have question about new humidifier---help please?

I get my stuff from the VA. As I've mentioned before, they just give it to me and I'm on my own. I get my advice here. So, if anyone could help with this question, I would appreciate it.

My humidifier tank had a small leak. The tank is the one with the two rectangular openings on top. The VA sent me a new tank with two different length tubes. Of course, it didn't work. Their response was to send a whole new humidifier that fit the tank. The box says model number 1049109 M Series Heated Humidifier. The installation instructions pictured a machine just like mine. ( I should mention I took my machine in in August for it's yearly check and they told me it should be good for another 2 years. I got it in April,2007). The new humidifier plugs in directly to the machine as opposed to the transformer ( or whatever it's called) on the power cord. I installed it 5 days ago and it was really quiet, much quieter than my old humidifier, which wasn't that loud. However, early this a.m. I woke up and there was a noise I would describe between a hum and a buzz. My nasal pillows had a lot of water in them as well as the tube (opti-life) leading up to them. I dumped the water out. There was no water in the hose. My AHI, which had been running around 0.4 to 0.5, was 1.0 this a.m. and had been going up steadily since putting on the new humidifier. My questions is--- Is this humidifier ok to us with my machine? Did I have a version of rainout, which I've never had before? Is there something wrong with my machine? I woke up refreshed and feel great in spite of the 1.0 AHI. (I should also mention I used the hose to blow water out of the pillows and tube and that I attempted to see what happened with the noise when I blocked the pillows with my fingers. Would that have an effect on AHI? I get paranoid about anything unusual because I don't have a local DME. I have to drive 75 miles to get help at the VA Hospital and, if there is no pulmo person on duty, then I'm out of luck. It's a long weekend and my chances of finding anyone there are slim to none. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Sorry for the length of this post.

As always, thanks.

Okay, first, tell me about the "new" humidifier you got. Is this the one that takes the chamber with the two uneven "tubes"? If so, I believe that's "version 3" and the newest. If not, can I buy that new one off ya?

Is it possible that your new humidifier is "better" than your old one and that you're getting a higher humidity, causing some rainout, causing the water to pool enough to "clog" the airway, causing your AHI to go up?

The new humidifier is the one with uneven tubes. I have noticed I am using more water than I did with the old humidifier. I would like to keep the extra tank. The old humidifier still works. What you say makes sense though. I hadn't thought about that. It seems that the seal on the new humidifier is tighter than on the old one. I would assume that there was some deterioration of the silicone seals over the past year and a half.

thimarine wrote:The new humidifier is the one with uneven tubes. I have noticed I am using more water than I did with the old humidifier. I would like to keep the extra tank. The old humidifier still works. What you say makes sense though. I hadn't thought about that. It seems that the seal on the new humidifier is tighter than on the old one.

It could be that the heater is hotter too, thus making warmer air which can hold more moisture. In case you want to order an extra chamber for your old one, cpap.com carries them. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Respir ... amber.html But if you're getting them free through insurance, there's obviously no need to pay out of pocket.

Thank you to those who answered. It makes sense that this is a new humidifier and that higher heat means using more water. I'm going to dial it down to one tonight. Does leaving it on 0 make it a "passover" humidifier and will I get any benefit out of it? I'm sure this is elementary to most of you but, like I said, what I know, I know from here. Thanks again.

Yes, if you'll notice, on 0 (or all the way left on the dial), the light doesn't come on for the humidifier. It's simply a "passover" at that point. A passover is better than nothing because you WILL use some water (so you're getting some humidification). However, one of the nice benefits of a heated humidifier is that the air coming at your face is closer to "normal" temperature rather than an arctic blast . Just putz around with the settings, turning it down as much as you can AND still getting the relief you need.

I'm still "giddy" about my new machine and the heated humidifier (old one was pass-over), so I turned it up and got to experience "rain out". It was interesting, but only because it's not something I'm going to have to deal with on a nightly basis. It's an odd feeling when your mask spits on you for no retaliatory reason .