Air is not humid and warm enough

[YoelKlein]

Hi
I'm using the Dreamstation Auto CPAP with Humidifier. (My first month)
My min pressure is 12, but because of my allergies and stuffy nose, it goes up to 16 or 18.
The humidifier is not keeping up with this high pressure, and it's very annoying and literally waking me up when the pressure goes up. The air is colder and too dry.
Any ideas? I was thinking if there is a small heater that I can place near the air intake...

Thanks!
-Yoel

[LSAT]

Get the heated hose for your machine

[YoelKlein]

Get the heated hose for your machine

Thanks.
I will definitely try it. but this will only solve one issue. what about the Humidity? Am I the only one with this issue?

[rick blaine]

Hi Yoel Klein,

There are two heating modes on the DreamStation series – Fixed Heating and Adaptive Heating. The first ignores whatever humidity is in the room – and after having chosen that, you should experiment with 'how high' to set it so you can find out what works where you live.

The second mode adapts to the ambient humidity – or lack of same. And again, if you choose that, you should also experiment to see what works best where you live.

I am not an engineer, but I would think that feeding hot air into the intake is not a good idea. At the very least you might affect the filters.

There is also the possibility that you are especially noticing the coldness of the air in the first half hour or so of a sleep session. This is because the humidifier plate is still warming up. To offset this there is the Preheat option which allows you to start the plate warming 30 minutes before you put the mask to your face and press 'ON'.

RB.

[palerider]

Get the heated hose for your machine

Thanks.
I will definitely try it. but this will only solve one issue. what about the Humidity? Am I the only one with this issue?

Turn up the humidity setting?

[YoelKlein]

Hi Yoel Klein,

There are two heating modes on the DreamStation series – Fixed Heating and Adaptive Heating. The first ignores whatever humidity is in the room – and after having chosen that, you should experiment with 'how high' to set it so you can find out what works where you live.

The second mode adapts to the ambient humidity – or lack of same. And again, if you choose that, you should also experiment to see what works best where you live.

I am not an engineer, but I would think that feeding hot air into the intake is not a good idea. At the very least you might affect the filters.

There is also the possibility that you are especially noticing the coldness of the air in the first half hour or so of a sleep session. This is because the humidifier plate is still warming up. To offset this there is the Preheat option which allows you to start the plate warming 30 minutes before you put the mask to your face and press 'ON'.

RB.

Ohhh, I didn’t think of that idea to turn off adaptive.
But I do use the pre heat option, and I woke up more than once mid night when the pressure went up.

I will try the Constant humidity on tonight. And report back.

I ordered on amazon a small 6 inch desk heater I was thinking to place a about foot away from the intake. I haven’t done it yet maybe it isn’t the best idea...

Insurance will only pay for a new heated tube next month. Hmmm.... should I pay for it and get it now?🧐

[Pugsy]

You can try the constant humidity and the constant heat might warm the air up enough so that it seems less cold.
I have my doubts but it's worth trying for at least the one night.
Sounds like what I called "ice cube nose syndrome" and even with the humidity set at max and not using the humidity sensors...it didn't warm the air going up my nose enough to be comfortable.
But then when I had it happen it was winter and my house thermostat was set at around 60 degrees Fah....and the bedroom was typically 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the house because of the windows and poor insulation.
My nose actually hurt from the cold and it was highly annoying and I woke often during the night because of the discomfort.

I had 2 choices...increase the bedroom ambient temp...or get a heated hose to warm up the air.
I chose the heated hose because I don't sleep so great in a warm bedroom.

Too bad you aren't closer to me and using a Respironics System One machine....I just had some donate some heated hoses for the System One machines...brand new still in sealed package. I would gladly just give you one. I don't have any for the DreamStation though and what I have won't work with the DreamStation.

Your idea of a small heater close to the machine air intake....might help though. Gotta be close enough to have the machine suck in the warm air but not so close as to bake the machine though.
Or maybe a small space heater in the bedroom will increase the overall ambient temp so that the air isn't so cold going up your nose.

I will say this...when I was using the Respironics machine....the constant humidity setting with constant heat and no ambient humidity sensor involvement did increase the humidity in the air going up my nose and I used a lot more water with that constant humidity than I ever did with the adaptive kind of humidity delivery. I had a System One machine and they called their "adaptive" mode by something else but it was essentially what you guys with the DreamStation are calling "adaptive".
Manual humidity was also called something else but it was a constant heat to the water chamber which caused more moisture to enter the air and go to your nose.

[YoelKlein]

You can try the constant humidity and the constant heat might warm the air up enough so that it seems less cold.
I have my doubts but it's worth trying for at least the one night.
Sounds like what I called "ice cube nose syndrome" and even with the humidity set at max and not using the humidity sensors...it didn't warm the air going up my nose enough to be comfortable.
But then when I had it happen it was winter and my house thermostat was set at around 60 degrees Fah....and the bedroom was typically 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the house because of the windows and poor insulation.
My nose actually hurt from the cold and it was highly annoying and I woke often during the night because of the discomfort.

I had 2 choices...increase the bedroom ambient temp...or get a heated hose to warm up the air.
I chose the heated hose because I don't sleep so great in a warm bedroom.

Too bad you aren't closer to me and using a Respironics System One machine....I just had some donate some heated hoses for the System One machines...brand new still in sealed package. I would gladly just give you one. I don't have any for the DreamStation though and what I have won't work with the DreamStation.

Your idea of a small heater close to the machine air intake....might help though. Gotta be close enough to have the machine suck in the warm air but not so close as to bake the machine though.
Or maybe a small space heater in the bedroom will increase the overall ambient temp so that the air isn't so cold going up your nose.

I will say this...when I was using the Respironics machine....the constant humidity setting with constant heat and no ambient humidity sensor involvement did increase the humidity in the air going up my nose and I used a lot more water with that constant humidity than I ever did with the adaptive kind of humidity delivery. I had a System One machine and they called their "adaptive" mode by something else but it was essentially what you guys with the DreamStation are calling "adaptive".
Manual humidity was also called something else but it was a constant heat to the water chamber which caused more moisture to enter the air and go to your nose.

I really appreciate your warm heart to give away heated hoses. You are truly amazing!

The system one was a loaner and is going back to the owner. The Dreamstation (Such a long word..) when set to adaptive was drinking the water and wake me 3:30am with a dry nose and mouth.
Gota put my eye glasses on, turn on a lamp, remove the reservoir, place it on a flat surface, carefully pour in distilled water, hunting for the MAX transparent dotted lines. (which knucklehead designed those lines to be transparent, Ha???)
then carefully lowered the reservoir back into the machine, close it, close the lamp, and.... it spoiled my sleep, now it takes me double the time to fall back asleep. Oh, this refilled water is not warm yet. .

Why are does reservoir so tiny? And why isn’t any option to expand the capacity of the water it can hold? CPAP is intrusive and hard enough, why make it harder?? The machine should be able to condition the air to a user set temperature without any influence regarding if I’m using the humidifier or not. Yah, you expressed it perfectly, feeling ice cubes in the nose...

Coming back to your point of setting in to Constant, It will drink the water 3 times per night...

[Pugsy]

Coming back to your point of setting in to Constant, It will drink the water 3 times per night...

Yes...it will use more water. Here's an idea....instead of the mess you have to go through in the middle of the night to refill the water chamber....get a spare (or 2) water chamber and fill it at bedtime and have it next to your machine and when you wake up with a dry tank just remove the dry tank and insert the tank that is already full of water. Much less hassle.

I am wondering why your machine is using all the water up in less than one night...that's actually not normal. Most people can get at least one night out of a chamber of water.
Makes me wonder what else is going on.

What is the ambient humidity in your house?
Is your leak rate really high?
There are people using pressures exceeding 20 cm all night and they don't use up all the water so pressure alone should be the primary cause.
Something else is going on to cause you to use up so much water. Most people aren't using the amount of water you are using even at max settings.

[YoelKlein]

Coming back to your point of setting in to Constant, It will drink the water 3 times per night...

Yes...it will use more water. Here's an idea....instead of the mess you have to go through in the middle of the night to refill the water chamber....get a spare (or 2) water chamber and fill it at bedtime and have it next to your machine and when you wake up with a dry tank just remove the dry tank and insert the tank that is already full of water. Much less hassle.

I am wondering why your machine is using all the water up in less than one night...that's actually not normal. Most people can get at least one night out of a chamber of water.
Makes me wonder what else is going on.

What is the ambient humidity in your house?
Is your leak rate really high?
There are people using pressures exceeding 20 cm all night and they don't use up all the water so pressure alone should be the primary cause.
Something else is going on to cause you to use up so much water. Most people aren't using the amount of water you are using even at max settings.

You are asking a very good question, let me think
I live in a basement, heat in the room set to 67 - 68
I have a ultrasonic humidifier in the room set to 35. If its set higher, the Dreamstation sensor would use almost no water at all. Turning the room humidifier off, would also cause to the Dreamstation to consume more water. I have tested it already. What else? Oh, if its a rainy night, the Dreamstation will also use less water making it more unpleasant and feeling a dry nose. I know I’m very sensitive to dry air. Even at work I have a room humidifier next to my desk.

Buying more reservoirs, pre filling them... lol... I love your out of the box thinking! I will have to also get a small hot plate/warmer to prepare and keep it warm when I need it... doesn’t make sense to make going to sleep so complicated... I know I’m a perfectionist, And a micro detail / need to understand everything kind of a guy... I was asking my self if I’m making this stuff up or it’s really happening... but yes, it was the truth.

Oscar show’s no leaks. I can share a screenshot if need.

Hmm, Will try tonight with adaptive off. And see how the night goes. I also took a sharpie marker to mark the max fill dots.

[Pugsy]

35 humidity is actually low so I would expect more water to be consumed but to give you a comparison.
I go to Las Vegas every Christmas for a week to visit family and we all know it is very arid out there and the humidity in my daughter's house runs around 20%...sometimes 25 which is high for them.
And I never run totally out of water in 7 to 8 hours of use at near max setting.
Of course I am using a ResMed machine now but I also have used my Respironics machine out there and it didn't go dry either.

I was thinking maybe something was wrong with your humidifier but what you describe as to happening when you change the humidifier setting in the basement or it rains or whatever....that all points to normal function.
If you told me that when it rains you still use up all the water during the night...that might mean malfunction.

I do understand being sensitive to the dryness. I am that way myself. Maybe not to your extent but I do understand.
The body needs want the body needs and it doesn't really care if what it needs most people don't need.

Finally...my ambient bedroom humidity runs around 45 to 55 % without rain being involved....and I will use about 3/4 of a full tank in about 7 or 8 hours of use...at almost max setting. I have to use a heated hose maxed out at 86 degrees to keep the condensation away because my bedroom in the winter is normally quite cold. I don't really like the air that warm but I like having cold showers and water up my nose even less so I deal with the warm air.

Let's just keep trying things until we can find a workable solution for your issue. At least there are a few choices available.

[YoelKlein]

Good morning.
Tonight was different, The humidity was set to Constant at 4 I found the tank to be half full at 3 AM and the air, not warm enough so I up'd the humidity to 5. The water was completely empty by 6:30 AM (went to sleep 12 AM though) Also my nose was better, not as clogged - I had a cold for a few days (almost since I got the new Dreamstation) and my nose was a brick, the pressure went up to 18 and for short bursts to 20 to open the airway. but last night the pressure was mainly at 15. (We need an engineer from Respironics to join this forum to help out with questions)

I want a heated hose. any advice on what model and where to buy?

Thanks

[Pugsy]

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... eated-tube
If you call cpap.com they probably offer a cheaper price but can't advertise it.

This one above is the only heated hose that is integrated to work with the DreamStation machines.

Check pricing on EBay or Amazon or similar websites and see if you can find it for a little less.

I just checked Amazon and found it for Prime members at $23.

I don't know where you live but if outside the USA we might need to look elsewhere if the place you find won't ship outside the US.
Interesting to note that the above DreamStation heated hose says it will also work with the System One 60 series machines.
So I go look at the System One heated hoses and they don't mention that they will work with the DreamStation machines.
Very odd indeed. I don't have a DreamStation machine to test out the System One heated hoses that I have for free....so I don't know for sure if they would work or not.

[Pugsy]

(We need an engineer from Respironics to join this forum to help out with questions)

Won't happen. All the machine and mask manufacturers don't really want to talk to patients.....they don't consider us their customers.
We are just lowly peons. They consider DMEs and doctors their real customers and that's who they really bend over backwards to please.
It sure isn't us.
If you call up Respironics they will just refer you back to whomever you got the machine from.

[YoelKlein]

Thanks
I live in Brooklyn New York.

I am a Prime member. is this link the right one?

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Respiron ... 673&sr=8-5