Ever lose parts to your machine & not have it to use?

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:47 pm

What do you do if something on your mask breaks or you just lose it? One of those small pieces goes down the drain while washing it off?

I was thinking I might buy the Frame (60527), cap (60525) and clip (60535)
for spares on my Mirage Swift. The entire Short Tube Assembly is $19.60 and the other parts are probably another $10 or so.

Maybe I am looking at this the wrong way, but once I get used to the machine, trying to sleep without it could be difficult. Having a couple of spare parts here might be cheaper than overnighting them in on Fed-Ex.

How about YOU??

Anyone out there lost some parts and did without their machine a few days?

PS - - I forgot to mention why I asked this....my wife dropped the clear
plastic clip into our DEEP carpet somewhere between the bedroom and the
kitchen. Yeah, we found it, but it took awhile. Made me think about life
without my bipap.

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): mirage, swift

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:56 pm

Most folks have multiple interfaces/masks so that would be their backup for interface problems. I have an extra machine but since I am not a Bi-Level user that is sort of easy to accomplish. I could get by without a humidifier for a little while if necessary although the part most likely to disrupt my regular use would be the gasket that seals the humidifier connection to the Remstar. I should get an extra one of those.

David

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:14 pm

Hi David,
Being so new, I don't have anything "spare". Never thought about it until I
spent an hour or so on my hands and knees trying to find the little plastic
clip in the beige carpet.

I will get a "back up" machine one day, but until I find out what I need, I will
just try to keep this auto bipap running.

Once I get a pressure range figured out, I might not need the auto bipap
features. Maybe a less expensive unit could take of my needs while my auto
bipap were gone to repairs. I have downloaded prices from a few websites.
While the overall price of the Mirage Swift is fairly close, the "parts" prices are
not. Then again, if a person is going to spent...say $75 for parts, you might
as well spring for a whole mask.

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:17 pm

If you are like 80-90% of the folks here you will be getting at least one, if not more, additional different interfaces as well as a spare Swift perhaps. It is good to have some rotation because you never know when the one you have may decide to "act up" or just become a pain to tolerate for awhile. Time will tell.

David

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:46 pm

Dave,

Easy answer is to have a few different masks.

I have a F/F mask that is my normal choice but also a couple of nasal pillows masks that I can use if I need to. In fact last night I used my Adams Circuit mask as I am experirncing severe nasal congestion & the F/F mask means I go to sleep mouth breathing which is not that nice.

The nasal pillows tend to irritate my wife due to their noise & the regular escaping of air from my mouth (that to me is easier to put up with than the nasal congestion with the F/F mask).

If you do a set of useable masks, you then have a fall-back that would allow you to find/buy replacement parts.

DSM

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:04 pm

I have the FF mask...HC 431A by P&F. As dumb as this sounds, I did not
like it and did not consider it as a "back up" for that reason. BUT if I had a
choice of no Bipap or use it....I would try to use it. With my Bipap pressures
adjusted better, it might be much easier to use. But getting it to seal was a
hassle.

I don't look forward to the cold season.

As a newbie, I find it odd that many people will have several masks. Since YOU
all seem to do this, I would have to think I will too. I am not sure what the
replacement policy is with tricare. Guess I will find out.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:26 pm

I am lucky, I left my sleep study with two masks.

A Ultra mirage FF mask and a Swift. I thought I could not use the Swift since I thought I was a mouth breather, but the tech doing my study said "why don't you take it home and fool around with it". Amazingly I love it. Never would have dreamed I could sleep with my mouth taped shut.

But on the topic of this thread, I could use the Ultra Mirage for a few days if I needed parts for the Swift. I figure I will probably get another Swift too at some point, and then the old one will be "parts", I am also considering trying the comfort lite 2 that everyone is raving about. One of these I will end up paying for the other I will get in a few months when my insurance will pick up another.

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Tue May 23, 2006 5:34 pm

Is there a "bone yard" somewhere that sells "old" equipment that is out of
date?

Or is there a dealer who sells accessories only? I found one dealer who is
selling my Respironics Auto Bipap for $999 right now. About $300 or more
cheaper than 99% of the dealers.

Other odds and ends - -I looked on one site for a spare hose. The 3 meter
hose was $40 and the 2 meter hose was $22 each. Buy two of course.

I also see a place that sells "pieces".....like the connectors on the end of my
6 ft hose. Buy the connectors, some "hose" and make your own?

Any more ideas? Or do we know of a dealer who only handles used equipment?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue May 23, 2006 7:11 pm

[quote="Snoozin' Bluezzz"]Most folks have multiple interfaces/masks so that would be their backup for interface problems. I have an extra machine but since I am not a Bi-Level user that is sort of easy to accomplish. I could get by without a humidifier for a little while if necessary although the part most likely to disrupt my regular use would be the gasket that seals the humidifier connection to the Remstar. I should get an extra one of those.

David

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:38 pm

https://www.cpap.com

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:53 pm

dilfo:

interesting question you pose re: mask, since last night i had a similar experience. Two nights ago, I used up a lot of water and i couldn't figure out what was causing the leak. My best mask is UMFF, and last nite i saw that one of the two little pegs/plugs on either side of the nose part had come off. God knows what these little pegs do, other than plug up holes that i don't know why they are there in the first place. anyway, first thing i did after not being able to find the little peg/plug was to see if i could remove one from my series 2. they would not budge. then i remembered that five years ago, my dme had given me a small sealed bag of little spare parts of things whose function i have no idea and that never come off. until now. ripped the bag open, found a peg/plug and replaced it. i was going to throw that bag out when cleaning a coupla months ago since i remeber thinking how useless the stuff was, so i was glad i didn't. but if i didn't have a spare mask to use while waiting for cpap.com to send a peg/plug, i'd probably suffer for a few days or so. still, i don't think i'll start ordering spare parts as a precaution.

caroline

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Wed May 24, 2006 12:15 am

btw--the last post was from me, caroline, who seems to have a lot of trouble logging in these days. i log in but it seems not to register.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:54 am

chdurie2 wrote:God knows what these little pegs do, other than plug up holes that i don't know why they are there in the first place.

Caroline,

Those are ports for attaching an oxygen hose to the mask.

Den

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:59 am

den--

thanks!

caroline

Effie · Post by **Effie** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:12 am

Just last night I carried my mask from the kitchen where I store it during the day (having greyhound dogs that occasional like to chew stuff up keeps me from leaving it on the bedstand) and climbed into bed and tried to put on my mask only to find I was missing the nasal cushion!! Took some time to find it too, but thankfully did. Since my insurance pays so little on equipment, I can't see that I am going to be wanting to replace my mask every six months...wondering how long I can keep these pieces all together!

Linda

Mask

Additional Comments: Large mask collection