Can you use filtered water in heated humidifier vs distilled

Hubby runs the distiller once every 2 or 3 months.
We re-use jugs from when we were buying distilled water.
We have the washable tanks.

I tried using filtered water the first night. When I woke up the next morning I could sense a dusty sensation in my nostrils. If you every used tap water in an ultrasonic room humidifier, you know the odor, and white dust it leaves on the furniture. I don't know if a CPAP humidifier actually creates the dust like an ultrasonic humidifier, but it can't be healthy blowing it into you lungs all night if it does.

You can use Pond Water, just remember to strain out the fish eggs and tadpoles, although they do look good swimming in the HH, or you could follow the instructions from the manufacturers and use distilled water only. The choice and results are all yours to live with. Jim

Oh noooo! (Gasp) My grandkids!

I buy 1 Gallon (US) jugs from Target for 84 cents. I could probably find them for less. And since I hate the heated function so far (admittedly only been using a CPAP for just over 2 weeks in Arizona), the passive humidity is fine and the tank stays full enough over two nights. Therefore a gallon easily lasts between 9 and 14 days for me. I've been washing the tank weekly at the same time as the hose with mild dish soap. If I detect anything worse I'll go with the vinegar and water solution.

The only downside is the H5i humidifier for the S9 series doesn't have a reservoir one can open. So it's a minor hassle to actually clean the inside. Fortunately enough swishing about and flipping it around takes care of it but I see that as a design flaw. Even with distilled water, since it's not a sealed container the potential for mold, algae, etc does exist. I don't understand the reasoning behind the reservoir being permanently closed though I assume there is one.

ArizonaGUy wrote:I buy 1 Gallon (US) jugs from Target for 84 cents. I could probably find them for less. And since I hate the heated function so far (admittedly only been using a CPAP for just over 2 weeks in Arizona), the passive humidity is fine and the tank stays full enough over two nights. Therefore a gallon easily lasts between 9 and 14 days for me. I've been washing the tank weekly at the same time as the hose with mild dish soap. If I detect anything worse I'll go with the vinegar and water solution.

The only downside is the H5i humidifier for the S9 series doesn't have a reservoir one can open. So it's a minor hassle to actually clean the inside. Fortunately enough swishing about and flipping it around takes care of it but I see that as a design flaw. Even with distilled water, since it's not a sealed container the potential for mold, algae, etc does exist. I don't understand the reasoning behind the reservoir being permanently closed though I assume there is one.

My S9 has a humidifer that is easy to take apart and clean????

ArizonaGUy:

Here is a link to our hosts website for what you need:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html

And LonghornGary, this one is for you:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... ml?src=atg

And they are relatively inexpensive.

ArizonaGUy wrote:The only downside is the H5i humidifier for the S9 series doesn't have a reservoir one can open. So it's a minor hassle to actually clean the inside. Fortunately enough swishing about and flipping it around takes care of it but I see that as a design flaw. Even with distilled water, since it's not a sealed container the potential for mold, algae, etc does exist. I don't understand the reasoning behind the reservoir being permanently closed though I assume there is one.

There is an optional cleanable reservoir for the S9 humidifier.

You can also disassemble the non-cleanable tank with some effort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scg8Nc9LkRo

As for mold, algae, etc., there's nothing in distilled water for the bacteria to feed on, so it can't multiply unless you get some contaminant into the water. For bacteria or algae to reproduce, it needs chemicals other than pure water and air. Microorganisms that make it past the air filters might be able to survive in the tank, but they can't grow, and you would have breathed them anyway if they hadn't gotten stuck in the tank.

Since even distilled water isn't 99.99999% pure, and some small amount of dust will make it through the filters, you might eventually get something growing if you never dump out the water and clean the tank.

The reasoning behind the disposable S9 tank is pretty obvious. It's a ripoff. I understand that outside the US, you get the cleanable tank with the machine.

I am using plain faucet water which is clean and balanced in my area. Distilled water bought in stores is too acidic for our bodies. The one bought in pharmacies and which the pharmacists use might have the right PH.

I empty the humidifier chamber and rinse it twice each night with the faucet water. Once a week I place a few drops of liquid soap in the chamber and shake it vigorously. Next, I rinse it three times, same as our dish washer does.

avi123 wrote:I am using plain faucet water which is clean and balanced in my area. Distilled water bought in stores is too acidic for our bodies. The one bought in pharmacies and which the pharmacists use might have the right PH.

I empty the humidifier chamber and rinse it twice each night with the faucet water. Once a week I place a few drops of liquid soap in the chamber and shake it vigorously. Next, I rinse it three times, same as our dish washer does.

If your distilled water is acidic, someone has added acid to it and it is no longer distilled water, it's contamiated water. What I think you are referring to is that it shouldn't be used for drinking, as it has no minerals in it, and will leach them from your body. (Bone and chemical loss)

Clean distilled water should be H2O only, PH neutral. Jim

I have checked a lot of distilled water and it always is a little acidic...

When you check your what PH do you read?

For those concerned about the PH of their distilled water. Acid Ph comes from being exposed to CO2 in the air, from the surroundings. (Impure)

http://www.ehow.com/about_4623914_ph-di ... water.html All you need to know, and much more... Jim

I lifted a quote from that article...

"In reality, it almost always is slightly acidic, from 5.6 to just under 7."

Goofproof wrote:For those concerned about the PH of their distilled water. Acid Ph comes from being exposed to CO2 in the air, from the surroundings. (Impure)

http://www.ehow.com/about_4623914_ph-di ... water.html All you need to know, and much more... Jim

Thanks for the link.

However, whoever wrote the article is an idiot. It says "Simply boiling water for a long enough time will remove ... salt." Where the heck do they think the salt goes to? Boiling water increases the concentration of salt and other minerals in the water that's left behind.

However, it is correct that CO2 in water will make it slightly acidic. I wonder if that matters in this case.

Any form of water will tend to absorb CO2 from the air if it's in contact with the air. I wonder how the pH of tap water compares to distilled water? Yes, I know the pH of tap water varies from place to place.

Does it really matter if the water in your tank has a small amount of extra CO2 in it? Once the water evaporates from the humidifier, does it turn into H2O vapor plus CO2? If so, it probably doesn't make much difference, since there's probably already a much higher concentration of CO2 in your airways. Presumably, the CO2 in distilled water will be in approximate equilibrium with the CO2 in the air, which is less than 0.1%. The air in your airways is around 4% CO2 when you exhale.

Even if you start with CO2 free pharmaceutical grade H2O in the water tank, it will pick up CO2 from the air and become acidic. I don't know how quickly this will happen, but I suspect it would be reasonably rapid.