catching drips

kopoloff · Post by **kopoloff** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:13 am

Just like everyone else, I get the odd night with rainout. I have a shrouded hose (old socks are wonderful, best washed first though and I keep the humidifier set at as low a temperature as I feel comfortable with. It's still warm here, just the start of autumn, so the nights are quite mild.

I'm looking to winter when the room temperature will drop very low overnight. I don't like a heated bedroom, so I anticipate a miniature Niagara Falls in my mask.

I've got an idea in mind to create a moisture trap that will fit partway along the hose. The way I'm thinking it will have a volume of about 0.5 litre, but I'm not sure what the effect of the increased volume will have on the machines responsiveness.

Since by my rough calculation a 6 foot hose has a volume of about 0.76 litre, and therefore a 10 foot hose about 1.3 litres, I anticipate that a 6 foot hose with a 0.5 litre moisture trap should have a similar volume to a 10 foot hose which I understand from conventional wisdom is within most machines acceptable range. On this basis there shouldn't be a problem, but I'm keen to get some feedback from anyone who has some thoughts on this.

K

MrSandman · Post by **MrSandman** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:23 am

Thought it said catching drip Probably not good.

Linus · Post by **Linus** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:21 am

Just get a heated hose and you will not have to worry about the rainout anymore.

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:12 pm

K.......

i read your post early this morning.......and haven't had a chance to respond until now.

Your water (rainout) problem has (2) sources.....and you solve them differently.

Rainout that forms in the hose is caused by a cold hose condensing warm, moisture-laden air on its inner surface. The solution to that problem is a cover for the hose....and a reduced setting on the humidifier. Also, you'll find a reduction in hose rainout if you reduce or eliminate mouth leaks. Fewer mouth leaks reduces the amount and velocity of the air moving through the hose.

Rainout that forms in your mask nose-piece is caused by moisture from your exhaled breath. The solution to that problem is to first conquer hose rainout....then, put some sort of "wick" inside the nose-piece that catches the big drops before they can roll into your nose.

My mask is different from yours, but I use a couple of pieces of (clean) thick cotton string inside my nose-piece. The string catches the big drops as they begin to roll around the inside of my nose-piece. This technique works perfectly. I've had no rainout since September of last year. The string causes no problems.

Hope this helps......

Gerald

DaveL · Post by **DaveL** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:44 pm

Gerald==great explanation.

Better than any I've tried to give!

I think it's great that we're compliant enough to wear the mask so long that there's a quantity of moisture there. When I was first starting I wouldn't have believed that possible!

kopoloff · Post by **kopoloff** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:11 am

Thanks all

I've today ordered a heated hose, and I'll try the wick also.

Sort of a shame really - I like making gadgets and now you've talked me out of it. I made a hose dryer a few weeks ago, works perfectly, swelled my chest with pride (LOL)

K

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:44 am

K......

Never stop tinkering or innovating....

Did you tell us about the hose drier? If you didn't, please let us know. I remember a "convection" type drier with a light bulb as a heat source.....if your's is different from that, please let us know what you've done. I built a hose drier out of a "boot warmer" and a computer (pancake) fan.....and I'm working on a 2nd generation. Mine has to dry (2) systems....mine and my lady's.
Your drier will make the string wick work perfectly. The cotton string dries out during the day.....catches big drips at night.

MrSandman · Post by **MrSandman** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:57 am

They already sell hose driers - already been invented. I seen one at my PSG mounted on the wall with several hoses hanging from it. The cpap machine makes a perfect hose drier anyway.

Bigburd · Post by **Bigburd** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:39 am

kopoloff wrote: I'm looking to winter when the room temperature will drop very low overnight.

K

Had me wondering if I had slept through Spring / Summer & Fall , then I noticed your location.

You can have it we are done.

kopoloff · Post by **kopoloff** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:18 pm

Gerald wrote:K......

Never stop tinkering or innovating....

Did you tell us about the hose drier? If you didn't, please let us know. I remember a "convection" type drier with a light bulb as a heat source.....if your's is different from that, please let us know what you've done.

This was mine - not sure if that was what you were looking at. I'm about to add a 12v muffin fan to speed up the process. If you need to dry two hoses you just put 2 outlet fittings in the top. (or 3, or 4!!!)

viewtopic/t39373/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39002&p=341005#p341005

Cheers

K

catching drips

catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Re: catching drips

Mask	Humidifier