Scared after using smelly water

[rsanchez]

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice. So I went on a trip with family, we went driving for about six hours. I took a gallon of distilled water from home, transporting it in the car with us.

I got to the hotel where we're staying and try out the cpap to see if it works (just testing it). Immediately I notice a very sour smell, and then smell the gallon and the water smells too. I threw the water away but now I'm worried.

Anyone have experience with distilled water "going bad"? I did breathe a little before stopping. Should I be worried? I'm just worried I'm gonna get some sort of infection in my lungs or even my brain because of this.

Of course I will get new water and clean out my machine, but I'm worried about the 5 minutes or so of exposure.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Maybe if it's excessively heated in the car it could pick up some of the chemicals from the plastic container. Anybody else had that happen I suppose if you are traveling a lot you could decant the distilled water into a one gallon glass container.

Should I be worried? I'm just worried I'm gonna get some sort of infection in my lungs or even my brain because of this.

Okay, now you're just being paranoid.

[BlackSpinner]

Use tap water - if you can drink it you can use it for the humidifier. Rinse with vinegar when you get home to get rid of the mineral build up - which is the ONLY reason they recommend distilled water.

Smelling stale water will do nothing to you.

[LSAT]

I buy 3-4 gal of Distilled water at a time. I use a gallon every 2 months. I have never had a problem.

[rsanchez]

I think the reason it started smelling funky is because of the heated air in the car. I was already at the bottom half of the gallon so I'm just thinking something got into the gallon and started growing in the heat.

I'm mostly worried I'm gonna get sick from this.

[chunkyfrog]

No, you tossed it when you noticed it.
Your nose is there to protect you.
It did its job.

[Goofproof]

Do you phreak out when you pass gas too? Jim

[rsanchez]

Lol nope! But I also don't pass gas through a humidifier being piped directly into my nose!

Thanks for the feedback guys, got new water and cleaned all the equipment so I can rest easy.

[russmac]

Five minutes of breathing smelly air isn't likely to do anything. If it makes you feel any better, numerous times I have waited too long to clean my machine, to the point of musty odor and pink algae growing on the sides of the water container. I don't recommend that anyone do that, but I have never had a single issue. We breathe nasty air all the time. The smell told you what you needed to know, and you fixed it. I think you will be okay.

[hegel]

" numerous times I have waited too long to clean my machine, to the point of musty odor and pink algae growing on the sides of the water container."

There are those on this forum who would claim that this is impossible.

[russmac]

I'm not proud of it, but it certainly isn't impossible. LOL

[BlackSpinner]

" numerous times I have waited too long to clean my machine, to the point of musty odor and pink algae growing on the sides of the water container."

There are those on this forum who would claim that this is impossible.

Of course it is possible. Anyone who has ever cleaned a room humidifier knows it is possible.

[chunkyfrog]

Oh, the things you find in a swamp cooler!
"Roswell called. Are you in?"

[Sir NoddinOff]

Using distilled water I've found white hard residue in the corners of my PR water tank and had to scrub it out with wet salt and a Q-tip, but I've never seen any pink stuff

[chunkyfrog]

The pink biofilm microbes are common inhabitants of soap scum on shower curtains.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC444822/
(Adds new shower curtain to shopping list)