help! Why is my Resmed s9 motor blowing so loudly now?

[shilohsg1]

Help anyone! I recently got the Resmed S9 Elite about a month ago. I have loved using it & have been happy with the machine. One of the things I love about it is the very quiet motor.

Yesterday, I travelled with it for the first time. When I got ready for bed, I hooked the machine back-up (main console with the humidifier). I put on my mask. It turned on and it started blowing loudly from the main console. I knew something was wrong. You can hear the whoosing sound so clearly - it's pretty disturbing. It sounds like a loud windstorm and it's sound changes with my breathing.

I spent a good 45 minutes trying to figure out what was wrong with it. I checked my tubing connection. I made sure the console & the humidifier had been hooked together snugly. I turned the machine on & off several times. I hooked & rehooked the two parts. I plug & replugged the tubing.

I know the blowing sound is coming directly from the main console b/c I tried using the machine without the humidifier & I still hear it blowing loudly. It's like a mute has been taken off of the main console; and now what operated quietly has been amplified 10 times.

Since getting my machine, this is the first time I moved it. I had carefully taken it apart & placed it into the travel bag. I hadn't dropped it or anything like that. I carried it carefully to my destination.

So I can't figure out what the heck is wrong with it, and I am so frustrated & discouraged! Just when I thought I had discovered a machine I was really pleased with & was starting to get some good sleep - this happens!

If anyone out there would have a clue as to what's going on & how I could fix it - I would be so grateful to hear from you!
Thanks a ton!

[cpapernewbie]

Pls check yr S9 filter, is it very dirty?

[shilohsg1]

No, actually it's pretty clean.

[ZQuest]

Have you check the settings on the machine? Just to make sure that nothing got change when you unplug it,specially the pressure and mask settings.


Phil

[Slightlysleepy]

is the humidifier door closed?

I've had it slightly ajar a few times and it's very LOUD!

slightly sleepy

[shilohsg1]

Thanks for your replies. I've checked both the humidifier door & the settings - and these are definitely not the problem. I'm just going to have the place I got it from tomorrow and see what they can do for me.

[Janknitz]

Did you travel with water in the humidifier?

[shilohsg1]

No, I sure didn't.

[leonardlake]

I just got a new S9 Autoset 15 days ago and was very happy with how quiet it was compared to my old Respironics M-series Auto with C-Flex. However for about a week now I have noticed a whistle from the main unit on the exhale phase. I also disconnected the humidifier and connected the hose directly and still got the whistle. Also checked the filter and got the whistle with and without the filter in place. My DME has ordered a replacement unit.

[DreamDiver]

The first thing I think about is whether you have a backup machine of any sort and how you'll get through the night.
The second thing I think about is an attempt at humor - (maybe a turkey leg got stuck in the intake vent) - but I realize that falls flat when it comes down to the fact that you're down a machine.

I hope you're able to borrow a loaner until your S9 gets fixed.

It makes me wonder: how does insurance handle loaner machines when you're traveling and your machine goes haywire or has an accident?

Has anyone else ever had to deal with that?

Good luck this Thanksgiving evening. I hope you were able to achieve a reasonable solution by the time of this posting.

[DreamDiver]

I just got a new S9 ... I have noticed a whistle...

Check the 'Audio Smackdown' thread. If it's just slightly noticeable, it may be within the normal parameters of the machine -- you may simply not have noticed it before. My machine still whistles, but I think it may have gotten quieter through the months. I should really do a follow up metering to see if the levels are the same or actually reduced.

Does yours sound like the S9 audio sample linked in the thread?

[leonardlake]

Yes. That is what I hear when I am just putting it on before I go to sleep. However if I do wake up in the middle of the night it is much louder and continues through the entire exhale. When I played the Audio Smackdown just now my wife and daughter could hear it on the other side of the family room.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

The last time I had that problem with mine, the humidifier door wasn't shut. You might check the seal for leaks around certain edges. You can do this more easily by using some kind of tube, holding one end to your ear and the other end up to the edges where the door seals. May not help you find it exactly but it will help you localize the leak and better diagnose the problem.

[ozij]

I wonder what happens if the filter gets jogged out of place.

[DreamDiver]

Yes. That is what I hear when I am just putting it on before I go to sleep. However if I do wake up in the middle of the night it is much louder and continues through the entire exhale. When I played the Audio Smackdown just now my wife and daughter could hear it on the other side of the family room.

That noise level may not be normal, but if you are in an exceptionally quiet room, the problem may seem magnified by the contrasting ambient silence. The only way to check is to check the levels with a decibel meter or record it with something like Audacity at exactly one foot from the machine's filter vent and your mask faced as far away from the mic as possible to eliminate mask noise.

The last time I had that problem with mine, the humidifier door wasn't shut. You might check the seal for leaks around certain edges. You can do this more easily by using some kind of tube, holding one end to your ear and the other end up to the edges where the door seals. May not help you find it exactly but it will help you localize the leak and better diagnose the problem.

This is about the original post, and yes this happened to me too. If it's just a matter of clicking it closed, it can't hurt to explore that.

I wonder what happens if the filter gets jogged out of place.

I didn't try measuring levels for this, but I did temporarily remove the filter to listen by ear during the audio smackdown and could discern no difference in sound levels. As to whether the filter misplacement could cause a loud blowing sound, I suspect not. The filter is either off or on the machine. It's held in place by a vent top that can't be half-way attached.

@leonardlake It's entirely possible yours is just loud. Annoying noise is a wake trigger. This machine is supposed to help you sleep. If it keeps you awake, it's time to bring it back to the DME and get a replacement. Make sure they don't saddle you with another noisy machine.