broken PB 420E emergency

[tillymarigold_]

Tonight when I went to take my humidifier tank out of my 420E APAP, when I pulled the pressure sensor line out of the little thing it attaches to, the thing that inserts into the line broke off the machine and came away with the line!

Without the line attached, every time the machine is turned on, it gives an LN-1 error and shuts off. Temporarily I've wrapped a small piece of kneaded eraser (the gray kind artists use) around it and stuck it in the hole to seal it and taped it in place. It seems to be working at least for the few-minute bursts I've tested it for, but better solutions are most definitely welcome. Obviously I switched the machine to CPAP mode, I don't want it mistaking a busted pressure sensor line for a flow limitation and jacking the pressure up to the max!

I've had the machine about a year and a half, and the hose for about six months I think. It's a generic hose from CPAP.com, not the actual PB hose sold by PB.

PS I'm the same tillymarigold but can't remember my password and it's past my bedtime.

[tillymarigld]

Sorry that wasn't very clear ... to clarify I wrapped the bit of eraser around the pressure sensor line (with the broken-off bit still inside) and jammed it into its hole where it's supposed to be, then taped it, because the machine won't work without the pressure sensor line firmly in place.

[TXKajun]

tilly, the same thing happened to me about 2 years ago. Fortunately, I had bought my 420E from our hosts here at cpap.com. I got on the phone with them, even though I was about 2 months over the 2 year warranty time. They gave me the number to PB. I called PB, explained the situation, then got back with our cpap folks, then a conference call with both and about 1 week later, had a brand new 420E from PB. As I recall, I had to ship mine back first for evaluation. Course, the week I was without was pure d h@ll, but both companies were extremely nice about the whole situation.

Try calling the place ya got your 420E from, then call PB. I'll bet they'll be more than happy to work with you on this.

Kajun

[tillymarigold]

Thanks TXK.

Of course this had to happen at a time when I literally have holiday plans every weekend day/night and most weeknights as well from now until New Year's. Which one of those should I totally fail to enjoy and/or have to skip because I'm sleep-deprived? (Rhetorical question.)

Both my machine and hose were also purchased here on cpap.com, which I think is actually the problem--the pressure sensor line on the replacement hose I got from CPAP.com (which is clearly a generic and not a real PB hose, for example I had to trim the sensor line down because it stuck out of the hose a full foot on each end) has always fit more snugly than the original hose that came with the machine.

Thanks so much for the support. It held up fine last night, but (1) probably won't forever and (2) I didn't sleep that well because I was worrying about it.

[tillymarigold]

Apparently PB has been having a lot of problems with their 420 series in the last year or so, so they've just been replacing every one that breaks with the new Sandman equivalent rather than fixing them.

So a loaner should be arriving sometime this week, then I send the broken machine back, then in 2-3 weeks I get a new Sandman Auto w/ integrated HH (including the case, hose, all that good stuff) and send back the loaner. (If it was only going to be a couple days, I might have just gone without, but not if it's going to be weeks.)

Not entirely thrilled that despite the full replacement, I'm going to be out $150 or so now ($120 for the loaner plus shipping costs to return the broken unit) and another $140 later if I want the Sandman software (although I rarely use my software anyway, so I'm going to hold off on that).

[TXKajun]

tilly, sounds like you've made some good progress and congrats on getting the new Sandman machine. Bad news about the rental costs and shipping costs, though.

I wonder if you couldn't make a winning case for getting the Sandman software for free, though, since the problem with the 420E seems to be a PB problem and not due to anything you did?? I think I'd call and call again, explaining that the reason you got the PB and software was so you could monitor your treatment, needed by doc, etc etc etc and that you got the 420E and software expressly cuz you really needed the software part and since PB is changing your machine for a totally different one, they should give you a complete "equivalent" deal, including the software to replace your old software....which they are now making useless to you even though you paid for it specifically so it would do its function. And keep calling, etc till they beg for mercy and say "OK".

Kajun

[tillymarigold]

Well, supposedly with the Sandman (as opposed to the 420E) you can get some data off the display screen. Honestly, I was glad to have the software for the first 6 months or so, but then once I got the pressure right, I've only looked at it about 3 times in the past year (including last night when I used the software to switch it to straight CPAP mode).

With the holidays and ensuing insanity at my job and the fact that I'm in the middle of changing insurance companies in a medically underserved area, I don't think I'd use the software any time soon. And I suspect that what would happen if I whined would be that our hosts would in fact give me the software, but PB wouldn't give it to *them* free (they seem to have instituted a one-size-fits-all "everyone who complains about a 420 gets the Sandman equivalent, with humidifier if they had one before, but no software" policy) and so I'd be causing cpap.com a hassle that wasn't their fault. And while $140 is more than a little bit annoying, I'm fortunate enough that I could afford to get it if I wanted it.

Right now I'm focusing all my energy into praying I get the replacement by Christmas, since I'll be leaving that day for vacation and I'd rather not have to deal with a giant loaner instead of my cute little PB machine (the Sandman seems to be slightly smaller and lighter than the 420E, but not much). (I'm also flying this weekend, so we'll see if I get the loaner before then or I take my 420E with its kneaded-eraser-and-Scotch-tape fix with me.)

[TXKajun]

tilly, good for you! Yeah, I haven't downloaded my data for several months now, either.

Good luck in getting either loaner or replacement by Christmas. It sounds like your fix is working for you. Good job!

Kajun

[plr66]

Boy am I unhappy to be reading this! I've just recently bought a 420E as my travel/back-up machine, and really like it. Has this particular problem happened with anyone else, or is it just a fluky thing?
(FWIW, I agree that PB should be replacing your software as well, since the package is what you bought, and they are not giving you a choice about repairing or replacing the machine).

[tillymarigold]

PLR, the rep at cpap.com said that they were seeing a significant number of broken 420-series xPAPs, especially the 420G (their basic CPAP model). But I'd guess that still means that the majority of the machines in that series are fine.

[Nev]

My 420E broke off at the sensor nipple in June last year when it was well out of warranty. The agent in Australia eventually replaced the machine after about 2 months of argy bargy. I had to hire a Respironics Remstar auto M series for the 2 months and was interested to find that the 420Es gave much better AHI than the M series - and that my replacement machine is marginally better than my old one as well as being noticeably quieter! The data from the Silverlining software is better than from the Respironics too.

[Ms Piggy]

From what I have read in past postings some of the PB420E's are quieter than others. Mine seems to be getting noisier, I am having trouble with it leaking at times but even when it doesn't seem to be leaking it is noisier than it was, it's probably 2 yrs old

[ozij]

I had a noise problem when I bought (and used) fine filters from cpap.com which turned out to be too thick and the machine was struggling to get the air in through them.

I have also discovered that keeping a telephone cable in the machine's information port reduced the noise - it was sucking air in through that.

O.

[plr66]

I had a noise problem when I bought (and used) fine filters from cpap.com which turned out to be too thick and the machine was struggling to get the air in through them.
O.

Is cpap.com aware of this, Ozij, and have they fixed that problem? (...having recently purchased both the 420E and the fine filters...)

[ozij]

Yes. I bought the filters about a year ago, 6 packs, contacted cpap.com about the problem, received an RMA and was reimbursed for the 5 closed packs that I returned.

O.