dried hose with machine w/ water in tank? safe???

[DBestman]

Well, there's lots of contaminants in the air, just getting ready for the appropriate conditions to breed and get in enough concentrations to infect someone. Some people need less concentrations than others to get sick. Some even need to live in plastic bubbles...
The appropriate conditions for growth can be... humidity and relative darkness.

Do this test for me: put some distilled water in a transparent hose, then forget it in a closet for a couple of weeks to a month. I guarantee you won't like the slime that will gave grown inside. Yet that filth came from the same air you breathe. I see that every year with the hose of my portable A/C... Gross!

Now, in our case, we're betting that the water/air is changed often enough to prevent sufficient concentrations of microbes to infect you. It's probably a good bet.

Oh, and I sometimes do see lots of droplets in my tube before going to bed... Even if I have a ResMed. Nothing's perfect.

[palerider]

Do this test for me: put some distilled water in a transparent hose, then forget it in a closet for a couple of weeks to a month. I guarantee you won't like the slime that will gave grown inside. Yet that filth came from the same air you breathe. I see that every year with the hose of my portable A/C... Gross!

I shall not do your stupid test, because one's hose has air blowing through it every night.

however, believe what you want, do what you want, live in a bubble to avoid all germs if you want... doesn't matter to me

[DBestman]

Do this test for me: put some distilled water in a transparent hose, then forget it in a closet for a couple of weeks to a month. I guarantee you won't like the slime that will gave grown inside. Yet that filth came from the same air you breathe. I see that every year with the hose of my portable A/C... Gross!

I shall not do your stupid test, because one's hose has air blowing through it every night.

however, believe what you want, do what you want, live in a bubble to avoid all germs if you want... doesn't matter to me

Wow, someone's cranky...

I see you're one of those who resort to insults when you don't have enough arguments.

[ChicagoGranny]

i filled up humidifier with distilled water there was tap water in the hose

The admonition to use distilled water in the humidifier is merely to prevent mineral deposits in the humidifier tank. Assuming your tap water is potable, there is nothing to do except continue using your CPAP without worries. You can even use tap water in the humidifier tank, if you are willing to occasionally clean the mineral deposits out with white vinegar.

[palerider]

I shall not do your stupid test, because one's hose has air blowing through it every night.

however, believe what you want, do what you want, live in a bubble to avoid all germs if you want... doesn't matter to me

Wow, someone's cranky...

I see you're one of those who resort to insults when you don't have enough arguments.[/quote]

you might, if you weren't so busy attempting to defend your defenseless position, notice that I insulted your idea of a 'test' (which was completely irrelevant), and not YOU.

but, believe whatever makes you happy.

[Wulfman...]

Well, there's lots of contaminants in the air, just getting ready for the appropriate conditions to breed and get in enough concentrations to infect someone. Some people need less concentrations than others to get sick. Some even need to live in plastic bubbles...
The appropriate conditions for growth can be... humidity and relative darkness.

Do this test for me: put some distilled water in a transparent hose, then forget it in a closet for a couple of weeks to a month. I guarantee you won't like the slime that will gave grown inside. Yet that filth came from the same air you breathe. I see that every year with the hose of my portable A/C... Gross!

Now, in our case, we're betting that the water/air is changed often enough to prevent sufficient concentrations of microbes to infect you. It's probably a good bet.

Oh, and I sometimes do see lots of droplets in my tube before going to bed... Even if I have a ResMed. Nothing's perfect.

That IS a stupid "test"!
It has nothing to do with reality........using a CPAP every night.


Den

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[DBestman]

That IS a stupid "test"!
It has nothing to do with reality........using a CPAP every night.

Guys, guys... It was a hypothetical test. I didn't want you to do it for real, but to imagine it. Of course I wasn't expecting you to do it... The point I was trying to make is that there ARE contaminants in the air we breathe. And that they can breed if given the chance. There's nothing to get worked up with, we are bathed in them all day and it's OK. I don't "fear" them like someone said. But I don't pretend they don't exist either. The "test" was in response to "Distilled water is not a good environment for things to grow" and "it is simply letting in room air that you breath all day long without filters". Being a scientific, I like using scientific experiments to present stuff. I see that not everyone likes my method

Now, I DO agree with you that we probably don't need to clean our stuff every week or whatever. At least those that are not immunosuppressed. But please, don't use false claims to prove your points.
Also, "Water vapor molecules are too small to carry anything (including viruses and bacteria) out of the HH tank." is not true. The bacteria in the humidifier CAN be aerosolized into the hose. See this article if you believe in scientific literature: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556912/

Please give people the complete information so they can make their own decisions. No need to insult people (or their ideas) to force your point in.

[mummmz]

I agree that we should clean the equipment. Maybe not every day but every few days at least. The humidifier tray, hose, and mask are not sterile and stuff WILL grow in it. The non-sterile air is blowing through it does not stop bacteria growth. Would you drink water that has been sitting exposed for days? Our stomach acids will at least destroy most of the bad stuff but our lungs can't do that job as well.

[chunkyfrog]

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been over a year since I washed a hose.
If this displeases You, please feel free to make me ill. No? Well, I guess it's OK."

[Sheffey]

I certainly accept science and use it to my advantage in life. My hose is 2.5 years old and has never been cleaned. That's in a subtropical environment.

As has been said by others here over the years, I am more afraid of introducing something unwanted to the hose during the cleaning and drying process than during nightly use. So, you might want to have science look at the cleaning/drying process before making a conclusion.

I wash the mask every five days and dust the outside of the machine every couple of weeks. (A humidifier is unnecessary in this climate. Strange, but I also don't need it when traveling in drier climates.)

[Wulfman...]

That IS a stupid "test"!
It has nothing to do with reality........using a CPAP every night.

Guys, guys... It was a hypothetical test. I didn't want you to do it for real, but to imagine it. Of course I wasn't expecting you to do it... The point I was trying to make is that there ARE contaminants in the air we breathe. And that they can breed if given the chance. There's nothing to get worked up with, we are bathed in them all day and it's OK. I don't "fear" them like someone said. But I don't pretend they don't exist either. The "test" was in response to "Distilled water is not a good environment for things to grow" and "it is simply letting in room air that you breath all day long without filters". Being a scientific, I like using scientific experiments to present stuff. I see that not everyone likes my method

Now, I DO agree with you that we probably don't need to clean our stuff every week or whatever. At least those that are not immunosuppressed. But please, don't use false claims to prove your points.
Also, "Water vapor molecules are too small to carry anything (including viruses and bacteria) out of the HH tank." is not true. The bacteria in the humidifier CAN be aerosolized into the hose. See this article if you believe in scientific literature: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556912/

Please give people the complete information so they can make their own decisions. No need to insult people (or their ideas) to force your point in.

That "scientific literature" has been cited many times on the forum.......and it's bogus. Either you didn't read the details or you ignored them. It was performed by a company which makes filters. The tests were rigged to provide the outcome they were seeking. They used "contaminated" water and old S7 series ResMed machines. If you look at the picture of the line of machines, you'll see that the filters were positioned on the outlet of the humidifier tank just above the water line.


Den

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[palerider]

I agree that we should clean the equipment. Maybe not every day but every few days at least. The humidifier tray, hose, and mask are not sterile and stuff WILL grow in it. The non-sterile air is blowing through it does not stop bacteria growth. Would you drink water that has been sitting exposed for days? Our stomach acids will at least destroy most of the bad stuff but our lungs can't do that job as well.

do you sanitize your airconditioner every few days?

there's more and more research coming out all the time that says that the idea of trying to live in a bug free bubble exacerbates allergies and depresses the immune system.

wash whatever you want, but not because it's not "sterile".

yes, I drink water that's been sitting around a few days, I drink water that fish poop in, I grew up on a lake, drinking water from that lake, and from an untreated well.

rinse out your humidifier, wash goop off your mask, and don't stress about it.

[ChicagoGranny]

That "scientific literature" has been cited many times on the forum.......and it's bogus. Either you didn't read the details or you ignored them. It was performed by a company which makes filters. The tests were rigged to provide the outcome they were seeking. They used "contaminated" water and old S7 series ResMed machines. If you look at the picture of the line of machines, you'll see that the filters were positioned on the outlet of the humidifier tank just above the water line.
Den

Peer review is part of scientific studies. That's good, Den. (I haven't opened the study and hereby reserve the chance to make additional comments at some future time.)

[WearyOne]

.
Judge me how you will...LOL!

I've been on CPAP for 9 years and...

- Have used the same heated hose since I started
- Have used the same short regular hose (for added length) since I started
- I have both hose ends "open" daily to let it "air out" a bit.
- Maybe once a year I wash the regular hose, and I don't think I've ever washed the heated hose. Has heating elements in there and was always afraid to
- I'm still alive



Pam

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[Wulfman...]

That "scientific literature" has been cited many times on the forum.......and it's bogus. Either you didn't read the details or you ignored them. It was performed by a company which makes filters. The tests were rigged to provide the outcome they were seeking. They used "contaminated" water and old S7 series ResMed machines. If you look at the picture of the line of machines, you'll see that the filters were positioned on the outlet of the humidifier tank just above the water line.
Den

Peer review is part of scientific studies. That's good, Den. (I haven't opened the study and hereby reserve the chance to make additional comments at some future time.)

From the link:

Methods:

"Heated humidifier water contaminated with bacteria was studied under conditions simulating week-long use of nCPAP for OSA."

No mention in the study regarding "distilled water" or whether and how long it might take bacteria or "whatever" to grow in distilled water. As discussed many times before, if anything is going to grow in the HH tank water, it would most likely have to get past the intake air filter and would already be in the unfiltered air in the dwelling before that. And, whether pathogens can be carried out of the HH tank with WATER VAPOR has been debated and highly unlikely. The Fisher & Paykel Healthcare site says "NO".......it cannot.


Den

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