Fisher & Paykel Heated Humidifier

[sleepycarol]

I was able to find a good used Fisher and Paykel heated humidifier for my M series auto. I have the intergrated humidifier and since the water container isn't very big wanted something that would be able to handle our dry indoor heat. Can I leave the intergrated heater attached to the apap? I probably won't get an instruction manual so any help would be appreciated on how to properly clean and take care of the humidifier. Since I am getting a new water tank will I need to worry about sanitizing it? Oh, I purchased a new hose for it as well.

Thanks for your help.

[6PtStar]

Hi Carol

I got the instructions with mine so maybe I can help. According to the instructions a new tank only needs to be rinsed out with warm water. Instructions say to soak chamber in a solution of 1 part viniger and 2 parts water weekly for 10 minutes There is a tag on the chamber that says disconnect from machine when not being used. Your new chamber should come with some instructions on cleaning and maintenance.

I really don't know why it needs to be disconnected, maybe some one more knowledegable than me can jump in and explain it (I have not been doing it). I also think if you are using it with distilled water that once a week cleaning is a bit overkill. My opinion only I actually did a viniger soak whin I got mine and only rinse and dry once a month. Again my opinion.

If you don't get instructions and want to read them let me know and I will send you a copy. I think the instructions are on the cpcp.com learn more
tab on the item.

Jerry

[rested gal]

I remove the integrated humidifier when I am using the separate F&P humidifier. For one thing, the unused integrated humidifier would be just taking up more space on the nightstand. But mainly I remove the integrated humidifier so the F&P's hose can be connected directly to the cpap machine.

Like 6PtStar, I don't disconnect the F&P from the cpap machine when not in use. I leave it all hooked up and ready to turn on. I use distilled water only, and I use a funnel to just add more. I don't dump the unused water out in the morning. I go months and months, just adding more.

Oh, one thing you'll have to get used to....a separate humidifier like the F&P won't turn on or off automatically when you turn the M series cpap machine on and off. You have to remember to turn the F&P humidifier on and off separately.

A nice thing about that is that if you want to, you can turn the humidifier on a few minutes beforehand -- to let the water warm up before starting your machine.

The downside is that until you get in the habit of turning on the humidifier separately, you may go to bed a night or two without heated humidification. You'll probably also forget to turn it off a few mornings. No big deal...just a "darn, I forgot." when you start to turn it on again that night. Been there, done that...both things.

[sleepycarol]

Thanks so much. I picked up this humidifier up on craigslist like I said at really reasonable price (in fact he had two of them and I went ahead and purchased both -- unsure what I will do with the extra one).

Can't wait till it gets here!!

[RipVW]

I'm so curious regarding the advantages of the F&P humidifier over the integrated one I have. Why is it better (anything other than the larger water chamber and being able to turn it on to warm the water before starting xPAP)?

Also, I read in the product description, "It will work with all machines except some Auto CPAP machines." Guessing it works with the M Series Auto?

Finally, what about that "Ambient Tracking" feature? Is that really effective?

Thanks!

[sleepycarol]

I have the m series intergrated humidifier. I live in Missouri and the summers are usually humid. I found I didn't need the humidifier turned on and could use it in pass over mode (turned off) and things were great. But our house tends to be really dry in the summer. In the past I have used a humidifier to add humidity to our house but my daughter's kids were getting bloody noses (it tends to run in our family) and so gave her our humidifier.

I have started using my humidifier on my machine. I have it turned to one and I am using a little over a half a tank of water. I usually sleep between 8 and 9 hours a night. I am afraid if I turn it up anymore I will run out of water before morning. Besides I have my machine setting on my headboard and I have to move it to open the door and take the tank out to fill it and it is a hassle.

I have room for the F&P humidifier and several on the forum have spoken highly of it. I was able to purchase it at a really reasonable cost so jumped at the chance.

[rested gal]

Ted, besides the two things you mentioned (being able to pre-heat the water, and that the reservoir holds much more water) a couple of other things I like about the separate F&P humidifier are:

Easier to fill. You don't have to remove the water chamber, like you do with the M water chamber. For a person like me who prefers to "just add more" and not dump the unused distilled water out each day, that's a major plus. A funnel and a jug of distilled water...it's filled and ready to go again.

Can be used with other machines. No need to buy another brand's integrated humidifier if a person switches to a different brand of machine. I don't know about that caution that it might not work with some autos. I've used my F&P humidifier with the following autopaps and bipaps with no problem and no change in my data. Might be different for someone else:

Respironics
BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex M series
BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex older pre-M machine
REMstar Auto before C-Flex was added to the Auto
REMstar Auto with C-flex
BiPAP Pro 2 with Bi-flex older pre-M machine
BiPAP Pro with Bi-flex older-older pre-M machine

Puritan Bennett
420E Autopap

resmed
S7 Autoset Spirit
S7 VPAP III
S7 VPAP III ST

The "Ambient Tracking" is supposed to self adjust the heat of the humidifier plate, I think.... depending on how warm or cold your bedroom gets. Supposedly helps reduce the possibility of "rainout." I couldn't tell that it did anything. I still got rainout just as surely with the F&P humidifier as I got with an integrated humidifier. Got rainout until I bought an Aussie heated hose over three years ago. No rainout since.

But the #1 reason I'd want to use a separate humidifier rather than the M series machine's integrated humidifier is... "just in case." Just in case the M humidifier was apt to spring a leak, as some of them have been known to do. Maybe all the faulty ones are gone now. Maybe not. Maybe, since I never take a humidifier apart to clean it, maybe I'd never have trouble with keeping a leakproof seal around the seam with an M humidifier.

However, considering all the things I regard as a plus about the F&P humidifier (for the way I use it, anyway) I'd rather use it instead of an M humidifier. "Just in case."