Question about HME (Heat and Moisture Exchangers)

[mpreorder]

Amazon reviews show moderate effectiveness, so that's good. I tried one and to be honest I couldn't take the smell. I had it from a purchase of a travel cpap machine I never used, so I gave it a try. Pulled it off the middle of the second night. It didn't seem to be working that well, so I bought some new ones I'm waiting for. Has anyone here found them useful? I really don't like the heated moisture that get put out by my humidifier and have been breathing dry air for 5 years, but I seem to be getting sensitive to it now.

Also, why are they built as disposable? When I used to scuba dive they made regulators with condensers in them that fed back your moisture. Just three thin metal plates on the inside was all it took.

[Pugsy]

why are they built as disposable?

Moisture buildup ....6 to 8 hours a night for several nights and no way to dry them out equals a prime breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Do you want to be breathing in mold or extra bacteria all night long?

[HairyReasoner]

I've wondered about these as well. I'm concerned that it does sound potentially unhealthy, but I'm getting desperate. I have to refill my tank after 4 - 5 hours, and my mouth is still dry. My machine is generally showing no major mask leakage, so I'm figuring it's just that I'm on a relatively high pressure (18 -- sometimes 19).