Stinky tank

[jennmary]

First.....I clean my equipment regularly, most of it daily. However I had to use tap water recently for 2 days in my humidifier. Not sure if that is what caused this or not. My humidifier tank STINKS! I can not get the smell out. I soaked in vinegar for 2 hours.....and the smell remains. I cant use my machine without the humidity....but I cant use it smelling like a swamp either.

Any other ideas on how to get a nasty smell out of the tank? I have smelled everything else.....it is for sure coming from the tank.

[jimbassett]

I wonder if baking soda would help the situation. ???

[Vader]

First.....I clean my equipment regularly, most of it daily. However I had to use tap water recently for 2 days in my humidifier. Not sure if that is what caused this or not. My humidifier tank STINKS! I can not get the smell out. I soaked in vinegar for 2 hours.....and the smell remains. I cant use my machine without the humidity....but I cant use it smelling like a swamp either.

Any other ideas on how to get a nasty smell out of the tank? I have smelled everything else.....it is for sure coming from the tank.

Whenever my tank has gotten foul smelling, I fill a pail with water and add some Dr Bronners Lavender Castile soap, and let it soak for about a half hour. It's worked for me.

[Snoredog]

could be the inlet filters, hose, mask or anything else in the circuit including inside the machine. I'd clean those items and maybe take some Frebreze and mist it near the filters with machine running.

[jennmary]

I changed filters and everything else. I smelled everything one by one. It is the tank. That is the only thing that smells like that. The hose is only a week old, the filter was changed yesterday. I am going to try the baking soda in a bit. Then get some of the soap and see if that helps. If not I will have to go get a new tank.....because I can not sleep like this. Thanks for the suggestions guys. I can even smell it over the pur sleep. It is bad and only getting worse. I hadnt even thought of baking soda.

[Snoredog]

take the tank apart, put some hot water in the sink let it soak in dishsoap.

put a little bleach in that water and I bet it won't smell, bleach kills everything.

[Auricula]

When I had a similar problem recently it turned out that a new white filter was the cause. Both filters in the package were "bad" and when I put in one from a different pack the smell disappeared. I don't know if something went wrong in manufacturing and plan to send them back but doubt I will get any feedback. The smell was very bad and I was afraid to sleep with those filters in my CPAP.

[Wyl]

Another option would be to just give it an old fashioned airing out after doing the soaking, putting it outside for awhile. If you have a spot that is shaded and gets some breeze going through, it should help.

[Guest]

When I had a similar problem recently it turned out that a new white filter was the cause. Both filters in the package were "bad" and when I put in one from a different pack the smell disappeared.

I've run into this as a problem as well. The explanation that I received was that the filter media is quite absorbant, and can be contaminated with nasty smell relative to where it was stored. So, if something in the storehouse from where it was shipped stank, the filter you received (as new) may have brought the stink with it and, contaminated your humidifier tank.

Good luck with this -hope you get it solved!

[lilsheba]

Great now I gotta go smell all my filters and make sure they don't stink. Provided I can smell....

[TxDreamseeker]

The culprit might be the o ring that holds the metal pan on the humidifier. Disassemble the tub taking the seal and the baffle out, then grasping both sides of the bottom tub assembly, push gently on the pan with both thumbs until it slides out the bottom. There may be something smelly trapped between the tub and the o ring.

[RosemaryB]

When I had a similar problem recently it turned out that a new white filter was the cause. Both filters in the package were "bad" and when I put in one from a different pack the smell disappeared.

I've run into this as a problem as well. The explanation that I received was that the filter media is quite absorbant, and can be contaminated with nasty smell relative to where it was stored. So, if something in the storehouse from where it was shipped stank, the filter you received (as new) may have brought the stink with it and, contaminated your humidifier tank.

Good luck with this -hope you get it solved!

[samofny]

Placing plastic items out in the direct sunlight for a while usually clears up stains and smells.

[socknitster]

Placing plastic items out in the direct sunlight for a while usually clears up stains and smells.

I agree with this. Sunlight and drying it out very thoroughly might be just the trick. Soaking in a very dilute bleach solution probably would not hurt either first.

I will be interested to hear what you finally discover!

Jen

[Wolfmarsh]

Use listerine or some other agent like a diluted solution of bleach.

Remove all your rubber seals before you use bleach though, and make sure to wash thoroughly afterward.

Laying it out in the sunlight after using the bleach for 4-5 hours will also destroy any remaining chlorine.