When (or why) do I need to clean my System One H2O chamber?

[Logs]

I've had the Remstar System One Auto (DS550HS) for about a year and I've never cleaned anything, except the gray filter. I have only replaced the white filter whenever it gets dirty. I see people saying that they clean the chamber daily, which makes no sense to me. Is it because of bacteria? I have visually inspected the chamber, as well as the area which holds the chamber, and I see nothing. It still looks brand new. Do some people have issues with noticeable buildup?

Also, I hear some have rainout issues with their tubing; I've never had that either. I live in Northern CA in case weather is a factor...

[Therapist]

You are doing fine. All that cleaning is psychologically driven not hygienically driven.

[Wulfman...]

I've had the Remstar System One Auto (DS550HS) for about a year and I've never cleaned anything, except the gray filter. I have only replaced the white filter whenever it gets dirty. I see people saying that they clean the chamber daily, which makes no sense to me. Is it because of bacteria? I have visually inspected the chamber, as well as the area which holds the chamber, and I see nothing. It still looks brand new. Do some people have issues with noticeable buildup?

Also, I hear some have rainout issues with their tubing; I've never had that either. I live in Northern CA in case weather is a factor...

You'll see the entire spectrum of folks on the forum with regard to cleaning their equipment. If you go up to the Search line and put in "cleaning", you'll see it's been a controversial subject for the whole history of the forum. There are "clean freaks" and then there are "reasonable" people and then the "clean?......clean what?" folks.

Personally, I dump and rinse my HH tank a few times a year when I start a new gallon of distilled water......I use "passover" (cool) humidification year round and a gallon of distilled water will last me about three months. I have actually taken my HH tank apart and cleaned it ONCE in the nine years I've been on therapy......that was two years ago.
I DO rinse/clean my foam intake filter every two weeks. I wash my mask and headgear every few months. I've never actually "cleaned" my hose.......been using the same one for nearly nine years. I've filled it with hot water to check for leaks a few times and since there were none, I keep using it.

With regard to bacteria or viruses, they are too large to be carried out of the humidifier tank to the user by water vapor molecules. And, if a person might have that "stuff" growing in their HH tank, it came from their dwelling and that would indicate they have bigger problems in their home.......where they breathe unfiltered air lots for longer periods than when they're sleeping.

In my opinion, those people who clean frequently, are more likely to introduce "contaminants" into their machine's breathing circuit than those who just leave everything connected.

Distilled water and clean air intake filters are the key to keeping things "clean".


Den

.

[LSAT]

You are doing fine. All that cleaning is psychologically driven not hygienically driven.

Great statement! Very true.

[Bobshouse]

I use distilled water and after a few days of use without cleaning it gets smelly. After pouring out the water and feeling inside the container, I can feel a slippery, scum like substance inside the humidifier tray, and my house is spotless.

I would, and do, wash mine every two days. I know from science class that nothing inside the water will cross into vapor through evaporation, but you gotta be kiddin me!

[library lady]

My DME told me that I should change the water every day, and wash it with dish soap to avoid mold problems. I do it every morning, letting it air dry and it only takes a couple of minutes. No need to change the water, as the chamber runs dry every night. Avoiding mold is worth it to me, and I know that I would change the water if I had any left, because stagnant water is asking for mold trouble. What bothers me more is going through a gallon of distilled water every 8 days.

[HoseCrusher]

I clean frequently and rarely get sick.

Coincidence...? I think not.

I tell people to clean according to their immune system. If you never get sick, things are clean enough. On the other hand if you suffer from congestion, sinus issues, and frequent throat infections, perhaps a little extra cleaning may help.

[archangle]

If you're not using distilled water, crud accumulates pretty quickly. You should dump the water every morning and refill at night if you're using tap water.

The manufacturer says to at least rinse daily, even with distilled.

I use distilled water, and almost never dump the water during the week. I dishwash my S9 Dishwasher safe tank every week. All the PRS1 tanks are dishwashable. Disassemble and clean however you want to once a week at least, in my opinion.

[texasaaa]

When you start getting sinus infections from not cleaning your tank, hose and mask you will learn to do so.
The bacteria from your mouth contaminates all that and even with distilled water a slick scum will form in your tank. You really want to breathe that?

[LSAT]

When you start getting sinus infections from not cleaning your tank, hose and mask you will learn to do so.
The bacteria from your mouth contaminates all that and even with distilled water a slick scum will form in your tank. You really want to breathe that?

Please explain to me how bacteria from my mouth contaminates the water chamber and hose.

[DoriC]

It's been over 5yrs with just "reasonable" cleaning and my equipment still looks brand new with no ill effects, so when should I start worrying?

[archangle]

When you start getting sinus infections from not cleaning your tank, hose and mask you will learn to do so.
The bacteria from your mouth contaminates all that and even with distilled water a slick scum will form in your tank. You really want to breathe that?

Please explain to me how bacteria from my mouth contaminates the water chamber and hose.

When you exhale, the air flows back up the hose to some extent because you exhale at more liters per minute than the air can escape from the vent. I can see this quite clearly on cold nights as it fogs up the hose with each breath. A sneeze or a cough might make it go even further.

That said, I don't expect a lot of germs to "swim upstream" and really get that far up the hose.

To some extent, I'm not that worried about catching an infection from my own germs getting blown back at me. If I've got an infection, the concentration of germs in my nose or mouth is going to be a LOT more than what's in my exhaled air or residue where I've exhaled. Unless the germs find a place where they can find food and multiply to huge numbers or come back months later, it shouldn't be a problem.

My exhaled germs could be a problem for others, for instance if someone else uses my mask and hose.

[Logs]

Thank you to all those who responded. So, one person says she goes through a GALLON of distilled H20 every 8 DAYS?? That makes no sense to me, and how you can run your tank dry every night makes even less sense. A gallon lasts me 2-3 months.

Someone said he dumps his remaining H20 every night?? If it were meant to be dumped every night, then the MAX level on the tank would be much lower, IMO.

Another person says I'm running the risk of contaminating the mask (doubtful, I say), tubing (highly improbable), and the TANK?? Impossible! What am I exhaling that would cause this anyway? No matter, the reply is still appreciated.

I will continue to never dump my water, not clean anything except maybe the tank -unless i feel something "slimy" inside the unit, but hasn't happened thus far, or if something smells off, but that's not happened either.

I get sick <once a year, so I think I'm OK. Again, thanks for the helpful responses.

[Slartybartfast]

There's no reason to be compulsive about cleaning, and there's no reason to go out of your way to avoid doing so. FWIW, a species of Pseudomonas* can grow in distilled water, where it is evident as a slightly slimy deposit, and a funny smell after a while. I take my reservoir into the shower maybe once every 3-4 months to clean it. Unless they have become clogged, filters can be rinsed out by back-flushing with water, then drying. Beyond that, cleaning isn't necessary unless your immune system has been compromised somehow.

3 1/2 years on the same mask and original filters and I'm doing fine. That said, I'm recovering from pneumonia. First time I've been sick since I started CPAP.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium commonly occurring in soil and water. It is an opportunistic pathogen, causing disease in vulnerable individuals, such as the immunocompromised, those where host defenses have been breached, such as burns patients, and infants in whom the immune system is not yet developed. Most commonly, P. aeruginosa infections occur in the urinary tract, in burn wounds and as chronic lung infections in cystic-fibrosis patients.

J Med Microbiol August 2012 vol. 61 no. Pt 8 1052-1061

[Gary_UT]

Thank you to all those who responded. So, one person says she goes through a GALLON of distilled H20 every 8 DAYS?? That makes no sense to me, and how you can run your tank dry every night makes even less sense. A gallon lasts me 2-3 months. .

A gallon of distilled water only lasts me 8-9 days also. Then air in my house is very dry in the winter. My humidifier is set on the lowest setting and it runs dry almost every night.

Gary