OMIGOSH... I better clean more often!

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:22 pm

I have to admit that I have been one of the people that didn't clean my machine and hose very often....in fact very seldom. I always felt like since I added new fresh distilled water that it really didn't matter.
Well the other day I decided I was going to be a little more thorough and took the humidier out to look it over and ick! It was'nt moldy but there were some little whitish swirls along the bottom like maybe calcium buildup or someting. Whatever it sure grossed me out! I will be cleaning at least once a week now just for my own peace of mind.

KHENAULT · Post by **KHENAULT** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:53 pm

Yuck. Glad you found it before you got sick.

This is a good reminder to be more diligent.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:01 pm

dieselgal wrote: . . . there were some little whitish swirls along the bottom like maybe calcium buildup or someting.

I'd be suspecting that the distilled water wasn't really distilled.

KHENAULT · Post by **KHENAULT** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:20 pm

NightHawkeye wrote:I'd be suspecting that the distilled water wasn't really distilled.

The filter is far from perfect, and the water is likely to collect the particles that get through the filter. I suspect that was what was in the bottom of the tank.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:53 pm

KHENAULT wrote:The filter is far from perfect, and the water is likely to collect the particles that get through the filter. I suspect that was what was in the bottom of the tank.

Distilled water shouldn't need a filter, should it?

Bottled drinking water, however, is filtered rather than distilled. It has some dissolved minerals for taste purposes, so I would expect some residue from bottled drinking water. I've even used filtered water on a few occasions but never noticed any residue. Perhaps rinsing and dumping the contents of the humidifier immediately after using filtered water is a better strategy.

Regards,
Bill

jules · Post by **jules** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:15 pm

I rarely put water in my humidifier, but when I do it is definitely distilled. I know exactly where it is distilled - my kitchen counter.

I had a build up of slimy smelly stuff this winter on the bottom of the tank. The dust going through filters on cpap together with remnants of "distilled" water made the slime - this makes sense to me.

RiverDave · Post by **RiverDave** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:35 pm

Not to gross you out any further, but the long white strands are probably a fungus. Spores can make it through the filter and set up shop in the humidifier.

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:41 pm

I only use distilled so as far as that goes the label said distilled, however I was truly grossed out!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:21 pm

dieselgal wrote:I only use distilled so as far as that goes the label said distilled, however I was truly grossed out!

I think at under $1 a gal, what we get isn't as clean and pure as we expect. I lately am seeing lime on the clear plastic, I never clean it I dump it ever 3 days because it picks up a stale smell. I rinse it with tap water and shake it dry. The next time I do it I will add some vinegar to the rinse water, it over a year old and never has been apart, and wont be. Jim

jules · Post by **jules** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:32 pm

if you are buying distilled water check the processing ---- it might not say steam distilled - it might be RO filtered instead

most bottled water is run through charcoal filtering as a final step - who knows what is in it?

okay - just my thing - as I can't do a lot of charcoal filtered water as it give me too much gerd - my distiller is used for my drinking water.

Sears no longer sells these but this is what I am using right now (waterwise 8800 version made for Sears). Sears was a lot cheaper btw. It uses about 3 - 3.5 KW per gallon and that is pretty much pure heat.

akcpapguy · Post by **akcpapguy** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:10 pm

dieselgal,

Atleast yours didn't look like this one!!!!

http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg21 ... y%20CPAPs/

Yes I took the pictures, NO it's not MY CPAP.......that's all I will say about that!!!

ColoradoDreamer · Post by **ColoradoDreamer** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:41 pm

Distilled water begins to lose its purity once you open the bottle. The dust, bacteria and fungi in the air will contaminate it. Kinda like a sterile dressings. They are sterile until you expose it to the air. Just because it says it is distilled on the container doesn't mean it will remain pure water in the bottle or the tank.

For the reason described in this thread, I clean out the tank at least once a month. I too don't like to see foreign objects in the tank. I still think that dumping the tank each day is overkill.

Another part of the tank to keep an eye on is the plastic seal around the two openings in the M series humidifier. Check for discoloration. There is a lip on seal that can easily collect and cultivate algae/fungi with time. This is a nice place to develop a resident source for keeping you tank contaminated. Take time to periodically clean this seal.

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:42 am

Well, as always, I continue to learn from this forum. I really had no idea that there are different qualities (good/not so good) of distilled water. Kinda makes one want to consider making our own. So, found this countertop distiller for $99. Wondering if this is something a "serious CPAP'er" needs (?). But if this equipment acquisition continues much longer, I'll need to add a "CPAP supplies storage" room to my house :<) I already know my wife wouldn't let me keep this thing on our kitchen counter, guess it would be working in my workshop.
http://waterdistiller.com/distiller-wat ... -love.html

Catnapper · Post by **Catnapper** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:48 am

I was told by my DME that the reservoir would be replaced by my insurance every 3 months. If that is the case for you, you could get the replacement and toss the old one. Otherwise, you could buy a new one from time to time. They are not expensive, are they? What is your health and emotional comfort worth?

Don't you need a microscope to see what is growing there? Once you see things growing, they have been there long enough to multiply and establish themselves.

If you are comfortable with not cleaning the tank, don't do it. If you are worried about the tank, clean it often and replace it as well on a regular schedule.

Distilled water is pretty cheap. You could use the first half of the bottle and toss the rest if you suspect it has become contaminated. You could boil the water in the microwave before you use it to kill things that got in it from the air, cover it tightly, and when it is cool, fill the reservoir.

Do whatever you need to do to be comfortable before you try to sleep. Everyone has a different comfort meter. Some people wash face and hands before bed, some shower and brush teeth. Do what feels right for you.

Velbor · Post by **Velbor** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:48 am

Just a reminder that the concepts of

distilled (= no dissolved ions in the water), and
sterile (= no living microorganisms in the water)

are entirely different.

Distilled water may not necessarily be sterile.
Sterile water may not necessarily be distilled.
Tap and bottled water are certainly neither.
Once opened and used, bottles of sterile or distilled water do not necessarily remain so.

The question is, why do you think you need either of these qualities in your humidifier water? There often may be good reasons, but can you explain them, and why they apply to your particular situation? "I was told to do it" and "I've always done it" don't count in science!

OMIGOSH... I better clean more often!

OMIGOSH... I better clean more often!

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Re: OMIGOSH... I better clean more often!

Re: OMIGOSH... I better clean more often!

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