REMstar Reliability Issues

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:04 pm

SleepDaddy,

Re: the new Remstar Machines

And a link to more info on the Respironics site:

http://www.mseries.respironics.com

sleepyinsunnyvale · Post by **sleepyinsunnyvale** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:11 pm

Any unit from any manufacturer is subject to failure. In my mind it's how the company responds to satisfy the customer to fix the problem that is key to making a decision on any major purchase. Below is a link to a thread on this site that talks about a problem with an 18 month old Remstar and how Respironics handled it.
They replaced every major component and didn't charge a cent for the repairs.

Hooray for them!!!

viewtopic.php?t=5833

harikarishimari · Post by **harikarishimari** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:46 pm

SleepDaddy wrote:Rested gal mentions that...

Rested Gal wrote:"...they're coming out with reduced size machines soon) Respironics machines." Does anyone have any information on new, reduced size Respironics machines. Since I am just starting out, I may want to be on the leading edge of CPAP technology.

I hope they have a USB interface. (or firewire, bluetooth, ethernet, or CF compact flash, or a sony memory stick, or a Cruzer). ANYTHING but the STUPID STUPID SMART CARD.

A USB port that you could plug a Cruzer micro into to carry to your computer or to the Dr. office would be incredibly convenient. Or plug it directly into a computer. The same port could be plugged into a wireless router and the data could be read from anywhere on the internet. I hope they thought of that.

(ATTN: Respironics, are you LISTENING???)

SleepDaddy · Post by **SleepDaddy** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:36 pm

Wow, the new REMstar really is a lot smaller than the current version. Does anyone know if it will come in an Auto model with C-Flex?

Also, is there any estimates on when it will be released to the public?

I have no experience with CPAP machines yet...are the new models usually reliable on release or are there bugs that need to be worked out?

Thanks for all the great information you have provided!

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:53 am

Let's put it this way:
When a DME doesn't carry a machine, it is always for reilability reasons, and never for profit reasons.

Or so they say.

Can you Imagine a DME telling you "I don't carry XXXX because I can make more money if I carry YYYYY"?

We've had reports of DMEs not carrying just about any machine out there because it's not reliable....

I wonder if any them have the data to back it - e.g. when did they decide to stop carrying the other brand? What was the failure rate of that brand? Where did they find reliable data for that brand's failure rate, etc.

Where are "Consumer's Reports" when we really need them?

O.

Cpapper Incognito · Post by **Cpapper Incognito** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:26 am

Its also possible that there was a problem with them at one time. If you follow the yahoo auctions, there is a person that is selling refurbed remstars quite often. Well refurbed usually means it was considered bad at one time or another pr returned for some reason. And more than likely this is the urban legend of CPAP, a bad batch at one time might have given the impression of the machines being bad, and if someone was vocal enough about it, then it probably grew legs. If you read the posts on this board you won't really find complaints about either machine. I suggest doing a search on google or yahoo with both machine names with the word problem. See what you find.

As to jumping to the conclusion that ALL DME's do this because they don't make money on it is an absurd statement. BMI still carries it and they are a DME.

Always beware of statements that are sweeping generalizations.

skinnysleepapnea2 · Post by **skinnysleepapnea2** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:29 pm

I've just posted a question about the problem I've had with the two remstar machines I've experienced.
1) a remstar pro
2) a remstar auto
both made more noise than my vacuum cleaner (not quite that bad, that's a line from someone elses post tonight... "when do you know your machine is too old").
They didn't start out this way. For the first 2 weeks they were fairly quiet. Then at the two week mark (for both machines) they started to make real loud noise, I'm told from the blower. They each also had a real wooosey sound in time with the cflex... fairly loud, loud enough to make it hard for me to fall asleep and to make my wife move to the couch in the living room.
If y ou know why this is, please post it as a reply to my post up above this one about 1/2 page...

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:28 pm

I dropped off my Remstar Auto at my local DME for a warranty repair about 4 months ago. STILL no sign of it, much less it being fixed.
So if you use the suggestion of judging a machine by the manufacturer's response, in my case that would pretty much eliminate Remstars from MY future!

Thank gawd I have my PB GK420E!

Cpaper Incognito · Post by **Cpaper Incognito** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:53 am

[quote="snork1"]I dropped off my Remstar Auto at my local DME for a warranty repair about 4 months ago. STILL no sign of it, much less it being fixed.
So if you use the suggestion of judging a machine by the manufacturer's response, in my case that would pretty much eliminate Remstars from MY future!

Thank gawd I have my PB GK420E!

groggybob · Post by **groggybob** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:13 pm

Snork1, my experience with returning a machine to Respironics is exactly the opposite of what your is. I have to believe that you need to question your DME about the "missing" machine. I have to wonder though why you have waited four months and not questioned them before this.

viewtopic.php?t=5833

Bob

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:20 pm

[quote="groggybob"]Snork1, my experience with returning a machine to Respironics is exactly the opposite of what your is. I have to believe that you need to question your DME about the "missing" machine. I have to wonder though why you have waited four months and not questioned them before this.

viewtopic.php?t=5833

Bob

groggybob · Post by **groggybob** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:53 pm

I'll be interested to see how this all turns out for you. If Respironics did drop the ball I would be calling them and letting them know about it. I only live about 30 miles from their headquarters and have seen and heard nothing but positive things about the company. I do agree with your sentiments about not allowing users to return units though. Most likely has to do with some kind of insurance and/or liability issues. After all none of has enough intelligence to deal with such complex machines on our own.

Bob

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:47 pm

[quote="groggybob"]I'll be interested to see how this all turns out for you. If Respironics did drop the ball I would be calling them and letting them know about it. I only live about 30 miles from their headquarters and have seen and heard nothing but positive things about the company. I do agree with your sentiments about not allowing users to return units though. Most likely has to do with some kind of insurance and/or liability issues. After all none of has enough intelligence to deal with such complex machines on our own.

Bob

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:00 pm

snork1,

Hey lighten up! ...dsm is working as fast as he can to fix all those REMstar machines. Plus remember that they have to ship the machines half way around the globe to get them to him. LOL!

groggybob · Post by **groggybob** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:27 pm

Snork, I sure am glad you have another machine to use and that it is working well for you.

I have to believe that your DME is blowing smoke up somewhere other than your nostrils. Let me explain why.

I dropped my machine off at my DME on 12/5/05. This was after using a loaner over the weekend that they gave me, just to make sure that it would work for me before giving them my machine.

On 12/16/05 they informed me that my machine was back, fully repaired, and I could pick it up. They had initially told me that it typically takes 10 days for the turnaround to Respironics. Excluding weekends they were right on the money. I just cannot believe that there are that many defective Respironics machines that there would be a four month backlog. If that is true, then how did I get my machine back so fast? And if it is true, than why does the DME still deal with Respironics?

If this is all being told to you by your DME in order to cover up there own screwup, I think they could be leaving themselves open to legal action.

Another thing, if the customer service reps statement about people being without machines for months is true than you have to wonder just what kind of DME they really are. Sounds like they only care about the mighty green (shocking revelation) and could care less about people.

Sure glad everything is better than it seems like it could be for you, considering the circumstances. Wonder if your machine is one of the ones I have seen on Ebay over the past few months.

Bob

Mask	Humidifier

REMstar Reliability Issues

problems with 2 remstars