travelling and distilled water

tlppt · Post by **tlppt** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:25 pm

What is the opinion on having to use distilled water with humidifier when travelling? I have two multi-day trips coming up where I will be flying to major cities and staying in hotels. It will be much easier for me to find bottled water. Otherwise it will require hunting down a grocery store for the distilled water. Will it bother the humidifier if I use regular for 4-5 days?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:42 am

Hi tppt,

Using bottled water in your humidifier during your trip shouldn't cause any problem. Won't harm the operation of the humidifier at all. I wouldn't even hesitate to use tap water, for that matter, on a trip even though I always use distilled water in the humidifier at home.

The biggest reason people like to use distilled water in the humidifier is to prevent a buildup over time of scale on the inside walls and floor of the water chamber.

Sloshing a vinegar/water solution around in the water chamber to clean it after you get home should easily remove whatever scale, if any, bottled water might have left on the plastic.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:00 am

I use bottled water when I travel simply because it's so much more convenient than distilled. I always go for Reverse Osmosis water though. I've used the major brands, such as Dasani, Aquafina, Nestle, etc, and haven't had any build-up. I avoid the mineral waters.

Regards,
Bill

greyhound · Post by **greyhound** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:18 am

Although I've used tap water where necessary, I try to either buy distilled water at my destination or carry it ( guess in my checked luggage nowadays) in a good quality "plastic" (nalogene?) water bottle(s).

However, as RG says, if you use tap water, remember to clean it how well using a vinegar/water mixture after you return home.

Pirate · Post by **Pirate** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:17 am

I've always used bottled Ozarka spring water in my humidifier. I've never used distilled water and I've not had any problem with buildup inside the chamber. The chamber on my original machine went 3.5 years with only about 3 cleanings. My new machine is only 5 months old and I haven't cleaned it yet. You can always get bottled water in the store in most hotels or out of the minibar in the room if there is one or from room service.

tlppt · Post by **tlppt** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:00 am

Thanks for the advice--this board is incredible! I have only had my CPAP for just over a month, and I swear it has changed my life. I am no longer foggy, no headaches, no memory loss, and for the first time in over 35 years, I seem to actually be pleasant in the morning. I have shocked my co-workers and friends. I fall asleep faster at night, am actually dreaming when I sleep--which I NEVER did before--what an amazing difference. I feel like I owe the doctor who diagnosed this my life. And I hope every day that these new changes are for real and not a honeymoon period.

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:57 am

Ae you sure these waters have gone through Reverse Osmosis? They have minerals in them, I thought that there would have been zero minerals or salts in them if they had gone through reverse osmosis.

NightHawkeye wrote:I use bottled water when I travel simply because it's so much more convenient than distilled. I always go for Reverse Osmosis water though. I've used the major brands, such as Dasani, Aquafina, Nestle, etc, and haven't had any build-up. I avoid the mineral waters.

Regards,
Bill

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:24 am

Thank you so much for posting this thread, asking the question and for the wonderful information provided here (as usual, of course!) I have to travel to Minneapolis for meetings next week and I was fretting about how I would get distilled water for my ResMed S8 Vantage/H3i combo. I'm MUCH MORE RELAXED now, knowing that bottled water will do, or even tap for the foir nights that I'll be at the meetings, and I'll clean it out with 1:4 vinegar when I get back. Its my back-up/travel machine anyhow.

Thanks so much, once again!!!

Chuck

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Fletch · Post by **Fletch** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:57 am

My understanding of purified water is that it has been through reverse osmosis and then had some trace mkinterals added to improve taste. Not as good as distilled but cleaner than average tap water.

MandoJohnny · Post by **MandoJohnny** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:49 pm

It is not that hard to find distilled water while traveling. Put your destination in Mapquest. Then go to the "Find Nearby" pulldown and select "Pharmacies." I will bet there is one within a couple of miles of where you are going, or at least there will be one on the way. You can get distilled water at any of them and be in and out in 5 minutes. It will only cost from $0.90 to $1.20 for a gallon. If you are taking a cab, have them take you by a pharmacy on the way and wait. That will only be a few extra bucks. If you have a rental car, get map from Mapquest. I have never had the detour take more than 15 minutes and I usually get a couple other things I need.

tlppt · Post by **tlppt** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:53 pm

Hadn't ever thought of a pharmacy--great idea. Those are all around in large cities. Great idea. Thanks! And if that fails, it sure sounds like I can use plain bottled water. I also hadn't thought about using a good watertight "reservoir" of some sort to pack water in my suitcase. I was just picturing what would happen to a bottle of water in my suitcase. I have two 1 liter Platypus containers that would work perfectly.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:03 pm

Okay, funny story from when I was studying in Spain -

I was experiencing quite a bit of dry mouth, so I started using my humidifier (strangely enough, it didn't help, even at the highest setting, and when I got back to the US, the problem immediately stopped - it had to be the Spanish air! I was using a FFM, so it wasn't mouth-breathing).

Anyhow, I had run out of distilled water, and needed more, so, since there were no Wal-Marts around to head to, and the grocery stores didn't have it, I headed to a pharmacy. I asked for "Agua destilada." Even though I had been complimented zillions of times by the native Spaniards that lived in this city on my pronunciation, this guy could NOT get what I was saying. He kept telling me they didn't have salad dressing (agua de ensalada) there; that I had to go to a grocery store for that. Finally, I had to say it syllable by syllable, and he got it!

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:06 pm

When we used to travel in our MH, we would take distilled water with us, but we got to where we drink it, use in the wife's coffee machine etc. Walgreen's has it on sale all the time...59 cents a gallon.

One other thing I found odd, our daughter got a little gold fish as a prize somewhere...and the sheer power of love kept that stupid goldfish alive for many, many years...it just wouldn't die. Then mommy...wanting to help her,
put distilled water in for the fish. Yep...deader than a door nail within hours.
I don't know why, never thought about it until now.

I buried that fish on "Puppy Hill" out back. There must be a moral to this story, but darned if I can think of it. Oh yeah...distilled water isn't for everyone??

This is the same daughter whose kitten was ran off by its brother. I was just happy to have one less heart beat in the house...then, our 6 year old daughter prayed to just see her kitten one more time...you gussed it, the Lord brought that hateful little cat home for 19 more years. That cat hated everyone but our daughter. If only I had fed that cat distilled water??

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roster · Post by **roster** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:33 pm

[quote="dllfo"]
One other thing I found odd, our daughter got a little gold fish as a prize somewhere...and the sheer power of love kept that stupid goldfish alive for many, many years...it just wouldn't die. Then mommy...wanting to help her,
put distilled water in for the fish. Yep...deader than a door nail within hours.
I don't know why, never thought about it until now.

I buried that fish on "Puppy Hill" out back. There must be a moral to this story, but darned if I can think of it. Oh yeah...distilled water isn't for everyone??

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:53 pm

I have traveled a lotg in my career and my answer to this was I bought a stainless steel thermos in a discount rack, Tuesday morning I believe, and I only use it for putting distilled water in for traveling. One thermos will take me on a 10 day trip with no problems and it never gets the attention of airport or security people...ever.

travelling and distilled water

travelling and distilled water

Thanks for the responses-new to all this

Thank you!!!!

Thanks--great ideas