Nasal Pillows, O Rings, and Discolorattion

[jdm2857]

Has anyone noticed that their nasal pillows with O rings installed have turned a sort of yellowish-brown color near where the O rings touch the silicone?

I'm using the ordinary black O rings which I think are some sort of butyl rubber compound. The packaging from Home Despot is helpfully not labeled as to material.

O rings made of other material are available, but not as readily as the black ones. I may have to do some research.

[Janknitz]

I think the O-rings need to be a temporary fix when your pillows are starting to go and you need time to get a replacement. Once you need to put the O-rings on, the time is limited. Rubber and silicone supposedly do react over time.

Medicare covers replacement pillows monthly and many insurance companies follow suit. And if they aren't covered, you can have two extra pillows on hand by participating in the Great Pillow Exchange. The auction site also have brand new pillows for a fraction of the cost that online retailers charge.

[jmcd]

Great Pillow Exchange? Please tell me about it.

[chunkyfrog]

I was just wondering if a cut up 'jelly' pencil cushion would affect my FX headgear.
I want to fasten the back strap lower & thought that might work with a re-bent paper clip.
I suppose I could test it with an early, nasty nasal cushion from my micro. . .
I wouldn't be so concerned with staining as much as the chemical reaction that sometimes turns plastic into slime.
I do know that vetwrap has no effect on the headgear silicone, as I have been using it for 6 weeks to keep the long strap at the top off of my face;
however I am aware that there is more than one formula for silicone, as I have seen dozens of iterations for urethane.

[jdm2857]

I should add that the silicone does not appear to be degrading; it is just changing color.

[nanwilson]

Hi Jeff
I noticed the same thing with the first o-ring fix I did but this one seems to be ok. I think it has something to do with those "old" pillows that degraded so fast. When I changed pillows to set #2 they haven't changed color like set #1. And I'm beginning to think that set #1 were from the rotten ones as they went mush so fast.
Cheers
Norma

[jdm2857]

Great Pillow Exchange? Please tell me about it.

Find the thread entitled "THE GREAT PILLOW EXCHANGE".

Read the latest posts to see if a proposed exchange meets your needs. If it does, PM the poster.

If not post an exchange proposal of your own.

First-Class US Mail postage is less than $3.00. It's only a few cents more via US MAIL and CANADA POST for cross-border exchanges with Maple Leafs.

[LoQ]

The auction site also have brand new pillows for a fraction of the cost that online retailers charge.

I didn't go check, but I'm wondering if ResMed is not allowing sale of pillows on auctions sites, either. The message from cpapauction.com just says "ResMed items," from which it is easy to conclude that that includes replacement parts. But as I said, I didn't bother to look through the items actually up for sale.

[jdm2857]

A cpapauction search for "ResMed" in all open auctions returns no items.

[Desperate_in_DM]

How often should pillows be changed? Just wondering because I got my machine 8/3 and didn't have a follow-up appt. until 9/15. They gave me one pillow--a size XS. I would have been using the same pillow for six weeks if I had not exchanged it for a S size pillow Monday. It's going to be a pain in the rear if I have to keep going back to the Resp. Home Care every month or every other month because they'll only give me one pillow at a time.

[spm]

Thank you all for the idea of using an O ring with the nasal pillows. Just wanted to add, that since I didn't have O rings available I used plastic rings that are used as stitch counters for knitting. They work great. They come in different sizes and slip on and off with just a little water. Really solved the problem I was having with the pillows. Thanks again for the idea.

[Kenwood]

What size "O" rings work on the Swift FX?

[grybeard77]

What size rings? Where do you get them. which type, Made of rubber,plastic, metal?

Found several sites that sell packages of various sizes, but which ones should I be looking for?

[Pugsy]

What size rings? Where do you get them. which type, Made of rubber,plastic, metal?

O ring discussion thread

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76193&p=696113&hili ... gs#p696113

[Kenwood]

Quote from the thread that Pugsy posted:

Put them on just like Uncle_Bob's photo shows, gives them a solid base. The O ring size is OD 13/16 by ID 9/16 by 1/8 . Danco #93 O ring. It's the same fix for the Swift FX. Pick them up at any hardware store.

I have a screen shot of the above on my phone, but I cannot find these at Home Depot….