Respironics RemStar Auto A-Flex settings

I used to have a ResMed device. The hospital recently gave me a new RemStar with a humidifier. They gave me no manual, just said it was very easy and people don't read things. I downloaded the manual and now also the humidifier manual. As for the humidifier settings, the device manual says to see the humidifier manual and the humidifer manual says to see the device manual.

On the whole it works OK but I would be happier knowing more about it. They said they would put the humidifier on 3 and I should increase it in summer if it gets dry. That is all I remember. The instructions were very fast and I can't remember technical instructions well.

Is there a third manual which tells you how to set the humidifier?

My present concern is that I am going away in this country (UK) for a week and I was thinking of not taking, or at least not using, the humidifier, because I doubt I can get distilled water and I may be too laden to carry it. The hospital said there was no advantage in leaving the humidifier behind. Is it simple to turn the humidifier off? Does it affect the other settings? All I know is that I have auto set to 8.0 to 20.00, but that is a separate issue from the humidifier one.

Thanks for any advice.

Zeppa wrote:s there a third manual which tells you how to set the humidifier?

unfortunately, humidifier settings are a very personal thing, so what works for person A may or may not work for person B... and there's really no guidelines... and to complicate matters further, the settings needed can vary with the weather and the seasons!

best advice is to just experiment and find what you like... some people like a little, nor none (me) and some people like to practically be breathing swamp air (pugsy).

just experiment to find out what makes your nose happy. the humidity setting is pretty much just a patient comfort thing.

And don't worry about distilled water for a week... just keep the tank clean when you get back. As PR said, humidifiers are not part of therapy as such, but a convenience for those who want it.

Thanks for replies.
Julie, what do you mean by 'don't worry about distilled water for a week?' I simply want to leave the humidifier behind or turn it off, but I'm not sure what you're saying.

Palerider, I realize I can experiment, but I need to know where the setting are before I can do that - hence my question! But actually there is something in the device manual, supposing I've got the right one, it's headed 'SYSTEM ONE humidification'.
That was my question - where do I find where to change the level.

Zeppa wrote:Thanks for replies.
Julie, what do you mean by 'don't worry about distilled water for a week?' I simply want to leave the humidifier behind or turn it off, but I'm not sure what you're saying.

Palerider, I realize I can experiment, but I need to know where the setting are before I can do that - hence my question! But actually there is something in the device manual, supposing I've got the right one, it's headed 'SYSTEM ONE humidification'.
That was my question - where do I find where to change the level.

julie means just use plain water.

you change the amount of humidification with the knob when the machine is on.

When you get into the providers menu system, these are the entries that can be used to control humidity

Heated Tube humidification on off
SYSTEM ONE humidification on off
Humidifier 0 1 2 3 4 5
Humidity level 1 2 3

SYSTEM ONE humidification - System One humidity control maintains a consistent mask humidity by monitoring and adjusting for changes in room temperature and room humidity. You can enable or disable this feature. If the System One humidity control has been disabled, the classic style of basic temperature controlled heated humidification will be used. This will only display if the humidifier is attached.

• Humidifier - This setting allows you to choose the desired humidity setting: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. If the System One humidity control has been disabled, the classic style of basic temperature controlled heated humidification will be used and the display will show: 0, C1, C2, C3, C4 or C5 for these settings. This will only display if the humidifier is attached. Please refer to the humidifier manual if using a humidifier.
Series 60 Heated Humidifier Manual

Note: When not using Heated Tubing, the control wheel can also be used to change this setting.

• Humidity level - This setting will only display if you are using the heated tube. This setting allows you to choose the desired humidity setting for the humidifier: 1, 2 or 3. This setting can only be changed from the Setup screen.

• Tube temperature - This setting will only display if you are using the heated tube. This setting allows you to choose the desired temperature for the heated tube: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. If you choose zero (0), this will turn off both the humidifier and the heated tube.

Note: When using Heated Tubing, the control wheel can also be used to change this setting.

Thanks to palerider and JDS for further details. The SYSTEM ONE humidification is on. I haven't got the appropriate heated tube.

At the moment I think I will drag some distilled water with me. The device belongs to the hospital so I am being over-cautious for one week. With the ResMed, it was lighter and easier to travel without the humidifier, but here I'm not so sure.