Rainout experiment

puffing billy · Post by **puffing billy** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:04 pm

Hi All
As a new user (day 9) I have had rainout on a number of occasions even with the humidifier set on 1. Incidently the hose cover is on order.
But it occurred to me that if I turned the humidifier on for a period, say 3/4hr and off for 1/2hr with a time switch this should clear any build up of water droplets. Maybe a magic cure!
So I have bought a time switch that switches for the required times.
Watch this space and I will report back.
I am sure this is not a new idea, but it may just help.

Billy

puffing billy · Post by **puffing billy** » Wed May 10, 2006 12:48 pm

Well the rainout experiment has been tried for a couple of weeks now.
A cover was made for the hose plus a cover for the breeze headgear hose.
A timer was used to turn the humidifier on and off for various intervals.
IMO the best timing is an hour on and an hour off.
Much more than this the dreaded RAINOUT occurs.
Incidently my wife insists on having the windows open at night.

Conclusion
Its OK and a cheap option, but I have a Heated Hose on order.

Billy

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Wed May 10, 2006 4:39 pm

Even the heated hose might not solve the rainout problem - depending on how cold the bedroom gets with the window open.

My heated hose with 3 hose covers doesn't prevent rainout with my Aura. But Auras are notorious for rainouts. If I sleep in a warm room (75 degrees), I get no rainout. But if I drop the temp to 68 degrees, I will get a few droplets - and I live with it. My hubby and I prefer a very cold bedroom, but that's a thing of the past, I'm afraid.

For me, only the Aura gets rainout. I used to sleep with the Nasalaire in a 55 degree room with no problems. But I love that Aura of mine. .....

Hopefully the heated hose will solve your rainout problems and you can still sleep in a cold room.

linda b · Post by **linda b** » Wed May 10, 2006 6:09 pm

Pardon me if this is another dumb question, but I'm still new to all this and was wondering why you would have a rainout problem with one mask and not another mask? How is it that the choice of mask affects rainout?

idahogal · Post by **idahogal** » Wed May 10, 2006 8:32 pm

Linda 3032, I have had rainout on my aura twice. I keep my bedroom at 60 at night. I can't help but wonder if it could be a geographical difference. Way up here we have a much lower humidity than you do. Any thoughts on this?

wabmorgan · Post by **wabmorgan** » Wed May 10, 2006 8:43 pm

I think the differance is in the vertical arangement of the hose. By the hose being vertical it is more likely that the steam that collects in the hose would run down into the mask. (At least that is my thoery. I detached my hose from the vertical placement on my breeze and haven't had a rainout problem since.)

With the hose runnning down, and with the CPAP unit lower than the bed, any rainout runs down the hose and back into the humidifer. (You still get the rainout... it simply runs back into the humidifer rather than running into your mask.)

From what I have been able to tell, the breeze would be better designwise if the CPAP hose came up from the bottom. What I have done is close but it would be better if it really did come from the bottom.

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Wed May 10, 2006 10:04 pm

I don't know why one mask, mainly the Aura, has more rainout than another. But I'm not complaining because I won't abandon the Aura. It is just too comfortable - I never have leaks, I never feel pressure changes, and most of the time, I forget I'm wearing it.

I've always done the correct things to prevent rainout (and I've been at this for over 3 years). I've always:

1. had my Respironics Auto well below the level of the bed.
2. had hose covers. One with the Nasalaire, and 3 with the Aura. I also bought the heated hose for the Aura.
3. run my humidifier on 1, never higher.
4. my hose drains downward from the bed. Even with the Aura, it just comes up to the bed and across to the pillow (not up over the bed and then down to the pillow).

Linda B. With one mask, the hose comes into the bed with you, under the covers (the Nasalaire), so less of it is exposed to the air. The Aura just has more rainout - maybe it's because the exhaust vents are much further away from the nose than other masks. But that's one of the major selling points for me.

Wabmorgan. I think my listing above dispells your reasoning. But that is true in other instances.

Idahogal. Good reasoning, but some of our forum members who live in Florida (much more humid than Arkansas), don't get rainout. Plus, whether I run a heater or air conditioner, the house isn't humid.

If I had to guess why some get rainout with their Auras and others don't, I would have to say it might be their pressure settings, or the difference of machines. Maybe cpaps produce less rainout conditions than autos. Maybe higher pressures produce less rainout than low pressures.

Sorry, this post got way too long. ...

mild6 · Post by **mild6** » Wed May 10, 2006 10:05 pm

hi guys,
with the summer approaching, i have the humidifier off. the cool air runs through my nostril. it feels good! i was first frustrated with rainouts, especially in winter when i need to turn my humidifier on. but pretty soon i've got used to it. i figure that a couple of water droplets won't kill me, so i just ignore the rainouts and keep on sleeping......

Fubar2u · Post by **Fubar2u** » Thu May 11, 2006 4:03 pm

My hose goes over the headboard and only dips down the last 18-20 inches of the 6ft. Humidity should play a big part on the rain out. Our current humidity 47%. 3 pm pacific

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Thu May 11, 2006 4:11 pm

Yes, humidity does play a very big part of rainout. But that mainly would be humidity from your heated humidifier not your climate where you live. The home furnace and air conditioning inside the home removed humidity from the air - therefore shouldn't be much of a factor. Unless one lives in Florida, etc, and doen't run the home heat/ac units, and sleeps with the windows open all year round. If he's that oblivious to the comforts of life, then he probably doesn't notice the gallons of rainout going down his nose at night. .....

puffing billy · Post by **puffing billy** » Fri May 12, 2006 11:16 am

Well to conclude my experiment, the heated hose came yesterday and I had a Rainout free night. So hopefully many more of those to come.

Billy

Mask

Additional Comments: cpap pressure: 12