Life expectancy of a cpap machine

[shippy]

Questions! anybody know how long a cpap machine is supposed to last? do they start losing pressure after a while? can they be tested after a while to check for proper operation etc. ? how many machines have others gone through ?

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[JeffH]

I just retired my old Sullivan Elite V that I had used every night for over 6 years and it was blowing strong. It has been on airplanes, several motorcycle trips across several states in some really hot weather.

The covers over the function buttons were worn out and long gone, but the machine worked fine.

Can't tell you how long they last...but the RT I've worked with says the newer machines don't seem to last as long as the old ones.

[ColoradoDreamer]

Others have posted that a DME should have the equipment to test the CPAP pressure. I think CPAP.com will sell you one. May not hurt to have it tested once a year at your reliable DME.
I can't help you with the other questions, being new to this myself. I hope mine will last more than 5 years so my insurance will cover a new one (with more bells and whistles) and I will have a backup.

[DME daddy]

NO manufacturer is going to admit it but they do not build machines to last forever. Generally speaking the design specifications for life span are going to exceed five years. If a machine is not damaged by humidifier water, power surges, or major drops the cause of failure is most commonly the fan motor. The fan motor has bearing surfaces that wear out gradually. The cpap owner will hear the sound begin to change as the machine begins to reach the end of its life. When the motor is near the end they will either make so much noise no one could sleep with it or the motor will pull more current than the power supply can handle, causing it to fail suddenly.

It is rare that a machine will gradually lose pressure near the end of its life. The machines are designed to deliver the set pressure or die trying.

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[Bearded_One]

I recently retired a 12 year old Respironics CPAP machine that still works like new. The only reason I replaced it is that the new ones are so much quieter and easier to travel with.

[shippy]

Thanks for the info guy's now you really got me thinking, when i picked up my c-pap from my supplier they told me to replace the mask and hose every three months, they didn't say anything about when to replace the c-pap machine, sounds like by reading Colorado Dreamers reply that the insurance companies will not cough up for at least five years for a new one. I will have to call my insurance to see if they are going to cover the mask and hose replacement every three months and ask about when i am eligible to replace the c-pap and see if they will cover replacement.

[Bearded_One]

Insurance will usually pay for two new filters and a new hose every month. I have no idea why because two filters should last for several months, and a hose should be good for many months or even years.

Insurance will usually pay for a new mask (but not head gear) every three months.

Insurance will usually pay for new head gear every six months.

At one time, masks and headgear were provided separately, and now they almost always come as a set in a sealed package. The end result is that insurance pays for a new mask with headgear every six months.

[Guest]

I've had 2 BiPAP Sychrony S/T ventilatory Support Systems fail in 3 years.

I have no insurance so it's all cash out of pocket for me.

First died after a power outage and would not turn on. 1200 hours use

2nd just died after a bunch of problems. Code 30 for a month then blower motor squeal, then motor gave out, 6643 hours use.

I'm at 4 days with no sleep waiting for a new unit to arrive tommorow. My pressure is 20/13 so it might put more stress on the motor.

Oh yea, I've worn out 8 sets of Breeze SleepGear Nasal Pillows masks over 3 yeare time. They are the only thing I can wear but they start Leaking in the seams, the plastic parts break, the straps wear out. The swivel starts leaking bad over time. The rubber cushion wears off. The thin air tube wears out.


Chin straps last me about 3-4 months before they stretch out.

Hoses last about 1-1/2 years.

The alluminum on the heated humidifier container hc325's gets pin holes and leaks after about 6-8 months.

Owning a complete backup unit and mask is a mandatory for me now.

[christinequilts]

Respironics have a 2 year warranty, so both your machines should have been covered under their original warranty. 1200 hours on the first would be less then 6 months use, at 7-8 hours a night & the second one sounds like it would have been near the end of the 2 year warranty, or just over, depending on how many hours you use it per night.

My Synchrony was sent back for servicing after 8-10,000 hours use/25 months (I averaged around 10+ hours per night), when it showed a low level alarm/service code. I can't remember what the code was now, but I think it had to do with the circuit board's battery failing, though Respironics ended up replacing the circuit board & the blower, basically refurbishing it back to new, probably assuming it was going out to another patient (I have my own, older model BiPAP STD that I use for backup). My DME lucked out and even though I'd had the Synchrony 25 months, the first month it was on loan from the Respironics sales rep, so it was still covered under the 2 year warranty. It only had 5 or 6 hours when I first got it, after not getting good results with 2 different VPAP II STA's (the first of which failed with only 12 hours total use- not good at all).

[Bearded_One]

At least the humidifier water chambers are inexpensive. Out of curiosity, are you using distilled water in your humidifier? Minerals in tap water are frequently blamed for pitting aluminum.

[Guest]

Respironics have a 2 year warranty, so both your machines should have been covered under their original warranty. 1200 hours on the first would be less then 6 months use, at 7-8 hours a night & the second one sounds like it would have been near the end of the 2 year warranty, or just over, depending on how many hours you use it per night.

I have no insurance and the S/T's were $3000+ 2 1/2 years ago. I bought my first Resp. Syncrony S/T off ebay for $450. Respironics refused to service it after it died. My second one died after 26 months and that one was bought off ebay for $950. I'll try and get it serviced with resp but it's out of warranty and I need to BREATH now. I just ordered as new unit off cpap.com. 5-6 days without sleep is not fun so I need a backup machine no mater what.

[Guest]

At least the humidifier water chambers are inexpensive. Out of curiosity, are you using distilled water in your humidifier? Minerals in tap water are frequently blamed for pitting aluminum.

I've tried deionized, tap and distilled water. They all have traded offs making none of them a clear winner. It's not like a cars radiator where we add distilled water, corrosion inhibitors and surfactants. Distilled water alone will not stop corrosion.

Distilled and deionized water attract carbon dioxide in the presence of oxygen. This turns the water acidic causing erosion of the aluminum. The extra heat and continual flow of air are catalyst's to the corrosion. One positive thing about tap water(not counting the clorine) is that it contains magnesium. It reacts with the air and magnesium hydroxide forms on the surface. Magnesium is beneficial to Aluminum as an alloying ingredient because it promotes the formation of protective hydrotalcite [Mg6Al2 (OH)16CO3 • 4H2O] films on the surface. .

[christinequilts]

You may want to look for an older model Respironics BiPAP ST. My backup machine is a BiPAP STD that I got 3+ years ago, and while its an older model, it had less then 20 hours on (though now its rack up 3500 hours). Its a little bigger & heavier then a Synchrony, but not that much...and since it is built more like a tank, it will take more bumps & such. I used it a lot at first, until I got my Synchrony from my DME, since the VPAP II STA's didn't help as much. I also use it when my Synchrony went in for repair and sometimes when I'm traveling, if I want a hardier machine; plus I've lent it out to family & friends when they were waiting for their first machines.

Another, much bigger unit, you might also keep your eye out for is a Quantum PSV. It was typically used in hospital/clinical settings, but was used at home in some cases years ago when an ST was needed (also can be used in other modes for ventilation support). It was the first machine I used; my sleep lab let me borrow one for a month, at no charge, to see if I would benefit from BiPAP ST, since my titration didn't show the greatest results. I wouldn't want to use a Quantum as a travel machine, but it would make a great backup for home, if you can find one cheap enough- I've seen them go for under $200 occasionally. I totally understand wanting a backup on hand of your own, even though my DME is suppose to provide me another machine if something happens to mine. A big part for me was that I didn't do well with VPAP II STA's any time I tried & didn't want to get stuck with one as temp loaner. Plus I like using my own machine that I know how it works/feels & what its been exposed to; and I know I will get my machine back from the DME once its repaired, instead of swapping out for a replacement with unknown history. Ironically I now have 2 backups, my personally owned BiPAP ST and the Synchrony ST, since my DME never asked for it back when I was switched to my VPAP Adapt last month.

On your HH, are you using distilled water? I've never had pitting with distilled water & careful cleaning. Also, do you disconnect the hose between your Synchrony & HH during the day? Otherwise the humidity can get back into the machine, while the HH is cooling down. I've heard of the moisture causing problems in the past with other peoples xPAP's- and with the $$$$ of BiPAP ST's, you want to do everything you can to protect it from possible damage.

[billbolton]

On a recent IEEE EMB visit to the Resmed factory here in Sydney I asked a question of one of the design engineers specifically related to life expectancy and MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) on component assemblies.

He replied that the design life expectancy is nominally 10 years, though they have some machines (very basic by today's standards) that have been in the field longer and are still working satisfactorily.

The part of the reply related to the blower was that for the recent generations of Resmed machines, the blower has a life expectency which is higher than most of the other component assemblies in the machine and in normal usage, generally the machine will be replaced by the user for other reasons, such as weight/size/features etc, long before the blower performance would ever become an issue.

Cheers,

Bill

[Slinky]

So most PAP machines have a 2 year warranty but most insurance companies expect them to last 5 years?

What if, after OWNING your CPAP for 2 years (as a for instance), your sleep doctor decides that you need an AutoPAP and writes a script for one. How do "most" insurance companies handle that? Can they refuse to pay for purchase or rental to own of the AutoPAP? Can they insist on return or "trade-in" of your 2 year old CPAP?