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Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:54 am
by SuzyB7
I have been diagnosed with mild sleep Apnea. The water feature makes my nose block up - using just the air is too cold. I'm not getting much help from my machine provider. My machine does not have a heating feature. The cold air gives me a severe headache in less than 10 minutes of use. Suggestions???

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:07 am
by The Choker
If the DME provided a machine without a heated humidifier they are a bunch of damn jerks. Tell them I said so.

Heated humidifiers are standard these days.

Where do you live? Unless you live in an arid climate you might be able to do entirely without the humidifier until you can get a machine with a heated humidifier.

Another thought, do you have the CPAP situated where cold air from an air conditioning vent is blowing on or near it? I moved mine away from the vent because it does make the air too cold.

If you go after a new machine you should ask some of the members here which models are good. I bet you have what is known on the forum as a "brick". You deserve better.

Let us know what city you live in (climate issue).

Best of luck,

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:14 am
by locust78
The Choker is right on with his assessment. Going without any kind of humidification can be torture. Maybe my sinuses are particularly sensitive, but each time I tried to go without humidification, I paid dearly. Now I'll never go without it. I hope you can get your hands on a setup that won't make you hate CPAP.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:06 am
by LSAT
By reading the post...it sounds like suzy HAS a humidifier, but she says.."the water feature makes my nose plug up". She is using the unit without the humidifier.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:38 am
by Janknitz
Suzy, we can help but in order to do so we need to know the make and model of your machine and your mask. Please fill out your user profile (use TEXT not pictures) and we'll be able to make useful suggestions.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:54 am
by Pugsy
Add a stand alone heated hose. It will warm the air and can be used with or without a humidifier.
I personally have used this one and it works well.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/hybern ... -hose.html

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:43 pm
by ChicagoGranny
She should tell us exactly what she has. I took it she only has a passover humidifier.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:50 pm
by Sir NoddinOff
Pugsy wrote:Add a stand alone heated hose. It will warm the air and can be used with or without a humidifier.
I personally have used this one and it works well.
Pugsy... Have you had any feedback how long the Hibernite hose lasts and the recommendations for replacement? It's not cheap, I know that! Every 6 months would be prohibitive. Also, can you use a regular household timer with it, so that it goes off when your sleep cycle is over?

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:13 pm
by Pugsy
Sir NoddinOff wrote:Pugsy... Have you had any feedback how long the Hibernite hose lasts and the recommendations for replacement? It's not cheap, I know that! Every 6 months would be prohibitive. Also, can you use a regular household timer with it, so that it goes off when your sleep cycle is over?
The Aussie hose has long been the standard. It stays on 24/7 also unless unplugged and people get years and years out of it. Rested Gal has the Aussie one..I think near 5 years now. Catnapper has used the Aussie for years now also. It would be extremely easy to rig a timer through the wiring for the Hybernite. No reason at all that there would be a problem.http://healthcare.plastiflex.com/the-hy ... structions
http://www.sleeprestfully.com/hybernite.asp more pictures on what comes with it.

The Hybernite hasn't been around all that long and not used nearly as frequently and I have no idea how long it would be expected to last. I would assume with common sense care...years and years. I don't hold to the replace hoses every 6 months thing. I just don't see the need. It came with a 12 month warranty (I think). I just can't remember and I don't have my paperwork close by.
I have never been one to have to take things apart and clean hoses once a week and all that stuff. It stands to reason that repeated plugging and unplugging increases the chances for any electrical connections to become damaged.
There may be a "suggested" time schedule for replacing but I would assume that is a more CYA statement than a real need.
I would think with common sense care that it would last years. I only got mine last fall. Well made, lightweight and flexible hose. I was perfectly satisfied with it and only stopped using it because I bought the ResMed machine with the Climateline. There were instructions for cleaning included so it can be washed. They do not suggest using any sort of hose cover though. They say the air will get too warm and they are right because I tried it...just had to.

Overall, I think that with just common sense care that there is no reason that a person couldn't get years of use out of it.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:33 pm
by Janknitz
I don't think we can make any recommendations until we know what she has. Perhaps she has a PR S1, in which case there are two modes that may help, perhaps she already has an S9 that accepts a heated hose, or perhaps she simply doesn't know how to adjust her humidifier.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:47 pm
by sleepycarol
Thanks Pugsy for your input on the heated hose. I know this past winter the air would often feel cold coming from my machine. I do not like a lot of humidity due to my asthma and was wondering if the heated hose would help with warming the air, although the humidifier was set low.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:02 pm
by Pugsy
sleepycarol wrote:Thanks Pugsy for your input on the heated hose. I know this past winter the air would often feel cold coming from my machine. I do not like a lot of humidity due to my asthma and was wondering if the heated hose would help with warming the air, although the humidifier was set low.
Yes, the stand alone Hybernite heated hose would help warm the air without increasing humidity because it is after the humidifier and doesn't really play into any humidifier settings. Warm air holds more water but not if the water hasn't been added to the air via the humidifier in the first place.
I found that the PR S1 machine's new way of humidification even when I maxed it out would give me ice cube nose this past winter. Even with a nice heavy hose cozy the air was uncomfortably cold even if rain out was or was not an issue.
I could have switched back to classic mode and got more heat (and more water) but then I really battled rain out.

It is not warm like a sauna (unless someone covers the hose)...it is still "cool" for comfort but just not so cold that my nose felt like an ice cube. I used it at my preferred high moisture settings and didn't have any rain out but someone could use it at a lower setting or not even use a humidifier and it would be quite comfortable.

If your machine doesn't add the moisture...the hose won't make more...it just delivers a little warmer air.
Should would great for you and if you think air was cold last winter...just wait till you use that new PR S1 Bipap in the new humidification mode because it uses even less heat to maintain humidity levels. That was what I was using when (and why) I bought the heated hose. I bought my PR S1 BiPap in late October and mid November I started getting ice cube nose even with Padacheeks nice heavy hose cozy and the humidifier maxed out...3rd week in November...I got the heated hose and it ranks right up with the barrel cozy and the best money I have ever spent for comfort.

I have no need for heated hose right now I suppose but since I got the S9 in February...just haven't bothered to change over to a standard hose.

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:05 pm
by sleepycarol
Thanks Pugsy for the quick reply!!

Will have to invest in the new hose then!!

Re: Air Is Too Cold

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:39 am
by locust78
I've been using the same Aussie hose for 6 years now, and it's still going strong. Since it doesn't have an on/off switch, I rigged it up to an extension cord that has a remote switch:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/inde ... 6098131234
I also have my CPAP machine hooked up to the same setup, so that when I click the switch at my bedside, both my hose and machine power up.