Machine breaking down

[Dogjudge]

I've had my machine since September of last year. Remstar 560.

All of a sudden the machine is making quite a bit of noise when I inhale. Checked my mask, the hose and nothing appears to be leaking. Checked the machine and the noise is definitely coming from the machine. It doesn't appear to be coming from the intake, i.e. where the filters are. It's as if I'm inhaling through a megaphone.

The main issue is that the noise is loud enough to wake me up.

Current settings 6.5; 11; Aflex 2.

Haven't noticed the noise when I go to sleep, but happens around 3 in the morning and then it stays noisy.

Any ideas if the machine is starting to break down for some reason.

FWIW. I'm on Medicare, if that makes any difference.

[JDS74]

Are you using a humidifier? If so, is the machine located so that any condensation in the hose drains back to the machine?
Does the hose have a low spot between the machine and you?

Condensation in the hose can cause quite a bit of noise as the air is forced past. That may be your problem.
It seems unlikely (but possible) that your CPAP starts out quiet and then suddenly gets noisy about 3 hours later and the following day is quiet again.

[DMVredskins21]

Check all the rubber gasket connections by taking the water chamber out. Make sure they are all in place firmly.

[Dogjudge]

The noise is coming from the machine and not the humidifier gaskets, but thanks.

I talked to Nationwide about it and it appears that the problem does happen from time to time.

They are sending me a loaner machine in the meantime. I'm using my wife's machine since her apnea is marginal. In talking to the tech, she didn't seem surprised. Simply. Yes, it happens from time to time.

Thanks everyone.

[Dogjudge]

Well, I'm back to the same problem.

No humidity in anything.

Turning the machine on, it appears that the noise is not coming from any of the connections. i.e. hose to mask, machine to hose, humidifier to hose connector, or machine to humidifier. The wooshing sound appears to be coming from the machine itself.

If it wasn't for this, things would be perfect.

There is enough noise to wake me up.

This is now a new machine, or possibly refurbished. Nationwide never contacted me about switching machines again.

Last night ended up with ear plugs.

I thought that this machine was supposed to be one of the quietest on the market.

As an aside, my wife's machine is doing the same thing.

[grayghost4]

try the cpap without the humidifier ... connect host directly to cpap, and see if the noise is the same.

[bwexler]

Does your wife's machine do it when she uses it or only when you use it.
I have noticed with my 960 which is similar to yours that I can get similar noise "from the machine " but when I make miner adjustments to my mask the noise in the machine goes away.

[Dogjudge]

Does your wife's machine do it when she uses it or only when you use it.
I have noticed with my 960 which is similar to yours that I can get similar noise "from the machine " but when I make miner adjustments to my mask the noise in the machine goes away.

I'll try my machine tonight without the humidifier and see what happens.

Yes, both machines make the noise although hers is the previous model.

I can hear my breathing without any "noise".

I tried the machine earlier, without anything connected including the humidifier. Still have the noise.

[palerider]

All of a sudden the machine is making quite a bit of noise when I inhale. Checked my mask, the hose and nothing appears to be leaking. Checked the machine and the noise is definitely coming from the machine. It doesn't appear to be coming from the intake, i.e. where the filters are. It's as if I'm inhaling through a megaphone....Haven't noticed the noise when I go to sleep, but happens around 3 in the morning and then it stays noisy.

Any ideas if the machine is starting to break down for some reason.

first, can you *describe* the noise, or perhaps record it with something?

record it when it's not bothering you, record it *in the same place*, say sitting next to the machine, when it is bothering you.

if you plug your ears with your fingers, is the noise louder or softer (this helps tell whether then noise is coming up the hose into the mask.

[Guest1]

Are you using pressure relief (aflex, cflex). The Motor in the machine spools up to give you more pressure quickly when you switch to inhale from exhale. This may be giving the noise that you describe.

It could also be that the filters are clogged. That makes the machine work harder during inhale.

I wouldn't worry too much about it if it is in warranty still.

[Dogjudge]

My machine is covered by Medicare. This is a replacement machine.

All the filters have been replaced. Last night I ran the machine without the humidifier. No change.

The sound is a wooshing sound. It sounds as if the machine is trying to push way too much air through the opening.My pressures are 6.5 and 10.5. A-Flex 2.

Yes, when I put in ear plugs the noise goes away.

Don't know if it gets louder as the night goes on. I'm able to go to sleep. I've been thinking that's the "white noise" affect that helps you go to sleep. It's been waking me up around 3-4:00 AM.

[R1200ST]

The start up pressure is 6 and your high pressure is 10. What you may be hearing is your pressure ramp up, you also might be in a Apnea event which is causing you to rise up from sleep into a light sleep, and then the noise of the ramp up pressure is waking you up?

Just my 2 cents. It happened to me when I wore a FFM.

Rich

[herefishy]

I use a "passover humidifier" to muffle the noise from my machine, just dry, the baffles do the trick. I think you could make something similar, if you were of a mind, by attaching your hose to another humidifier, inline? And trying to vary the position of all your components, higher, lower, on padding, etc. Even though it sounds like it's coming from your machine, noise travels in peculiar ways.

[Dogjudge]

I THINK I've found success.

At the back of the machine there are two filters. A sponge one and one made out of the same material air filters are made of (?).

I had the non-sponge ones that had like a nylon webbing on them. In the last batch, I got ones with no webbing.

Last night I replaced the non-webbing one that was in the machine with a nylon webbing one. For the most part (90%+) the noise is gone away.

My guess is because there's no webbing, those filters have to be thicker for structural reasons. Because of that, the machine has to pull more air to maintain the right pressures to me.

At least that's my answer and I'm sticking to it. Thanks to everyone for the ideas and the help.

[herefishy]

Glad things worked out for you.