Pur sleep which I love for those stuffy nose nights.

Except that it would cost me over $20 in taxi fees just to try and get those home. Passover is not going to happen either. There is very little in my tank in the morning.

BlackSpinner wrote: Passover is not going to happen either. There is very little in my tank in the morning.

Me either. I cringe at the thought because I still remember the agony I went through when I forgot to fill the tank not once but twice.

It hurts nothing to use tap water. Like you say if there is a chlorine odor just let it dissipate in the air.

I am on well water..and we have lots of minerals in our water..mainly limestone and iron..makes cleaning the toilet pretty much a daily chore. I use distilled water unless I run out but because I just don't want to look at the mineral build up not because it is going to hurt anything. Its a visual thing with me..not a function thing.

BTW I do like aromatherapy and when I use something I just put it on a bit of cotton next to air intake. I little goes a long way depending on scent chosen. I like floral..reminds me of a garden of flowers...like the one the new armadillo has been destroying recently next to my sidewalk...bad, bad creature.

Pugsy wrote: BTW I do like aromatherapy and when I use something I just put it on a bit of cotton next to air intake. I little goes a long way depending on scent chosen. I like floral..reminds me of a garden of flowers...like the one the new armadillo has been destroying recently next to my sidewalk...bad, bad creature.

I wish I could still smell. After my second craniotomy I lost most of my sense of smell. I know it's not a good thing to use scents in the XPAP, but it would be a pleasant experience I guess.

I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a cheap water cooler. I put it in my bathroom, unplugged, and put a 5 gallon jug of distilled water on it ... lasts a long, long time in this dry Alberta climate and it's so easy to use. (Barter a cup of coffee and a slice of pie in exchange for someone lugging it up the stairs, if carrying the jug is a problem. Win-win.)

welki