Quattro FX Cushion Leaking After 1 Month

[Zzzer]

So I really like my Quattro FX FFM. For the entire first month, I had no problems with leaks of any kind. Now, into my second month, I get leaks at the cushion around the nose bridge area whenever I sleep on my side. These leaks tend to blow up into my eyes and become quite annoying. I tried tightening the straps, but short of being too tight, I still get the same leaks.

After reading some of the reviews of the FX FFM, I see that the cushions have a short lifespan. Okay ... but 30 days seems pretty poor, given that it costs $50+ to replace.

So ... Could I be doing something wrong all of a sudden, after having no problems in my first month? Would a Pad-a-Cheek type of liner help? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[old dude]

Have you been removing the cushion every morning and washing it with warm water and a mild soap?

This is recommended by ResMed, and if you haven't followed this protocol it could likely be your problem.

I use Johnson's baby shampoo which has been endorsed to me directly by ResMed, but others have their favorites too.

[knightlite]

Try the pad a cheek liners they help a lot. And the level of comfort is awesome. Make sure you wash your face to remove oils before bedtime . Wash your mask and cushions in dawn every 4 days or so, dawn removes oil like nothing else. You will find that the liners keep your mask cleaner,stops it from sliding around , but you need to wash it by hand every 4 days or so . I have very oily skin and the liner helps a lot in reducing leaks . I also disinfect it all with a capful of bleach /to a gallon of water when I wash everything . Then I use a small amt of unscented softener on liner at the end .
The liner air drys very quickly after the wash in the mornings ,ready that night . You will also find that Karens liners help remove moisture in the mask as you breathe. it wicks it away ,that's a good thing.
You will be amazed at how clean your cushions stay since the liner wicks away the face oil. I would guess the oil is hard on the cushions. Try one ,even if you want to make your own later ,you will see the quality for the buck. She will work with you if you have a special design problem .

[Sleep NP]

please don't use bleach on your mask, it breaks down the silicone and will ruin the cushion, additionally silicone absorbs things like bleach which can cause skin sensitivity. Dawn is a great way to clean the mask or even alcohol free baby wipes. If you feel like dish soap will not disinfect the equipment well enough a 1/2 water 1/2 vinegar solution does a great job at killing bugs and mold spores.

[Rob108]

I gave up on the quattro fx I was initially provided and went back to the comfort gel full face mask I got when I was titrated. I washed my cushion every morning and got really good at reinstalling fully back in the groove. I felt some of my problem was the headgear pulling the mask up my face. I even got my degree to give me the large headgear but, to me at least, they lengthened the wrong straps (lower) and it still rode up causing eye leaks.

[forthguy]

After reading some of the reviews of the FX FFM, I see that the cushions have a short lifespan. Okay ... but 30 days seems pretty poor, given that it costs $50+ to replace.

So ... Could I be doing something wrong all of a sudden, after having no problems in my first month? Would a Pad-a-Cheek type of liner help? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

I just gave up on my first cushion after around 100 days, because I couldn't control the leaks. I have to wash my face every night, right before bed, and I use some of the citrus wipes on the cushion. I've never done the washing in warm water as ResMed recommends. Mine was generally leak-free, until it started leaking, then it became uncontrollable. I threw a new cushion on there, and so far (it's been about a week), all has been well.

I tried the Pad-a-Cheek, and I so wanted to like it, because it was very comfortable when I was awake, but regardless of what I tried, I'd wake up every morning with the mask having ridden up my nose during the night and the bottom part of the mask (and the liner) in my mouth. I finally just gave up on it and the no-leak strap I bought as an attempt to try to keep the mask in place. (I guess I should note that the machine never registered many severe leaks when the liner was in place, even with my mouth wide open and the bottom of the mask in my mouth. So, it clearly can prevent leaks...)

[MrStein]

Boil the cushion in distilled water with 2 teaspoons of baking soda for 2-3 minutes,
Rinse with cool distilled water. Let dry. The cushion will be like new.
There are many posts here detailing this. Use the search here if in doubt.

[Bill44133]

I feel the your pain mine lasted about 5 weeks.

I just posted this: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=93098&p=858278#p857994