New S9 Elite/H5i user - humidifer always "heated"?

[NickM]

Hello everyone,

I was just diagnosed with severe OSA and have been using my new S9 and H5i for two nights now. I love it and it's SO quiet! My wife loves it too. I've slept 7 and 6 hours for the two nights I've had it and am more refreshed the next day already than I ever was before. Looking forward to the positive effect of CPAP therapy in my life!

My question is, I can't find any documentation to tell me whether preheating the humidifier is a necessary step or not. The reason I ask is that it never is hot unless I do that. Even when I do, it's cold in the morning. Additionally, it's used virtually no water for either night as far as I can tell. Just wondering if this is how it's supposed to work. I'm not complaining; I have not woken up with dryness or anything like that. Everything seems to be perfectly moist.

Also, I know the literature and DME suppliers say to empty the water tray out every day, but is this truly necessary? I'd be wasting a lot of perfectly good distilled water if I did this, considering that I can't even tell it used any. The DME warned me that the tray was hard to clean since it didn't come apart, so I want to prevent any nasty stuff in there. Will anything actually grow in there if all I ever use is distilled water?

Thanks so much for your support.

Also - I've seen there is a way to get the software so I can read the card. Can someone please enlighten me as to how to get ResScan?

Thanks again!
Nick

[kf10]

There are few threads on this, this is one of them:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=51776&p=477587&hili ... ue#p477587

I don't empty the water chamber everyday. I refill it as needed and empty it maybe once a week.

[NickM]

Thanks for the link. Hmm...it seems that after those two threads, no one was really sure how the H5i is supposed to function. I haven't woken up with any dryness yet, but I am sure curious as to whether it's working or not.

I don't empty the water chamber everyday. I refill it as needed and empty it maybe once a week.

Thanks kf, that's what I figured most people do.

How about the water tray itself? Do most of you get the dishwasher-safe type instead of the sealed ones? I notice, at least on CPAP.com, there isn't enough of a price difference to justify not going with the washable type. I haven't asked my DME about this.

[Mebake]

Concerning the sealed humidifier The standard tub is $24.95 is said to last 6 months and the cleanable water tub is said to last about 2 years and is $36.95 so on the long run it is less expensive to by the cleanable water tub. I find the standard tub is hard to clean so when the time comes I will spend the extra $12.00 bucks. As for how it works I certainly use less water for the same relief so I do not fill it all the way I fill about a 1/3 of the way up and have very little waste.

[NickM]

Concerning the sealed humidifier The standard tub is $24.95 is said to last 6 months and the cleanable water tub is said to last about 2 years and is $36.95 so on the long run it is less expensive to by the cleanable water tub. I find the standard tub is hard to clean so when the time comes I will spend the extra $12.00 bucks. As for how it works I certainly use less water for the same relief so I do not fill it all the way I fill about a 1/3 of the way up and have very little waste.

That's what I figured. I guess I don't have to put as much in mine, then I can dump it every so often.

Can anyone point me toward the software so I can monitor my data? Thanks so much!

Nick

[fotoguy]

The ResScan software is extremely helpful. Here is a link for the software thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52732&p=488151#p488151

I was shocked about the little water usage, too. The day I got my machine I bought 2 gallons of distilled water. I didn't know that much would last a lifetime. But I have no dry mouth, so it must be okay. I use the warm up every night, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. I'll keep using it, anyway.

Good luck!

[oscar98]

I'm using the slimline tube with a hose cover and turn the humidity anywhere from 4.5 - 5 and right now I'm using just under half a tank of water a night. It doesn't work the same as previous humidifiers and it senses the humidity in your room. If it thinks you relative humidity is high enough and you have it on a low setting then you will not use much water at all.

Did you get the software yet? If not send me a PM and I'll hook you up.

[dave21]

Thanks for the link. Hmm...it seems that after those two threads, no one was really sure how the H5i is supposed to function. I haven't woken up with any dryness yet, but I am sure curious as to whether it's working or not.

You don't need to pre-heat the h5i unless you want warmer air immediately when you put the mask on. It will eventually come up to temperature depending on the setting you set the temperature at on the climate control

Thanks
Dave

[bigk]

Wow - I do pre-heat mine. It uses about half a tank a night. A 2 litre bottle lasts arrant 2 weeks.

[NickM]

I was shocked about the little water usage, too. The day I got my machine I bought 2 gallons of distilled water. I didn't know that much would last a lifetime. But I have no dry mouth, so it must be okay. I use the warm up every night, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. I'll keep using it, anyway.

Good luck!

This has been exactly my experience. It just passed the bottom line after 4 nights, so I had to put a couple of ounces in there. I've been preheating it, sometimes I do like the warmer air to begin with. I have it set on 3.5 and I don't wake up with dry mouth or anything. My home should be on the less humid side since I run the air conditioning 24/7 on 68 F.

You don't need to pre-heat the h5i unless you want warmer air immediately when you put the mask on. It will eventually come up to temperature depending on the setting you set the temperature at on the climate control

I concluded that to be the function of the preheat option. However, what is this temperature setting that everyone refers to? Is it only with the heated hose? The only setting I have is the humidity level that ranges from 0-6 or something like that. I have gone in the clinician menu and enabled all the options/turned them on "manual", but I still don't see it.

[dave21]

I find that I don't fill the H5i up to the max now as I was getting more rainout when I did that, so I always fill up the tank to the line under max. For most nights when I go to empty the tank in the morning I've lost another notch on the water line measuring gauge. So for me I can get away easily with multiple nights without re-filling if I wanted to, but I tend to empty the water daily to prevent scum and scale build up.

Thanks
Dave

[dave21]

I concluded that to be the function of the preheat option. However, what is this temperature setting that everyone refers to? Is it only with the heated hose? The only setting I have is the humidity level that ranges from 0-6 or something like that. I have gone in the clinician menu and enabled all the options/turned them on "manual", but I still don't see it.

Hi Nick, yeah you will only get the temperature if you have the ClimateLine hose connected as that then enables you to choose air conditioning and dial in the temperature at which you want the air provided down the hose. It has a sensor at the end of the hose before the mask that measures the temperature. Without this you just get the humidity level that you can set.

Thanks
Dave

[Guest]

thanks dave for the info I was trying to figure out how to adjust the heat also. I only have the slimline.

[jdm2857]

Wow - I do pre-heat mine. It uses about half a tank a night. A 2 litre bottle lasts arrant 2 weeks.

It's possible if you are in a cold, dry winter and others are in a hot, dry summer.