Musty odor during restart?

[Wineguy19145]

Just joined the forum and tried searching but didn't find anything related so here goes...
When first starting up my CPAP machine at bed, everything is fine. If/when I wake up a few hours later to use the bathroom, I return and restart the machine to be blasted with a musty odor, almost at times reminding me of chalk dust from grade school.

Thanks...

[Artcarved]

I think the problem you are experiencing is because the water in the tank is warm. I wonder if you can add a little lemon juice or
mint to the water if that would work. It is a good idea to run hot water threw your hose each day to clean. Your unit should be lower
then your head on pillow so moisture does not collect in the hose. That could be an issue.

[Wineguy19145]

Fortunately my wife does a great job of keeping the hose and mask clean. The machine itself is actually right below me as we have an under-bed storage unit that I keep the machine in. The part I really can't understand is it only happens during a restart in the middle of the night.
Thanks for the suggestions though!

[archangle]

I think the problem you are experiencing is because the water in the tank is warm. I wonder if you can add a little lemon juice or
mint to the water if that would work. It is a good idea to run hot water threw your hose each day to clean. Your unit should be lower
then your head on pillow so moisture does not collect in the hose. That could be an issue.

I'd be reluctant to add anything organic to the water tank. If you put distilled water in the tank, there's nothing for bacteria to feed on. If you add organic stuff to the water, there's an extra possibility of something growing there.

I'll say to clean the water tank thoroughly. What machine do you have, wineguy? Please fill in the equipment in your profile. Follow the link at the bottom of this post.

Are you using distilled water. Warm tap water sitting in a sealed water tank might tend to smell if it sits warm while you're in the bathroom.

In terms of musty odor, turn the machine on and let air blow through for a few seconds before you put the mask on. Maybe having the machine sit in a box under the bed lets the heat and smell from the CPAP machine build up in the box. Maybe you could try it outside the box and see if the smell goes away.

[cflame1]

you might also want to at least check your filters... if not change them.

[DaveMunson]

I think it is time to clean everything.

[DoriC]

Check your filters.