Empty water chamber daily??

[glen4cindy]

Hello,

I've been a CPAP user for about 7 years now, and have always regularly cleaned and changed my water chamber, but, just topped it off every night.

Now, my son has just become a CPAP user, and his DME has told him that he should empty his water chamber every morning and use a fresh batch of water every night.

I've never been told this, ever, in any conversation with my DME.

They told him that leaving any amount of water in the chamber will cause it to grow bacteria, so it should be changed daily.

Are they right?

Does anyone else do this?

Thanks in advance.

[beautifuldreamer]

You will find that some wash/rinse out every day, and others do not. My DME also told me to empty the water chamber every morning and to put new water in at night, and yes, that is what I do. Water, if left in the chamber does grow bacteria in it. I have left out clean glass water bottles filled with purified water, and if I wait long enough, I see floatie things in the water that has been never used.

So, for me personally, I do pour out the water in the morning, and give it a little wash/rinse - let it dry during the day, and then put new water in at night . . .

There is an older thread on this same subject, where you can find the many differing views. But I couldn't find it, or I would have put the link to the thread here

[cubism_dream]

It basically comes down to personal preference. Echoing what beautifuldreamer said, some empty out and clean it daily, and others don't. I used to empty it out daily when I first started on CPAP, but I eventually changed the cleanings to a weekly routine. I use distilled water for the humidifier chamber, so stretching out the cleanings has been easier on the wallet. Although my emptying routine is now a weekly thing, I still check the chamber on a daily basis for anything that doesn't belong there.

[chunkyfrog]

I suspect this is a guideline to accommodate a worst case scenario.
Some "distilled water" sold in stores is NOT sterile, and within a few days, a "science project" happens.
I get more clean tank time with home distilled, but I check the water every day-
to determine when it is time for a purge and serious wash.

[archangle]

I suspect this is a guideline to accommodate a worst case scenario.
Some "distilled water" sold in stores is NOT sterile, and within a few days, a "science project" happens.
I get more clean tank time with home distilled, but I check the water every day-
to determine when it is time for a purge and serious wash.

No distilled water is sterile 10 seconds after your start the CPAP machine. There are germs in the air.

Distilled water helps prevent germ growth because there's very little food in the water for the germs to grow on.

I think you need to dump the water every morning if you're not using distilled water. It helps to dump the water every day, even with distilled water, but it's not not as necessary. With distilled water, you may get away with dumping it less often. I dump mine at least weekly, or if it starts to smell. Some distilled water users go a lot longer without dumping it.

[Wulfman...]

Hello,

I've been a CPAP user for about 7 years now, and have always regularly cleaned and changed my water chamber, but, just topped it off every night.

Now, my son has just become a CPAP user, and his DME has told him that he should empty his water chamber every morning and use a fresh batch of water every night.

I've never been told this, ever, in any conversation with my DME.

They told him that leaving any amount of water in the chamber will cause it to grow bacteria, so it should be changed daily.

Are they right?

Does anyone else do this?

Thanks in advance.

Bottom line is that nothing (like germs, viruses or bacteria) is going to get carried out of the humidifier tank to you in the water vapor. Water vapor molecules are too small to carry them out. So, it comes down to one's personal preferences and whether they have "OCD" (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Distilled water is recommended as it doesn't have as much "stuff" in it like minerals or chemicals to be left behind. Buying distilled water can be a little more costly if you're going to dump it out more often.

Here's a link that may help. Click on the link marked "Humidity" (for this discussion) and see the graphic as to the sizes of the molecules.

http://www.fphcare.com/sleep-apnea/educ ... port/faqs/

Make up your own mind. As has been discussed many times before, there is the total spectrum of folks on how they go about the various aspects of this therapy.


Den

.

[archangle]

Bottom line is that nothing (like germs, viruses or bacteria) is going to get carried out of the humidifier tank to you in the water vapor. Water vapor molecules are too small to carry them out. So, it comes down to one's personal preferences and whether they have "OCD" (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Distilled water is recommended as it doesn't have as much "stuff" in it like minerals or chemicals to be left behind. Buying distilled water can be a little more costly if you're going to dump it out more often.

Here's a link that may help. Click on the link marked "Humidity" (for this discussion) and see the graphic as to the sizes of the molecules.

http://www.fphcare.com/sleep-apnea/educ ... port/faqs/

Make up your own mind. As has been discussed many times before, there is the total spectrum of folks on how they go about the various aspects of this therapy.


Den

.

The manufacturers and suppliers say nothing can get out of the humidifier because only water vapor goes down the tube. The science makes sense on this as long as there are no water droplets created. They call this aerosolizing and that's how the Legionaire's disease incident was caused by a hotel cooling tower.

I know on my S9 humidifier, if I overfill the tank, it sprays water droplets into the hose. I'm not 100% convinced that there are no aerosolized droplets created at other time.

I'm not really that concerned about it, and I try to err on the side of caution. I'm just not 100% sure there's no risk at all. I do try to keep the tank reasonably clean.

Besides, my tank does start to stink a bit if I top it off for too many days in a row.

[Wulfman...]

You cannot "connect the dots" between Legionnaires disease in those other settings and in the CPAP humidifier tanks!

But, like I said, everybody has to make up their own mind as to what their threshold is to their periodic routines with this therapy.


Den

.

[archangle]

You cannot "connect the dots" between Legionnaires disease in those other settings and in the CPAP humidifier tanks!

But, like I said, everybody has to make up their own mind as to what their threshold is to their periodic routines with this therapy.


Den

.

No, but it shows dirty water can spread germs if the water becomes aerosolized. Overfill an S9 humidifier, take off the hose, put your hand it the airflow, and feel the water droplets.

[SleepyToo2]

I don't empty my water chamber daily, but I probably need to do it more frequently than I have been ... last night it smelled horrible, but I was too lazy to get up and do something about it. I did wash it this morning, though! I do probably need a new chamber soon, however.

I am not about to test my humidifier by overfilling it, because the manufacturer has chosen to put a label on there warning me not to try this at home. I (nearly) always follow directions like that ...

Regarding the sterility or otherwise of the distilled water. It depends on how you get it - if it is factory-sealed in a container, it will be sterile when you get it home. However, as soon as you break that seal and open the container, bacteria can enter. Secondly, unless you sterilize the chamber every day, that will be contaminated, or will be very quickly after starting the machine. Last time I looked, the filters on a regular machine are not bacterial filters. I know some people do use in-line bacterial filters, but I don't and don't know how they work.

Finally, not all bacteria are bad for you. It seems that almost every week there is a new study published in the scientific literature stating that a different bug has been shown to be beneficial. I even saw recently that a Clostridium bug can be helpful in food allergies. On the other hand, some types of Clostridium are extremely harmful - so supplementing with that bug is definitely not something you should try at home.

So, bottom line is that changing the water daily is probably not necessary, but every 2-7 days (your choice) does make sense.

[RogerSC]

Another one that errs on the side of caution *smile*. I also empty my humidifier tank every day, when I get up, so that it dries. I live near the ocean, and this area is club med for mold and mildew. So I want to take as few chances as I can manage. I don't use a lot of water every day, putting water in the tank to just below the first mark on the gauge is enough, so a gallon of water lasts me some time. And distilled water is actually pretty cheap, so I figure it's something that I can do for myself. After all, I'm breathing through it for at least 1/3 of my life (hopefully).

[Denial Dave]

+1

You cannot "connect the dots" between Legionnaires disease in those other settings and in the CPAP humidifier tanks!

But, like I said, everybody has to make up their own mind as to what their threshold is to their periodic routines with this therapy.


Den

.

[palerider]

Overfill an S9 humidifier, take off the hose, put your hand it the airflow, and feel the water droplets.

because that's how *I* use *MY* cpap! I just point the output at my nose all night and let the gale force winds blow into my lungs.

[Wulfman...]

You cannot "connect the dots" between Legionnaires disease in those other settings and in the CPAP humidifier tanks!

But, like I said, everybody has to make up their own mind as to what their threshold is to their periodic routines with this therapy.


Den

.

No, but it shows dirty water can spread germs if the water becomes aerosolized. Overfill an S9 humidifier, take off the hose, put your hand it the airflow, and feel the water droplets.

And, WHY would anybody want to do that? And, most users use at least a 6' hose. Are you asking me to believe that water "droplets" introduced into a hose at the humidifier connector are still going to be "droplets" six feet later with air blowing them up that hose?

"Germs" can't be carried in water vapor molecules!

But, you're making an excellent argument as to why a user should want to turn down or turn off their heated humidifier settings. Warm water VAPOR leaving the HH tank will travel up the hose and cool......condensing and turning them into water DROPLETS ("rainout") which can collect in low spots in the hose or in the mask and disrupt the users' sleep. (Removes tongue from cheek)


Den

.

[palerider]

No, but it shows dirty water can spread germs if the water becomes aerosolized. Overfill an S9 humidifier, take off the hose, put your hand it the airflow, and feel the water droplets.

And, WHY would anybody want to do that?

to try and support a hypothesis

And, most users use at least a 6' hose. Are you asking me to believe that water "droplets" introduced into a hose at the humidifier connector are still going to be "droplets" six feet later with air blowing them up that hose?

don't forget the great difference in flow rate between the 20-40 lpm typical of a masked up user vs the 200lpm (ish) of a unhosed unit trying to build up pressure in the room. probably a lot more wind to whip up waves in the tank in that 'test' method than in real life.