Z1 CPAP noise level

[dave154304]

Hello All,

FIrst time poster - just found the forum and it looks interesting...

I just bought a Z1 CPAP to use as a travel unit. I tried it at home, and it is considerably louder than what I'm used to. I also didn't realize the differences between an Auto-PAP and a CPAP (my main machine is an APAP I have since learned).

Does anybody have any clever ways for reducing the noise? The majority of noise comes from the mask when exhaling. It's loud enough that my wife doesn't want me to wear it...and I would want to try it out before going on a road trip with it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Dave

[levman]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... if you search this forum for reviews of the Z1 or the Transcend travel CPAP (which is what I travel with, so I definitely feel your pain), you'll find that this is typical of these small travel units. I've tried my Transcend with three different masks (swift FX, Pilairo Q, AirFit P10), no joy.

I deal with the Darth Vader noise when traveling on business, and take my regular machine when traveling with my wife. Not sure I'd call that solution clever...

[levman]

I will say, at one point I considered trying a 10 foot hose to place the Transcend farther from the bed... I don't know whether that will help, as the noise seems to come out of the mask vent not the CPAP.

[dave154304]

Thanks for the feedback... I would agree that the solution probably isn't "clever," but will probably be what I have to do too. Most of my travel is when I'm on business - so alone anyway.

[levman]

I assume you use the ramp feature? That should help, my Transcend is reasonably quiet until the pressure ramps up. If (when) I wake up in the middle of the night, more often than not I'll hit the ramp button when using the Transcend. Even with the noise, it beats dragging along a full size CPAP for a short trip.

[Mgsnorer]

I am curious what pressures produce the louder noise. I can function at 8.5. Would that make the darth vadar noise?

[dave154304]

I assume you use the ramp feature? That should help, my Transcend is reasonably quiet until the pressure ramps up. If (when) I wake up in the middle of the night, more often than not I'll hit the ramp button when using the Transcend. Even with the noise, it beats dragging along a full size CPAP for a short trip.

I will try the ramp...I don't have much of a ramp on my regular unit, so I went without on this one. It would make sense that it would help!

[dave154304]

I am curious what pressures produce the louder noise. I can function at 8.5. Would that make the darth vadar noise?

My regular pressure is 11. When I got the unit though, it was set by the factory at 8 (for some reason my prescription didn't get it set before I received it). I thought both settings were pretty loud - at least louder than what I'm used to.

[artm99]

I guess many of us are in the same boat...

Just received my Z1 last week, with the planned use for travel when with my wife. My sleep apnea is pretty minor so my doc says, so I only have taken my larger Respironics with me when we travel together (not when alone).

I was shocked by the noise on the Z1, expecting that if it was noisy it would be coming from the unit itself and due to some fan noise. Have used it somewhat successfully one night (have only tried twice in the week since getting it), and by using earplugs and using the ramp mode. May have to add some type of sleeping pill to the mix. I seemed to adapt this time, until I had to get up in the middle of the night for a bio break. The next point to a lot longer to fall back asleep due to the noise despite the earplugs.

I talked to the Z1 manufacturer and they recommend using the 6' hose over the 4' hose, but I had already been doing that (using the same hose from the Respironics). She couldn't explain why a longer hose would make it quieter but relied more on Customer anecdotal stories.

Has anyone experimented with different diameter hoses or even longer hose lengths?

Thanks.

[Mkatz27]

Just picked one up on a Friday...headed back to the shop tomorrow. I don't think it's working correctly. Besides the loud noise, the air pressure seems to be incorrect as compared to my home S9 unit. The volume of air at my low level cannot even maintain the safety valve closed on my Quattro Air mask.

I'm a bit disappointed.

[levman]

Just picked one up on a Friday...headed back to the shop tomorrow. I don't think it's working correctly. Besides the loud noise, the air pressure seems to be incorrect as compared to my home S9 unit. The volume of air at my low level cannot even maintain the safety valve closed on my Quattro Air mask.

I'm a bit disappointed.

If you want to test it, you could rig up a simple home made water manometer. Just tape or rubber band the end of your hose to a centimeter scaled ruler, making sure the end of the hose exactly lines up with zero.

Fill a large glass or pitcher with water. Lower the ruler/hose contraption into the water, making sure to lower it deep enough that the ruler measurement breaking the surface of the water is well larger than your CPAP prescription setting. For example, if your prescription is 10cm, you want to make sure that the 10cm mark (and then some) is submerged.

Now, turn on your CPAP, and SLOWLY start raising the ruler out of the water. The ruler reading at the surface of the water, just when bubbles start to emerge from the hose, is the setting your machine is calibrated to.

I should warn you that the difference between "bubbles start to appear" and "water splashing everywhere" is pretty small, so raise the device out of the water SLOWLY and stop as soon as you see bubbles.

This trick was originally posted by another cpaptalk member, I can't take credit for it, but it's pretty brilliant.

The reason I suggest doing this is because I had a similar problem when I first got my Transcend - I felt like it was blowing me up like a balloon! I was sure that they must have set it wrong. Only they didn't, both the Transcend and my REMstar were reading exactly 10cm. I think these travel machines are just a little funky, maybe it has something to do with the size and type of motor they have to use on such a small device?

At least this way you'll know whether the machine has been set properly.

[Mkatz27]

Thank you for the suggestion. I think I'm just gonna return it altogether. The shop has a very good return policy. I'm going to get another ResMed S9 auto which is just about the same size when separated from the humidifier for a dedicated travel unit.

Besides the noise, I don't trust it anymore regardless. I think the bugs have to be worked out.

[artm99]

I may have found a solution...talked to the manufacturer, Human Design, and they were not much help. Disappointing.

So I called the web company I bought the Z1 through, cpap-supply.com and explained the problem. He wanted me to try something, and sent me (no cost) a "bacterial & viral filter", just to basically have a device in between the Z1 and my nasal pillow that could help the air flow. Well, I tested it last night and while there is now some slight noise on the Z1 side, there is just the normal sounds on the nasal pillow side.

There is also a device (Human Design Medical part #20-0014) that came with my Z1 but not listed on the list of included parts. According to cpap-supply, it's to add humidity to the airflow by collecting some from your exhales and returning to your inbound flow. That device could also work to decrease sound. While I didn't try it to sleep with yet, in my rough testing while awake it seemed to have the same affect as the filter they sent me.

Based on the one night's test, feel it's ready to take on the road.

[Goofproof]

Basically adding a filter inline, adds a restriction, making it quieter, but restricting flow too.

Ever hear "Can't make a Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear". To get light weight, trade offs must be made, they are higher noize and shorter life.

[levman]

Interesting... I tried using the Z1 inline HME with my Transcend travel CPAP, but it didn't seem to reduce the Darth Vader noise from the nasal pillow.