Humidifier questions from a new user

Hello, my name is Judy and I am very new to the CPAP world. I just got my machine last week. From what I've read, the Respironics System 1 humidifiers don't get really hot, especially in System 1 mode. I haven't tried switching it to classic mode yet. I'd tried it at 2-3 and I didn't notice the water getting warm at all. So, last night I tried it at 5 and had my first experience with rainout. I did notice that the water got warm at this setting. If I do change it to classic mode, do you guys think I'd have more humidification without the rainout? I also read about a preheat feature but don't think my machine has it. I am blind and so can't tell if the heat symbol is coming up when I hold down the wheel, but it didn't seem to preheat the water. I honestly don't know how much humidification I need--this is all new. The humidifier does seem to help, just trying to find a balance. Also, we have one of those water purification systems for the whole house. Do I still need to use distilled water or will filtered water do? Finally, any tips for cleaning the hose? I heard you're supposed to clean it but haven't gotten that far. Look forward to hearing from more experienced users. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Just a relatively small amount of temperature increase is all that's needed for the water in the reservoir to be more inclined to become vapor. At setting 2-3 you may not have noticed any easily detectible change in temperature, but the most important factor was how you felt in the morning. Did your sinuses feel fairly hydrated, or were you dried out? That's going to be the ultimate determining factor in how much humidity to use.

I'm the kind of person who needs a pretty high amount of humidification. I regularly run my humidifier on 4-5. Do you have a heated hose? If not, you might want to look into one. I was getting rainout so strong that it felt like someone was spraying me with a seltzer bottle every night. I picked up one of those Aussie heated hoses and never looked back.

It's really a good idea to go with distilled water. A filter is great for drinking water, but might not remove all the minerals or other "items" that might be okay to drink, but not so okay in your reservoir or your sinuses.

The use of distilled water is primarily to reduce the amount of mineral deposit that will accumulate on the inside of the plastic tank.
You can use filtered tap water...how much mineral build up you may see is going to depend on the mineral content of your water and what minerals may get removed from your water with your filtration system.
My water where I live is very "hard"...lot of lime and iron in it. I use distilled water because I simply don't want to have to clean the tank very often and if I didn't use distilled water I would get a noticeable build up in about 10 days. It's fairly easy to remove the mineral build up with a little vinegar solution...so not the end of the world but I don't like the odor of vinegar.

If you want to use your tap water then remove the tank each morning and pour out the remaining water and let the tank air dry during the day. Mineral build up will be greatly reduced.

Humidifier selection...I have a PR S1 machine and my nasal mucosa simply need more moisture so I use the Classic mode (especially in the winter time because the other mode I find the air is simply too cold for comfort) at 4 or 5 setting and yes if you have a cold bedroom the chance for rain out greatly increases with that combination.

Did you get rain out in the hose or just the mask?

A stand alone heated hose can be used with your machine and in Classic mode (which is recommended).
I bought a Hybernite 2300 for use with my PR S1 machine in the winter time...Ebay for about $75....works great.
The Aussie heated hose costs almost twice that.

Look on the bottom of your blower unit...for a 3 digit model number and tell us what it says....Either 550 or 560???
Probably a 550 but look to make sure because if it is a 560 Respironics has a heated hose for it and the upgrade kit is around $75.

If you are just experiencing rain out in the nasal pillow...that's likely a combination of the moisture coming in from the humidifier and your own exhaled breath condensing in the nasal pillow because of cooler bedroom temperatures. I found I had this issue even with the heated hose (though it was reduced) so I bought a Padacheek barrel cozy a couple of years ago (still using it every night all year) and it was the best comfort item I have ever bought. It's super comfy against the skin and adds just enough insulation that rain out in the mask itself is pretty much totally eliminated.

Rain out is annoying but won't hurt you. Of course it wakes you up and we don't want that but it is more important that your nasal mucosa be happy. Dry angry nasal mucosa can make a person be miserable for days.
For me it's easier to just prevent the rain out with heated hose and barrel cozy then it is to risk making my nasal mucosa angry.

Here's a link for the barrel cozy. If you are handy you could probably make your own but I am not handy enough for something so delicate...so I bought mine. It feels like silk against the skin.
http://www.padacheek.com/PACSwiftII_Barrel_cozy.html

How much humidification do you need? We can't tell you because even if we lived in the same house as you, our bodies might need more or less. You can play around with the settings to see which one you like the best.

Classic mode vs the default mode...Classic mode uses more heat and more water and chance of rain out is greatly increased.

The default mode uses sensors that read the ambient room humidity and makes adjustments in heat to try to deliver a consistent level of humidity. If your room air is already a bit humid it won't heat up much. Even at 5 setting in the default mode I found the air uncomfortably cold in the winter time.

For rain out in the hose...a hose cozy or a heated hose or a reduction in the setting on the humidifier.
For rain out in the mask only....barrel cozy.

From reading previous replies, is it logical to deduce that my initial and 'rainy' experience with the full-face Quattro FX this afternoon (that resulted in a 1 1/2 hour glorious nap) was caused by having the humidifier turned up to a 7 setting? I took my siesta in a normally heated room and slept on my side but am currently suffering from a bad case of rhinitis. Would the malady have anything at all to do with the droplets or is it totally a function of the machine and the relatively high setting I laid on it?

DEXSUZ wrote:From reading previous replies, is it logical to deduce that my initial and 'rainy' experience with the full-face Quattro FX this afternoon (that resulted in a 1 1/2 hour glorious nap) was caused by having the humidifier turned up to a 7 setting? I took my siesta in a normally heated room and slept on my side but am currently suffering from a bad case of rhinitis. Would the malady have anything at all to do with the droplets or is it totally a function of the machine and the relatively high setting I laid on it?

Probably the relatively high setting on the humidifier..What machine are you using that lets you go to 7?

When you have time would you please add your equipment to your profile so we can see at a glance what you have?

Bad case of rhinitis....could be a bad cold (I saw your other post) but it also could be too much moisture added.
I know it makes no sense but the nasal mucosa can respond exactly the same way with either too much or too little added moisture.
They swell up ...start itching...runny nose....congestion...sneezes...sinus pressure, miserable feeling, etc.
Some people need more added moisture and some people need less. In your situation maybe a little less would be in order.

Thanks Locust78 and Pugsy for your helpful comments. Not sure about the model number but I'll find out today. Good to hear about the different accessories available. I wanted to get two different masks so I could alternate, since I tried two different ones during my sleep study, but they said I had to wait three months unless I wanted to pay for it out of pocket, which was over $100. For now this ones working so I'll hold off. I did not try a full face mask but was thinking it might be a good idea for when I'm really congested or have a cold. What do you guys think? The rainout was only in the mask as far as I could tell. I set it to 3 last night and I didn't have rainout but I had much difficulty settling at first--nose running, adjusting mask straps, etc. I woke up with a soar nose this morning so maybe had the mask on too tight? Guess we're gonna have bad nights and honestly it's been going pretty well for me the first week so I shouldn't complain. I tried putting a little bag of sinus beads by the air intake, thinking it might help the sinuses, but wound up moving it because I wasn't sure if it might have been contributing to the runny nose. I'm also trying not to get sick--have sick students and doing my best not to catch it. I should have stock in Airborne!

[quote="Pugsy"]Look on the bottom of your blower unit...for a 3 digit model number and tell us what it says....Either 550 or 560???
Probably a 550 but look to make sure because if it is a 560 Respironics has a heated hose for it and the upgrade kit is around $75.

My unit is a 560. My DME doesn't carry the upgrade kit with the heated hose but I'll look around for it. Can you somehow get accessory purchases to count toward your deductible? My insurance pays only after the deductible has been met. By the way, I discovered some pretty handy accessories that came with my machine:
I actually have one of those Padacheek barrel cozies that was mentioned and I'm loving it.
I have 3 sizes of the nasal pillows--I thought they were just extra but the same size. I've started using the small versus the medium but I think I'm getting more leaks this way so may go back.
The last thing is a duhicky that clips to the top of the headgear that holds your hose so it's out of the way. Pretty nifty!
I learned how to switch between humidifier modes by just counting the clicks. I have tried with classic mode but I'm getting rain out even on 2, so I will try on 1 tonight, and if still getting rainout in the mask I'll switch back to system one mode. Guess all this trial and error is par for the course. Honestly, I'm very happy with the machine and most of all with the quality of sleep I'm now getting. What a relief!!

Dreamer97,

Since you live in Florida, there is a good chance you do not even need the humidifier. You will have to do some experimenting to find out and your needs might change with changing weather conditions and home heating/cooling settings.

Make sure that no heat or air conditioning vents are blowing on your machine. Either one can enter your airway and cause dryness.

Dreamer97 wrote: Can you somehow get accessory purchases to count toward your deductible? My insurance pays only after the deductible has been met.

It depends on your insurance and what they do for in network vs out of network purchases.

Cpap.com of course requires payment but they will give you the necessary paperwork to file with your insurance.
They might consider it out of network...unlikely to be considered in network but it hurts nothing to check with them to see.

Your current DME could order the upgrade kit and bill it out through your insurance (if they would just do it) and then it would apply.
Just because they don't carry it doesn't mean they couldn't order it.

I live in Florida and set my humidifier on 5. If I set it any lower, it drys out my mouth very quickly. My sinuses stop up my nose when I lie down, so I have to breathe through my mouth. PS: You can get distilled water by the gallon at Walmart for 88 cents. One gallon last a month.