heated tube?

[Rreffner]

OK, so I am new to Bipap and use my humidifier at setting 3. I understand some tubing is heated, and some is not. Mine is unheated. What is the criteria for using a heated tube? Is it something for winter use? Thanks

[JDS74]

OK, so I am new to Bipap and use my humidifier at setting 3. I understand some tubing is heated, and some is not. Mine is unheated. What is the criteria for using a heated tube? Is it something for winter use? Thanks

The heated hose is designed to reduce or eliminate rainout by keeping the humidified air a little warmer on its way from the humidifier to you. In air conditioned or other cooler environments, rainout as a result of condensation can be a problem. So, if that happens to you, perhaps a heated hose will be a solution.

[Pugsy]

While a heated hose is of special benefit in the winter when our bedrooms are typically much cooler and the chances of rain out (condensation in the hose or mask) is greater there are additional benefits besides just preventing rain out.
Using the heated hose lets a person have greater control over the humidity that is delivered (remains constant no matter what the air temp) and personal preference over the air temp coming to the face/nose.
The first impression when we hear "heated hose" is that the air temp is going to be a lot warmer but it really isn't. Even at its highest it is cooler than body temp unless the ambient air temp is extremely high.

For your machine if you add a heated hose you get a choice of humidity settings and temperature settings.
See product feature description here
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... ifier.html

For me I have found that I use the heated hose all year round because it lets me always have the same humidity going to my nasal mucosa and I don't have to worry about ambient humidity or the settings on the machine.
I also keep a cold bedroom in the winter and since I prefer maximum humidity that is a recipe for rain out for sure. Also I found that my System One machine when set to 5 without the heated hose couldn't get the air warm enough in the winter since my bedroom is typically in the low 50s temperature wise. I found that I was getting "ice cube nose" where the air was causing my nose to be so cold it was disturbing my sleep. Waking me often and my sleep is fragile already from other issues so even if the heated hose wasn't preventing rain out it was keeping my nose from feeling like an ice cube.

Before these heated hoses we would use hose cozies to help prevent rain out and help keep the air in the hose warmer but while they did get the job done most of the time they didn't always succeed and the weight of the hose cozy was sometimes annoying to have it be pulling on the mask.

Adding a heated hose to your setup would involve (assuming it isn't already setup) a different lid on the humidifier and a different power supply (80 watt vs 60 watt) along with the heated hose.
Easy upgrade that you can do yourself. That's what I did.
Works only on the 60 series blower machines and humidifiers.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-hea ... e-kit.html

I like knowing that my humidity levels are constant not matter what the conditions are outside or in the bedroom. In the winter I use a warmer hose air temp and in the summer I turn the air temp way down but leave the humidity the same. Without the heated hose if I wanted cooler air I would have to sacrifice humidity and my nose doesn't like for me to do that. I just let the machine sort out the humidity issues and I play with air temp depending on what season it is.

[pettyfan45]

So would a heated tube be useful for me living the the hot humid summers and cold dry winters in Northwestern Missouri?

[SewTired]

So would a heated tube be useful for me living the the hot humid summers and cold dry winters in Northwestern Missouri?

If you are getting a new machine paid by insurance, I recommend getting the heated version and tube. You can always use a regular tube and no heat. If you have to pay out of pocket, it's less costly to use a hose cozy over your less costly tube. The heated tubes are expensive if you have to count pennies.

[chunkyfrog]

Besides controlling rainout, a heated hose may help prevent "cold nose syndrome"
for those sleeping in chilly, drafty bedrooms.

[Rreffner]

Thanks everyone.

[Sir NoddinOff]

I use a heated hose stand-alone called Hybernite and its great. I think it pumps out much more heat than either the PR sys 1 or the Respironics machines, both of which I've tried. I just like a lot of heat... just like Jimmy Buffet's songs

http://healthcare.plastiflex.com/the-hybernite-solution

[Pugsy]

So would a heated tube be useful for me living the the hot humid summers and cold dry winters in Northwestern Missouri?

Well I am down in the SW corner of Missouri about an hour east of Joplin and I think the heated hose is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I spent 3 winters fighting rain out and cold nose syndrome before I got my first heated hose which was the Hybernite heated hose for a machine that didn't offer the integrated heated hose...best money I ever spent until I got the newer machine that had the optional heated hose (the 60 series PR S1).
And I am using a heated hose right now...I just have the temp set low but I keep the humidity level constant all year round. In the winter I warm up the air temp because my house is an old poorly insulated farm house that I can't keep very warm no matter how much propane I burn.

[SewTired]

And I am using a heated hose right now...I just have the temp set low but I keep the humidity level constant all year round. In the winter I warm up the air temp because my house is an old poorly insulated farm house that I can't keep very warm no matter how much propane I burn.

Honestly, Pugsy, is there such thing as a well insulated farm house? Or old house? My sister lives in an old farmhouse built in 1921. She had to have insulation added (you don't even want to know how it was insulated). My brother's house was built about 10 miles from her and it celebrated it's hundredth birthday 4 years ago. When they pulled the floor up to insulate that (too much cold air leaking up from basement) there were newspapers lining the floor that were from the 30s. (gave them to the historical society). Warmth though - they have no problem with. The woodstoves in each house keep the whole house warm - they are tall rather than rambling.

To keep this thread related, I think the heated hose is great, but you just need to be aware that you do have to replace hoses and the heated hoses cost more so plan your budget accordingly. Depending on your setup, your hose CAN last 1-2 years according to other posts. My brother made his unheated hose last 2.5 years but I do think there were some small holes in there - his pressure was much improved when the RT gave him a new hose when he was hospitalized. (This is because he is dumb. His Medicare DME dropped him and he never mentioned anything about it).

[Pugsy]

Honestly, Pugsy, is there such thing as a well insulated farm house?

Not any that have any age on them for sure. Mine was built in 1940s from what I can gather with some of the old papers I found stored in the barn and the fact it has asbestos shingles on it and general construction.
We have a fireplace but no damper (isn't that great for heat conservation) and I am scared to use it anyway. We block it off in the winter so as to limit propane heat going up the chimney.
I have though about a wood stove but I would need to have the chimney really checked out first.
So we use propane and keep the thermostat low and wear warm clothes and keep a blanket on the couch for TV watching and stuff. It simply will not warm up no matter what I set the thermostat to if it is very cold outside and with the cost of propane I am fine with wearing warm clothes and using a throw on me.
I actually prefer the cold bedroom in terms of sleeping. Ever since menopause hit I don't sleep well at all if I am too warm.

just need to be aware that you do have to replace hoses and the heated hoses cost more so plan your budget accordingly. Depending on your setup, your hose CAN last 1-2 years according to other posts.

I've got over 5,000 hours on one S9 Climateline hose and probably 3,000 hours on a PR S1 heated hose (depends on the machine flavor of the month that I am using)...one hose each machine. Never had one break or get a hole in it despite having cats from hell. But then I don't mess with the hoses much to increase the chances of damage to the coils or anything. I don't remember the last time I washed one.
But the heated hoses are covered by most insurance including Medicare...once every 3 months I think it is.
Obviously they last a lot longer than that but everyone should always have one spare hose handy.
For those that don't have insurance for some reason...there are ways of obtaining the heated hoses that won't break the bank if you know where to look.

[yaconsult]

Thank you for your great information on the heated hose, Pugsy! My first one for the new airsense10 just arrived in the mail today and I'll try it out for the first time tonight. I've never had one on a previous machine so it will be something new for me. It came with a huge instruction book, but that's only because it's got a bunch of languages in it.

[palerider]

but you just need to be aware that you do have to replace hoses and the heated hoses cost more so plan your budget accordingly. Depending on your setup, your hose CAN last 1-2 years according to other posts. My brother made his unheated hose last 2.5 years

I had four years on my unheated hose, the only reason I replaced it is because the ends lost their grip.

if you don't have cats eating your hoses *waves to pugsy*, well... there's very little wear on the plastic hose from the air flowing through it.

[SewTired]

I've got over 5,000 hours on one S9 Climateline hose and probably 3,000 hours on a PR S1 heated hose (depends on the machine flavor of the month that I am using)...one hose each machine. Never had one break or get a hole in it despite having cats from hell. But then I don't mess with the hoses much to increase the chances of damage to the coils or anything. I don't remember the last time I washed one.
But the heated hoses are covered by most insurance including Medicare...once every 3 months I think it is.
Obviously they last a lot longer than that but everyone should always have one spare hose handy.
For those that don't have insurance for some reason...there are ways of obtaining the heated hoses that won't break the bank if you know where to look.

That makes sense - if you aren't scraping them against anything rough, they should last pretty much forever (ok.. many years anyway). I noticed that the heated hoses seem to be made from better quality materials.

Also, I mention about the costs only because not everybody has insurance. I got a good deal on Slimline hoses on Ebay (for the used machine).

[yaconsult]

My first night with the heated hose seemed fine. Plenty of moisture. I'm still getting used to the airsense and have the humidity set pretty high - 7 or 8, I think. I left the hose setting on "auto". It looks like I used just over half a tank of water in about 6.5 hours. I expect the difference will be much more noticeable during the winter than the middle of summer.