Rainout with the Swift LT - need coldness!

[momof2inmn]

I've read several posts here that mention heating the hose or making the room temp warmer to combat rainout. I have a very difficult time breathing if my room & the air I breathe is too warm (we keep it at about 62F). I have been using the Swift LT for a month now with some rainout which is annoying but not too bad. Recently my nose has started to dry out so I started to use my humidifier. Of course, I got drenched and choked on water several times a night!

Can anyone tell me if using a heated hose or running the hose under the covers with you makes the air feel warmer when you breathe it? I'm sure I'm living in a fantasy land hoping that it won't make the air feel warm - I just really need some other solution to my rainout problem than breathing warm air.

Also, if I put my Bi-pap on the floor and run the hose up to me will that cause a problem with all the water going back into the machine? Will that help remove all but the re-breathing condensation? Will that help me at all with the dry nose or will that defeat the purpose of the humidifier?

Will turning the humidifier off but leaving water in it (pass over) help add some moisture but not create the problems that the heated air does?

Thanks for helping out a newbie!!

Ally

[jules]

Are you drying out your sinuses even with the heated humidifier? what mask do you use?

I have my cpap on the floor with the hose up over the back of a chair and so the water does drain back. That water we don't want but we do wanted moisture in the air. That helps with rainout for me but of course your situation might not be the same.

I also wrapped the hose with old socks (you can buy a hose cover of course) fastened with rubber bands. I just slit open old socks and so there are a couple layers. You can improvise with old mattress pad, towels, or fleece or even make a cover.

Using the humidifier in passover mode (no heat) will add a little moisture. I found that I used about 1 ounce a night of water that way but use about 8 ounces a night with heated humidity.

As much as I HATE humidity I was fighting very dry sinuses and had to do something to help resolved that.

[momof2inmn]

I only used the humidifier one night because I don't like the warm air. My nose felt fine that night but I kept getting drenched. Now this evening my nose is dry again and I am getting a sinus headache so I can't even imagine what winter will be like. I use the Swift LT for Her mask.

By having the machine on the floor and then running it up the chair do you get enough moisture but not the severe rainout? Also, why the chair instead of just running it up the side of the bed to you?

[jules]

I want the hose higher than my head for a distance - - you can find posts on hose hangers -

viewtopic.php?t=10640


there is also a fix for wicks inside the swift LT to help with rainout

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34883&p=298845&hili ... ck#p298845

[pagebypage]

I have used the Swift LT quite a bit in the past. I found it (and other nasal pillows masks) dried out my nose/sinuses more than the nasal cushion masks.

Ayr gel helped a lot and may be all you need. If you still need more moisture to keep from drying out, use the humidifier with no heat along with the Ayr gel.

I found I no longer needed either the Ayr gel or the humidifier when I switched over to the Quattro full face and the Liberty hybrid. I still needed the humidifier for nasal mask cushions, but on a lower heat setting than for the pillows.

Anyway, that is my own personal experience.

[ozij]

Start out by covering all exposed part of both main hose and mask. Condensation on the cold hoses is a rule of physics. Having the hose under the cover helps too.

I actually need a heated hose and a cover to keep the cold nip out of the air in winter -- the air arriving at my nose is frigid otherwise.

You can use a weaker power supply on a heated hose (6 or 9 volt, instead of the recommended 12 volt). The only effect of the lower voltage will be to make the hose generate less warmth.

You can use the humidifier cold.
And you can buy a passover humidifier, which gives more - cold - humidity that a heated humidifier with the heat turned off.

O.

[jdm2857]

Cold air can hold less water vapor than warm air. So if you use a heated humidifier and then do anything to cool the air, you are just about guaranteeing creating rainout.

Try the humidifier with no heat (passover mode) or very low heat and a hose cover. If your mask has a short hose between it and the main hose, cover that, too.

[zaban3]

I also am a Swift LT and have had problems with rainout although I have tried every "trick" mentioned in this forum. I live in Minnesota and we keep the bedroom quite cold in the winter. The heated humidifier seems to help with sinus congestion. Since I want to keep the bedroom cold and keep wearing the Swift LT I bought the "Aussie" heated hose and am going to try it out for the first time tonight. I hope this solves the problem.

[momof2inmn]

Ooooh, zaban3 let me know how it works for you!

Last night I put my machine on the floor and ran the hose up the head of the bed and down the side of my pillow. I then turned the humidifier off and did the pass over humidifier thing. That worked really well, but we are not even close to the dry winter season yet so I don't know how it will work then. Last night the rainout was only in the pillows so if it keeps on working then I will get some of those wicks to put in the pillows and hopefully that will take care of it.

I always struggle with an extremely dry nose in the winter so we'll see what happens now that I have a bi-pap to use. . .

[Raj]

I use a heated hose with both my LT and Opus 360 and don't find the air uncomfortably warm unless I turn my humidifier past five. I've found that I have to make seasonal adjustments in my settings.

[coker737]

I have been using the CPAP Tube Sock. Love it. And cool looking too.
http://www.cpapsock.com/index.php

[zaban3]

I used the heated hose last night and not a drop of water in my mask or tubing -- well worth the $129.00 in my opinion.
I had tried the hose cover, putting the CPAP lower than the bed, keeping the hose under the cover etc.

[Uncle_Bob]

I too dislike the warm feel from a traditional warm mist (steam) type humidifier. I now have a Venta Sonic VS205 Cool and Warm Mist Ultrasonic Room Humidifier which does nothing to the room temperature. Plus no filter or white dust and its easy to clean.

The Venta-Sonic VS205 ultrasonic humidifier features nano-silver technology that provides microbial protection and prevents bacterial growth, calcium and lime build-up with no white dust. Efficient humidification is achieved through high-frequency vibration generating micro-fine mist. A fan blows the mist visibly into the room where it instantly evaporates. No white dust Suitable for room up to - 600 sq. ft.

It costs a little more than a cheaper Holmes humidifier but to me its well worth it, around $80 on Amazon or Bed Bath and beyond.

I currently also sleep with the thermostat set to 78 degrees and if i have the PAP humidifier anywhere above 2 ½ then i get rainout in my Swift. I might look into a heated hose so i can crank my humidity up some more and not cause anymore nose bleeds

I used to use a F&P SleepStyle CPAP and the humidification on that machine was much better than what i have now, that included a heated hose.

[Uncle_Bob]

I also am a Swift LT and have had problems with rainout although I have tried every "trick" mentioned in this forum. I live in Minnesota and we keep the bedroom quite cold in the winter. The heated humidifier seems to help with sinus congestion. Since I want to keep the bedroom cold and keep wearing the Swift LT I bought the "Aussie" heated hose and am going to try it out for the first time tonight. I hope this solves the problem.

The Aussie hose - how long is it ? I use an 8 foot hose and not the standard 6 foot one. It does not mention on the web site how long the thing is

[momof2inmn]

zaban3 - did the air from the hose still feel nice and cold or did it feel warmer? If the air still felt cold then I will have to consider getting one.