Poll: How Often Do You Clean Your Tank?

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:25 am

Used the same tank since 2008 with only distilled water.

The only "cleaning" the tank gets is an occasional empty
when I need to pack it up for a trip.

The tank is as clear today, and no level rings, as it was
when new.

How would it get dirty? ...there is nothing in distilled
water that would cause that.

idamtnboy · Post by **idamtnboy** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:42 am

Paul56 wrote:How would it get dirty? ...there is nothing in distilled
water that would cause that.

Right, but the air that passes over it does, probably even if it is filtered with a MERV 20 HEPA!

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:49 am

idamtnboy wrote:
Paul56 wrote:How would it get dirty? ...there is nothing in distilled
water that would cause that.
Right, but the air that passes over it does, probably even if it is filtered with a MERV 20 HEPA!

That is the same air I breath on a daily basis for the last 55 years.

I never clean my lungs.

Kairosgrammy · Post by **Kairosgrammy** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:48 pm

I should clean my more often, at least everytime I refill the basin but I don't. Just don't think about it until I'm so tired, I just want to get the tank filled an on to bed.

NeedSomeAir wrote:I heard in about two posts here that they don't clean the water tank at all and they use distilled water only. I, too, only use distilled water. But my user's guide says to clean the tank every day. Personally I don't see the need to do it. But if I don't do it, I feel like it is dirty. It's only water (and distilled at that) and it's only in there for a few hours.

So what do you think? What do you do?

HoseCrusher · Post by **HoseCrusher** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:06 pm

Paul, Your body has an immune system. Your humidifier tank doesn't...

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:16 pm

I'm just reporting my personal experience... never officially cleaned the
tank other than to dump the water out when I travel once/year.

Suzjohnson · Post by **Suzjohnson** » Thu May 31, 2012 8:38 am

millich wrote:I empty and dry the water tank every morning. I wash it with baby shampoo once or twice a week.

Ditto.

Suz

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:30 am

We've been re-using the Wal Mart jugs for our home-distilled water--just empty, refill, repeat.
I'm thinking of using some of the sanitizer hubby uses to clean his beer-making equipment on them,
before anything has to be tossed.
We use about 20 cents worth of electricity to make a gallon, but I'd still hate to dump any.
I'm just that stingy.

tlr · Post by **tlr** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:38 am

Hi I am new here, I have been using my cpap for 7 years. I have had this question about how often to clean the tank ever since I started using it. At first I religiously cleaned it daily and used only distilled water in it. Then on a cruise one time when it was still fairly new, i could not get distilled water, so I used bottled water. But I washed in tap water. Then noticed a brown colored build up in my tank. It turned out to be algea. I had to replace the tank.
My current tank has a slight discoloring (lite brown) now and nothing I do removes it. I am going to try the denture cleaner.
I use dish soap when I do clean it.
I have ordered the resperonics new dish washer safe take apart tank and can't wait to get it.
Sorry this is so long but I have had this issue on my mind for a long time.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:57 am

tir:
If you have insurance, a replacement tank is possible at varying intervals depending on your coverage.
My insurance does not cover the dishwaher-safe tank for my machine, so I purchased mine from our hosts, cpap.com.
The total price was less than my copay and DME upcharge would have been locally.
Welcome to the forum, Please register, choose your equipment (text format) and share your experiences.
We could learn a lot from each other.

NateS · Post by **NateS** » Thu May 31, 2012 1:09 pm

ems wrote:…

Strange tho, how many people have NEVER washed their tank after years of use, and so far, I haven't heard of anyone who died.

How would one know?

It's not likely to be listed as a cause of death in a death certificate or in the obituary in the newspaper.

Cause of Death: "Failed to wash his/her humidifier tank."

Nate

TiredAlot · Post by **TiredAlot** » Thu May 31, 2012 1:39 pm

The instructions I was given when I received my bipap machine on April 27, 2012 was to wash the mask daily use a drop or two of dish soap, wash then rinse well, wipe the head gear with a damp cloth, rinse out the hose every day and every few days put a couple drops of dish soap, agitate and rinse well, then for the tank once a week, fill with water and a drop or two of dish soap agitate well several times, rinse well, then with a mixture of 1/2 water with 1/2 white distilled vinegar fill the tank let sit 20 to 30 minutes (no longer), rinse well and let it air dry. None of this takes very long to do and it keeps everything fresh. I also will raise the lid on the humidifier every morning to allow it to dry from any moisture build up.

teachcsg · Post by **teachcsg** » Thu May 31, 2012 3:19 pm

I do not use a cpap but deal with patients that do daily. Just from asking patients (esp. long time users of cpap) they seem to fall within the following percentages:

50%-once a month
40%-once a week
9%-everyday
1%-what humidifier? no one told me to wash that! (LOL)

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Thu May 31, 2012 3:22 pm

Reminds me what the instructor said when I was learning sewing machine care:
She said to clean the lint out of the slots under the presser foot;
as one lady had wondered where the little felt pad went to after her machine was cleaned.

wilsonintexas · Post by **wilsonintexas** » Thu May 31, 2012 4:27 pm

I am a newbe.... When I picked up my machine, I saw instruction on taking the tank apart to clean it, but the technician said NO NEVER TAKE IT APART..... I plan to ignored her.
So far I have taken the tank apart and cleaned it out on a weekly basis, when I wash out my tube and wash with baby shampoo. (first thing on Saturday morning). This is what I was told to do for the mask and hose…. (not sure why I am willing to listen to this part of the advice, and ignore the direction to never take the tank apart….)
For now, I use only distilled water, and dump it out daily. I then run the “mask fit” at full bore to dry it out, it shuts off after 3 minutes…. So far so good. My leak numbers look strange on sleepyhead, but I know what is going on….
I noticed that I have been dumping out all the water I seem to be putting in… So have been cutting down on how much I am actually using. I suspect it is near zero…… I recently bought an accurate scale for something else, and may try weighing it a few nights to see if any is actually being used,. I am in Dallas, and expect that the humidifier is really only needed in the winter. T it pretty humid here in the summer. But want to give myself the best chance at success since I am just starting and will continue to add water for a while.

Poll: How Often Do You Clean Your Tank?

How often do you clean your water tank?

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