Question about HME (Heat and Moisture Exchangers)

Amazon reviews show moderate effectiveness, so that's good. I tried one and to be honest I couldn't take the smell. I had it from a purchase of a travel cpap machine I never used, so I gave it a try. Pulled it off the middle of the second night. It didn't seem to be working that well, so I bought some new ones I'm waiting for. Has anyone here found them useful? I really don't like the heated moisture that get put out by my humidifier and have been breathing dry air for 5 years, but I seem to be getting sensitive to it now.

Also, why are they built as disposable? When I used to scuba dive they made regulators with condensers in them that fed back your moisture. Just three thin metal plates on the inside was all it took.

mpreorder wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 30, 2020 5:15 pm

why are they built as disposable?

Moisture buildup ....6 to 8 hours a night for several nights and no way to dry them out equals a prime breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Do you want to be breathing in mold or extra bacteria all night long?

I've wondered about these as well. I'm concerned that it does sound potentially unhealthy, but I'm getting desperate. I have to refill my tank after 4 - 5 hours, and my mouth is still dry. My machine is generally showing no major mask leakage, so I'm figuring it's just that I'm on a relatively high pressure (18 -- sometimes 19).