Newbie with a humidifier and lots of question about it.

[Tjabo]

Hello, am a newbie to all this with cpap and have a couple of questions about humidifier i hope someone can answer me.

1.
The humidificationlevel can be set 1-9, the air feels warm and hard to breath when i use any of the higher settings.
Is that something that will go away when i get used to the humidifier ?

2.
Should the watertank be drained of water as soon as i wake upp or can it be done on the evening prior to filling it up ?

3.
Using boiled tap-water, is it enough for the water to start to boil or does it need to boil for 5minutes for all bacterias to die ?

4.
What can happen if tap-water is used without boiling it ?

5.
Is it enough to left the watertank to airdry or must it be cleaned and if so, how?

6.
Have a room temperature around 24-26celsius, how high is the chance of condensation in the hose ?

7.
Can i boil water on the middle of the day and use it 8-9 hours later ?

8.
Sometimes i sleep for 6-10 hours wake up for a couple of hours and then sleep another 1-3 hours, do i need to replace the water before the second nap or can the old water be used ?
Regards

[Goofproof]

Hello, am a newbie to all this with cpap and have a couple of questions about humidifier i hope someone can answer me.
1.The humidificationlevel can be set 1-9, the air feels warm and hard to breath when i use any of the higher settings. Is that something that will go away when i get used to the humidifier ?
2.Should the watertank be drained of water as soon as i wake upp or can it be done on the evening prior to filling it up ?
3.Using boiled tap-water, is it enough for the water to start to boil or does it need to boil for 5minutes for all bacterias to die ?
4.What can happen if tap-water is used without boiling it ?
5.Is it enough to left the watertank to airdry or must it be cleaned and if so, how?
6.Have a room temperature around 24-26celsius, how high is the chance of condensation in the hose ?
7.Can i boil water on the middle of the day and use it 8-9 hours later ?
8.Sometimes i sleep for 6-10 hours wake up for a couple of hours and then sleep another 1-3 hours, do i need to replace the water before the second nap or can the old water be used ?

Welcome!
1.The humidification level, is for your comfort, so set it as you like.
2. A dry tank grows nothing, nothing is nice.
3. You should only use Distilled water in your HH, I don't know how pure your water is where you are at, but if you drink it you can breath moisture off it, however it will leave material in your HH that won't evaporate. (BAD)
5. If you use distilled water, less cleaning and worry are involved.
6. Rainout (water in the hose), depends on the amount moisture if the air, the temp of the air, to get more moisture in the air the air has to be warmer, or to stop rainout the moisture has to be reduced,(turn down the HH)
7. Boiled water, stored in a sterile closed container, should remain good until contaminated. BUT, Boiled water isn't what you need to be using, you need DISTILLED Water.
8. The water should be fine, as long as their is enough left in the tank. Jim

[gasp]

Hello, am a newbie to all this with cpap and have a couple of questions about humidifier i hope someone can answer me.

1.
The humidificationlevel can be set 1-9, the air feels warm and hard to breath when i use any of the higher settings.
Is that something that will go away when i get used to the humidifier ?

At first I didn't like the warm air either, however I found cooler air seems to make my nose stuffy, then I can't breath through it well.

2.Should the watertank be drained of water as soon as i wake upp or can it be done on the evening prior to filling it up ?

I empty mine each morning and turn it upside down with space under it - leaned again something works - so it can thoroughly dry.

3. Using boiled tap-water, is it enough for the water to start to boil or does it need to boil for 5minutes for all bacterias to die ?

I'm assuming you can't buy distilled water. Boil water according to epa: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/faq/emerg.html

4. What can happen if tap-water is used without boiling it ?

Aside from hard water deposits that could possible void your machine's warranty and damage your machine . . . make it harder to clean your hose, mask, etc.

5. Is it enough to left the watertank to airdry or must it be cleaned and if so, how?

See (2)

6. Have a room temperature around 24-26celsius, how high is the chance of condensation in the hose ?

For me, I get rainout whenever the room temp is cooler than the air in the hose temp - regardless of both temperatures.

7. Can i boil water on the middle of the day and use it 8-9 hours later ?

See (3)

8. Sometimes i sleep for 6-10 hours wake up for a couple of hours and then sleep another 1-3 hours, do i need to replace the water before the second nap or can the old water be used ?

I would use the same water until you're done with your "night's" sleep. AND, I envy you being able to sleep so many hours

[Tjabo]

2. A dry tank grows nothing, nothing is nice.

But does the bacteria die or just go into hybernation until the watertank is filled next time and continues to grow ?

3. You should only use Distilled water in your HH, I don't know how pure your water is where you are at, but if you drink it you can breath moisture off it, however it will leave material in your HH that won't evaporate. (BAD)

Boiled water is what the hospital told me to use, the water is safe to drink and most of the year works ok for aquarium too.
But it's not pure, it can contain bacteria's that can do harm to eyes if its trapped under a contact-lens.
Boiling also help's remove some of the additives used in the purification of the water.

I'm assuming you can't buy distilled water.

Probably not, what's called distilled in the store's are often only deionised water and at the moment i dont se any point in buying deionised water when the hospital told me that boiled tap-water works fine.

Aside from hard water deposits that could possible void your machine's warranty and damage your machine . . . make it harder to clean your hose, mask, etc.

To be honest, i could'nt care less about warranty or damage even if i tried.
The machine and its accessories are free of charge and i can't be held responsible for damage that occur due to bad information from the hospital.
The only damage i basicly can be held responsible for is if i take an axe and cuts the machine in half and that i will not do
The tap-water is very soft, barely any deposits on the aquarium that have been up for over 1.5years.

AND, I envy you being able to sleep so many hours

Don't, gives me alot of trouble just trying to have a life not to mention work

[marshaeb]

Hi, Tjabo, and welcome to the forum. I'm a newbie, too, and I know you'll find the people here to be overwhelmingly supportive, interesting, knowledgeable, helpful and just nutty enough to keep things interesting.

There are two issues with the water used with xPAP equipment; not only the need to keep bacteria and mold from growing, but also to keep minerals from gunking up the works -- the works of the machine, the hose and the mask and also OUR works. That's why it's absolutely necessary to use distilled water and to clean everything regularly.

Whether the tap water is hard or soft doesn't make any difference, either, because the first will leave stonelike deposits behind, and the second can cause corrosion. The process of distillation removes all mineral deposits (as opposed to the process of reverse osmosis, which only reduces them).

Then there are the critters. As you noted, we need to do everything possible to keep bacteria, pathogens and mold out of our equipment and out of us. The distillation process wipes out all of them, too.

Distilled water is cheap -- at least, it is where I live -- and it’s an investment in the life of your equipment and your good health. But even if it isn’t available where you are, a 30-second online check told me there are LOTS of distillers available that can be used at home. I don’t know anything about them, but a number of people in this forum use them, and I’m sure they could answer any questions.

Being a member of this forum is the closest thing to mind melding (a la Star Trek) that I know of. There seems to be a formula that works like this: the more experienced you are in this “life on the hose,” the more you’re willing to share your knowledge and the more gracious and generous you become about sharing it. Case in point: select the yellow lightbulb above (Our Wisdom) and find the following article, which was submitted by Mile High Sleeper: “CPAP Equipment Cleaning and Replacement.” It’s all-encompassing and excellent.

Best of everything to you,
Marsha

[Tjabo]

but also to keep minerals from gunking up the works -- the works of the machine, the hose and the mask and also OUR works. That's why it's absolutely necessary to use distilled water and to clean everything regularly.

Have a hard time seeing the problem, the minerals you mention is quite easily removed from other electrical devices such as waterheaters and the coverglass on the aquarium by gently rubbing with a wet cloth or in more severe cases by using citric acid.
But i will discuss this matter further when i go to the hospital next week.

Then there are the critters. As you noted, we need to do everything possible to keep bacteria, pathogens and mold out of our equipment and out of us. The distillation process wipes out all of them, too

Bacterias and such is not removed in deionised water and distilled water i doubt i can get my hands on.

a 30-second online check told me there are LOTS of distillers available that can be used at home.

The problem with that is i have never seen anything like it for sale over here and building one i can use on the stove is illegal.

[marshaeb]

I understand what you're saying, and am sorry I don't have answers for the things you've pointed out. Maybe someone else could speak to them.

Where's "over here"?

I did remember a couple of other things that I learned here:

When your mask isn't on your face, create creepy-crawler barriers for your equipment. (It would only take one stray spider to do me in.) I took a knee-high stocking, cut it into squares and rubber-banded one over each hose opening and the port in the machine. Then I put the small mask parts in the other stocking from the pair and rubber-banded that shut. The stocking material seems to be about the best to use, because it allows enough air passage to let them dry and keep them that way.

For cleaning or disinfecting the hose, a number of folks use a hose connector (put in whatever liquid you're using, attach the ends to the connector and swish to your heart's content; not recommended to be used as a hoola hoop, though) or else a plastic container & lid that's large enough to submerge the whole thing. The hose connectors are cheap, and you'll get the best price from our host: https://www.cpap.com (no, I don't work for them ).

Marsha

[Tjabo]

Where's "over here"?

On the other side of the pond, northern europe, Sweden.

When your mask isn't on your face, create creepy-crawler barriers for your equipment. (It would only take one stray spider to do me in.)

Lmao, i have actually not seen a spider in my home for the 3 years i have had a cat which hunts anything that moves and alot that does not move

The machine usuallly runs 15-60seconds before i connect the hose to the mask, wouldnt that blow the hose clean of any debris ?
Startpressure is 5cm.

For cleaning or disinfecting the hose, a number of folks use a hose connector (put in whatever liquid you're using, attach the ends to the connector and swish to your heart's content; not recommended to be used as a hoola hoop, though) or else a plastic container & lid that's large enough to submerge the whole thing. The hose connectors are cheap, and you'll get the best price from our host: https://www.cpap.com (no, I don't work for them ).

Buying hose connectors is not something i would consider, can get whatever i need for free through the hospital.
When it comes to cleaning i was thinking of using dishwashing liquid, doesnt smell strong and does not irriate my skin.
Possibly buy a bottlebrush(?) and run it through a couple of times.
http://www.barnfyndet.se/Media/Filarkiv ... te_rak.jpg
And then make a coupling so i can connect it to the shower and let the water flow for a minute or 2.

[echo]

hey tjabo -- I"m living on the other side of the pond too, in the lowlands - I can't find anything called distilled water either but they sell "demineralized water" which is used for car batteries, irons, humidifiers, so it should in fact be distilled water (and i think that's what you're calling deionized water?). It's not at all expensive, about a euro for 5 L.

From what i've read, it's not the bacterial that's really the issue, but rather the chemicals and minerals in the water, and it's also more likely to grow mold. Once you get the mold it's hell to get rid of, and will work its way into your hose, your mask, and your lungs & sinuses. It can take just a couple of days for it to appear and you may not even notice it, until you're getting funky sinus infections and don't know why.

Personally I'd prefer to pay for demineralized water than have to boil water every day

[alnhwrd]

Welcome to the forum, and to the wonderful world of CPAP therapy. The correct use of humidifiers can greatly increase your comfort level, especially in the first weeks/months of adapting to the treatment. Thats why almost all cpaps now come with integrated or add on humidifiers, to increase user compliance. That is why it is important to get a comfortable, easy to follow regimen for the use of your humidifier. Remember, every breath you take will be passing through the humidifier, so you don't want anything growing in your tank that you wouldn't want getting in your lungs. This is why almost everyone here uses distilled water. Its cheap (88 cents a gallon at evil Walmart) and if you use distilled water only you don't even have to empty the tank, just top it off each night before bed. This makes it different from fish tanks and water heaters. Boiling your water will kill anything living in it, but you should soak and wash your humidifier tank regularly with a vinegar solution to remove any mineral build up. And you should check with your doc if you have any respiritory issues. I have read lots of posts from folks who use distilled water who almost never clean their humidifier tanks, which does make it simpler. And I am a big advocate of simple. In case you are interested, here is a link to soeveral sites that sell home distillers:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ho ... distillers

The important thing is to do what keeps you healthy and keeps you using the CPAP. Get a good routine going and you should be fine. Hope this helps.

[gasp]

2. A dry tank grows nothing, nothing is nice.

But does the bacteria die or just go into hybernation until the watertank is filled next time and continues to grow ?

3. You should only use Distilled water in your HH, I don't know how pure your water is where you are at, but if you drink it you can breath moisture off it, however it will leave material in your HH that won't evaporate. (BAD)

Boiled water is what the hospital told me to use, the water is safe to drink and most of the year works ok for aquarium too.
But it's not pure, it can contain bacteria's that can do harm to eyes if its trapped under a contact-lens.
Boiling also help's remove some of the additives used in the purification of the water.

I'm assuming you can't buy distilled water.

Probably not, what's called distilled in the store's are often only deionised water and at the moment i dont se any point in buying deionised water when the hospital told me that boiled tap-water works fine.

Aside from hard water deposits that could possible void your machine's warranty and damage your machine . . . make it harder to clean your hose, mask, etc.

To be honest, i could'nt care less about warranty or damage even if i tried.
The machine and its accessories are free of charge and i can't be held responsible for damage that occur due to bad information from the hospital.
The only damage i basicly can be held responsible for is if i take an axe and cuts the machine in half and that i will not do
The tap-water is very soft, barely any deposits on the aquarium that have been up for over 1.5years.

AND, I envy you being able to sleep so many hours

Don't, gives me alot of trouble just trying to have a life not to mention work

Our water is so hard it stand up on its own : ) I see your point about sleeping a lot and how it can get in the way of having enough hours for life and like you said work. I really hope this changes for you. Best wishes!!