Infections, Bacterias, Bugs that Haunt the CPAP hose

[Wulfman...]

Hi,
first post! This topic is what led me to finding this site.

As for the question, perhaps someone has already mentioned what I'm about to add, sorry if this has already been posted. Basically, I was a little shocked at the amount of time and effort being discussed regarding the cleaning of a $5 hose. Why not just skip a single trip to Starbucks, and simply buy a new hose every month, and never again worry about this nonsense? I've found even less expensive than that, when buying multiples it drops to three bucks and change per hose. That's less than a box of cookies.

Seems odd discussing cleaning options when they are so cheap. Plus, you aren't ever going to get a more "clean" hose than a brand-new one. Use them for a few weeks, and then put them in the recycle bin. Or make some impressionistic pop art. Perhaps a Halloween costume? A very interesting modified kazoo? Spraypaint a few of them black, and you've got the dreadlocks for the Predator costume you've been dreaming of impressing your co-workers with at the annual party. The options are plentiful.

As for all the other components, sure, those are far too expensive to replace often, and deserve discussion regarding getting them free of contaminants.

Much discussion about the subject of "cleaning".

viewtopic.php?p=567264#p567264

If that's not enough.....

search.php?keywords=cleaning


Den

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[ajack]

5 pages are too much to read. simply, not may things in a hose can hurt you. some moulds are probably the exception. If you are in a humid environment. Run a couple of hoses and dry them out properly between use.

[chunkyfrog]

" . . . anal about cleanliness," that may be part of the OP's problem.
Many bacteria are not only harmless, but they devour fungus.
Killing all the germs in your mouth leads to THRUSH.
[[[Been there/done that]]]
The quickest solution is to repopulate the oral biome with good germs.
Let the good bugs keep my hose happy--and everywhere else!

[Wulfman...]

5 pages are too much to read. simply, not may things in a hose can hurt you. some moulds are probably the exception. If you are in a humid environment. Run a couple of hoses and dry them out properly between use.

Why would it be necessary to "dry them out" when you're going to put moisture back in them again at night? All the drying does is give the opportunity for things to get inside the hose from the unfiltered room air. Some idiots even hang their hoses in the bathroom to dry. WOW, talk about a germ's dream environment!
If you feel the need to clean them, do it before bedtime and then the residual moisture in the hose will be added to the air coming from the tank. Total waste of time to clean them and let them hang to dry. Besides, there's nothing in them to clean anyway.......especially if you're using distilled water in the HH tank.


Den

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[chunkyfrog]

I only clean my hose if it smells off-putting.
If it doesn't smell good after that, I grab a spare off the shelf.
I always keep a couple spares--just in case.
My hoses last at least a year--I stop counting after that.

[Okie bipap]

My current hose is over two years old, and has been cleaned twice, after having the flu and bronchitis.

[Josiah]

Apropos of a much earlier reply in this thread, how would I make my Resmed Airsense 10 blow air at a pressure of 20 thru my tube to dry it out?

[chunkyfrog]

Apropos of a much earlier reply in this thread, how would I make my Resmed Airsense 10 blow air at a pressure of 20 thru my tube to dry it out?

Since the settings would have to be changed each time, before and after, this would be better done with an old, semiretired machine, to avoid wear and tear on your good machine.
Better yet, consider the Hurricane cpap dryer, sold by cpap.com.
This is what I would do if I were motivated to frequently clean my hose.

[Pugsy]

how would I make my Resmed Airsense 10 blow air at a pressure of 20 thru my tube to dry it out?

Each time you wanted to dry out the hose you would have to go into the clinical menu setup area and change the pressure to fixed cpap at 20 cm and turn off SmartStart for the machine to blow continually at 20 cm....then of course back in again and change everything again when you want to use the machine. Lots of work for something that really isn't needed but it could be done.

[Wulfman...]

I believe........that just hooking up the hose to the machine and turning it on without a mask being placed on the face would max out the air flow of the machine.......trying to produce whatever air PRESSURE the machine was set to. Wouldn't have to be set to 20 cm.

But, to my mind, it's a total waste of time and effort to try to "dry" a hose.......when you're going to put in back on in a short while and put moisture back in it.


Den

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[Janknitz]

I've been using CPAP almost 7 years. I cleaned a hose ONCE (and have changed it twice) and realized how hard it was going to be to get the darn thing dry. That seemed to me to be way more of an invitation for mold to grow than my daily use, because my machine does a very good job of preventing rainout.

Before CPAP: Constantly sick with URI's/Asthmatic bronchitis 6 - 10 times per year.
With CPAP: The rare occasional mild URI/Asthmatic Bronchitis once every few years.

Not worried about the bugs.

[Pugsy]

I believe........that just hooking up the hose to the machine and turning it on without a mask being placed on the face would max out the air flow of the machine.......trying to produce whatever air PRESSURE the machine was set to. Wouldn't have to be set to 20 cm.

You know it might do that BUT SmartStart on the ResMed AirSense machine would have to be turned off (if it was being used) otherwise the machine will only blow whatever it blows for a few seconds and then would turn itself off because it wouldn't have any resistance.

[Goofproof]

Pressure and Flow are two very different things. Pressure is to hold the airway open, Flow is the movement of a fluid (Air). Without a restriction over the output end of the hose almost no pressure can be built up in the hose.

It's Flow that picks up the moisture in the hose, pressure has little to do with it. Jim

[Wulfman...]

I believe........that just hooking up the hose to the machine and turning it on without a mask being placed on the face would max out the air flow of the machine.......trying to produce whatever air PRESSURE the machine was set to. Wouldn't have to be set to 20 cm.

You know it might do that BUT SmartStart on the ResMed AirSense machine would have to be turned off (if it was being used) otherwise the machine will only blow whatever it blows for a few seconds and then would turn itself off because it wouldn't have any resistance.

I didn't think about the SmartStart feature. But, maybe that's the only thing that would have to be changed (if you REALLY want to go to this trouble in the first place).


Den

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[Pugsy]

I didn't think about the SmartStart feature. But, maybe that's the only thing that would have to be changed (if you REALLY want to go to this trouble in the first place).

I have run into the SmartStart thing (and the similar Auto Off setting on Respironics) as being a bit of a PITA when I want to air out the machine for a bit for whatever reason. Either will require a trip into the clinical setup menu.
I have never actually tried to measure the actual air flow at what ever the pressure is set at because drying something wasn't my intent. So I don't know if the air movement changes quantity or not with the change in pressure settings when there is no resistance.