My AirSense 11 is crazy thirsty

[jpek]

Hello, everyone. I recently upgraded my CPAP from a Philips Respironics System One (OLD) a ResMed AirSense 10, which I had for a short while and which was then exchanged for an AirSense 11. (To be honest, I kind of liked the AirSense 10 a little better then the 11, but that's another discussion.) Both the AirSense machines go through the water in the humidifier crazy fast. With the AirSense 11, sometimes 7 hours completely drains the tub. If I am lucky enough to sleep longer than that I still get woken up by the nasty smell of an empty humidifier and have to go refill it.

Is this because my hose is set to auto and insists on keeping the temperature of the hose at 80? If I reset the hose to manual and drop the temp a bit, will the machine go through the water more slowly? (Is 80 a typical temperature for the hose? What setting do you use?)

Any other suggestion for how to reign in my AirSense's "drinking habit?"

[Pugsy]

It's not so much the hose air temp as it is the actual humidity setting that is consuming the water.

You have X amount of moisture in your room air and when that room air is very dry and you select a humidity setting of any kind the machine takes that incoming air (with room moisture) and will do its best to deliver the selected humidity.
Hose air temp is just for comfort and preventing rain out.

Any other suggestion for how to reign in my AirSense's "drinking habit?"

You could add more moisture to your ambient room air by adding a humidifier by the machine.
You can reduce the humidity climate setting from "auto" to manual and go with a lower humidity setting but your nasal mucosa might not like being drier.

Changing the hose air temp alone isn't going to affect the water consumption level.

If you are using a LOT of water then I think perhaps your ambient room air moisture level is probably on the dry side and the machine has to use a lot more water to attain the amount you selected when you made the humidity selection.

[jpek]

Hmm.. Well, when I'm awake and up, I often heat the house in the colder months and that does tend to dry things out. But I sleep with the window open and the heater off. I don't live in a particularly dry climate. And this was never a problem with my Philips Respironics System One, which could go for at least two days without the need to add any water to the humidifier. Why would the AirSense handle the air in my room differently?

[ozij]

Higher pressure uses more water.
ResMed machines are more responsive to some breathing patterns, so maybe you pressure is higher.

Have you checked for leaks?

Why would the AirSense handle the air in my room differently?

Because - possibly - it is "instructed" so supply more moisture in its automatic mode than is the Respironics heated hose.

[Pugsy]

this was never a problem with my Philips Respironics System One, which could go for at least two days without the need to add any water to the humidifier. Why would the AirSense handle the air in my room differently?

I have no idea.
Too many potential variables. Like Ozij says....pressure and leaks also impact water consumption.
Then there are simply the brand variables as well. Like trying to compare apples and oranges.

Get one of those hygrometers that actually measures room air humidity and see what it says.

[Conrad]

Hello, everyone. I recently upgraded my CPAP from a Philips Respironics System One (OLD) a ResMed AirSense 10, which I had for a short while and which was then exchanged for an AirSense 11. (To be honest, I kind of liked the AirSense 10 a little better then the 11, but that's another discussion.) Both the AirSense machines go through the water in the humidifier crazy fast. With the AirSense 11, sometimes 7 hours completely drains the tub. If I am lucky enough to sleep longer than that I still get woken up by the nasty smell of an empty humidifier and have to go refill it.

Is this because my hose is set to auto and insists on keeping the temperature of the hose at 80? If I reset the hose to manual and drop the temp a bit, will the machine go through the water more slowly? (Is 80 a typical temperature for the hose? What setting do you use?)

Any other suggestion for how to reign in my AirSense's "drinking habit?"

How are your leaks? For me, the more leakage I have the greater the amount of water used.