Distilled water or not?

rushman007 · Post by **rushman007** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:15 pm

All,
When I first received my CPAP, I was told by the technician that I had to use distilled water in the humidifier. Unfortunately, I'm in a hotel that's in the middle of nowhere and I don't have a way to go to the store to get a gallon of distilled water.

Is it okay to use tap water?
Let me know what you think.

Muse-Inc · Post by **Muse-Inc** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:20 pm

rushman007 wrote:...in a hotel that's in the middle of nowhere and I don't have a way to go to the store to get a gallon of distilled water...Is it okay to use tap water?

Yeah, if ya can't find bottled water in the hotel or nearby eateries, use tap BUT when ya get home, do a vinegar and water soak to loosen any mineral deposits from the tap water. Wash daily while yopu're in the sticks so the water doesn't sit in the tub and add more deposits.

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:26 pm

Certainly sounds like poor planning to me

Did you ask the hotel concierge? They often can accommodate.

You didn't say where you were and I say it depends on if you can trust the local bacteria.

Can you tolerate going w/o?

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:29 pm

I've also been known to use bottled water... specifically Dasani when I travel.

socalmonkey · Post by **socalmonkey** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:31 pm

Distilled water is the way to go. If your only talking about a short time... then bottled water.

I would make an effort to go to market and get some. After switching back to distilled water, all my lung problems cleared up!

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:04 pm

For the past five years plus I've been using tap water and I haven't had any problems at all. Oh, and I think I saved some money, too.

jdm2857 · Post by **jdm2857** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:31 pm

Oh my God! Tap water! You're doomed, dooooomed!

I've been using it, too. It's only been two months, but my water chamber still sparkles. Dump and refill it every day.

If your water supply is hard, you will get mineral deposits, but vinegar will dissolve them away.

Paddyboy100 · Post by **Paddyboy100** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:02 pm

I'm kinda new to CPCP & this is my 1st post in this forum but...
Using distilled water isn't something I've really done & mostly I use Brita filtered water, it doesn't have the same white buildup I get from tap water (which I use a few times a week at work) That white stuff is hard to get out if the machine runs dry or you let it go for a few days. I do the vinegar soak & then cut a bit of a blue scrubbing sponge that'll fit into the humidifier tank & get what I can. It's never completely clean anymore & I'm bummed I didn't take the filtered water thing more seriously when I brought the thing home. I'll get a few gallons tomorrow...

I'm glad I stumbled into this forum. No-one I know uses CPAP (Exept my freak of a landlord & I'm not getting chummy with him!) Thanks.

DaveMunson · Post by **DaveMunson** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:34 pm

When I traveled and would be at any single location for a while I always hit up a grocery store for a few gallons of water. Dude. Don't drink the water. I got really sick once in Vegas. Best water in the country is upstate new york.

My water at home is good but semi-hard. At home I need to vinegar soak the humidifier once a month or so. Baggie, quarter gallon of vinegar in a plastic tub or 50% mix and soak for a few hours. Scrub with a tooth brush. Skip the blue sponge - too harsh.

I've used tap water for . . . . 12,000 hours on this machine. But, I know my well. The water is better than that stuff city folk buy in bottles.

Paddyboy100 · Post by **Paddyboy100** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:01 pm

Baggie, quarter gallon of vinegar in a plastic tub or 50% mix and soak for a few hours. Scrub with a tooth brush. Skip the blue sponge - too harsh.

Thanks, I'll try that.

old64mb · Post by **old64mb** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:54 am

A while back (couldn't find the post) someone came up with a brilliant idea - get distilled water in a prescription-labeled bottle to get it through TSA checkpoints. My pharmacist laughed when he heard the idea and offered to make up a label, so I'll get the Rx for it the next time I visit my PCP.

SleepyT · Post by **SleepyT** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:04 am

Paddyboy100 wrote: .. No-one I know uses CPAP (Exept my freak of a landlord & I'm not getting chummy with him!)

why the secrecy?

BeanMeScot · Post by **BeanMeScot** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:09 am

When I was in Thailand for 2 weeks, I used bottled water. There was a mineral deposit left on the bottom of the tank. I cleaned it when I got home and started using the distilled again. I would use distilled when you can and bottled water when you can't.

Paddyboy100 · Post by **Paddyboy100** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:52 am

why the secrecy?

No secrecy, I love that I'm sleeping & tell folks, I just don't know anyone else with apnea, exept the weird landlord.

El Pap · Post by **El Pap** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:11 am

WindFlyer wrote:For the past five years plus I've been using tap water and I haven't had any problems at all. Oh, and I've saved about $500, too.

How expensive is distilled water in Michigan?

Five years of distilled water use for me, where a gallon lasts about a month and Wal-Mart water is 88 cents: .88 * 12 * 5 = $52.80

For the 10 years I've been on CPAP, I guess I've spent about $100 on distilled water. (Wal-Mart water used to be around .66 cents in the early years)

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