Purchasing CPAP Filters

Hi Folks:

I'm new here, but not new to CPAP, been using mine for several years now. I am recently moved, without a doctor or insurance, and need to get some filters for my CPAP (ultra fine).

Do you have any site recommendations for products? I'm really looking to minimize shipping costs, etc since I'm on a limited income, and the price seems to vary considerably for a six pack of these little suckers.

Welcome mizz_crow,

Take a look at cpap.com. You didn't say what machine you had but here are links to some of the filters they sell.

Respironics
Puritan Bennett

If these aren't the ones your looking for browse around their products. I'm sure they have what you are looking for and always have great prices.

Go to a hardware or home depot and buy a sheet of air conditioner filter . The 1 that has blue on 1 side and black or gray on the other. I forget the name. Use your old filter as a pattern and cut out a new filter. This costs just a few $ and will make perhaps a hundred filters or more. I've ben doing this for years. Dont think twice about changing a filter because they only cost a penny.. The filter looks exactly like the micro filter material that sells for like $10 for cpaps..

Good luck,

irving

Man this makes me hot!


You would think that SA stould for STUPID A@# instead of sleep apnea, why do we have to be gouged on this stuff we use? The prices we pay are crazy! I argued with my insurance company today about this and they really couid care less, but they will deny a claim for being a few cents to high! My DME sent me a bill for my stuff for my 20 percent after the rental trial period and when I saw that my 20 percent was higher than I could buy if for on CPAP.com, I called them up and told them to stick it where the sun don't shine! Told them that they can come get it or just except the money they grossly overcharged the insurance company! They saw the light and gave in to me. Man.

Johnny G, you will have my business from now on. For the record do you sign on to insurance carriers so we get a better split as a provider on the plan and if not why not? cost you nothing and it would sure help us all out. They also tell me I need an itamized bill and proof of neccessity. They acted surprised when I told them they don't last forever (masks). Would love to hear from you.

Irving wrote:Go to a hardware or home depot and buy a sheet of air conditioner filter . The 1 that has blue on 1 side and black or gray on the other. I forget the name. Use your old filter as a pattern and cut out a new filter. This costs just a few $ and will make perhaps a hundred filters or more. I've ben doing this for years. Dont think twice about changing a filter because they only cost a penny.. The filter looks exactly like the micro filter material that sells for like $10 for cpaps..

Good luck,

irving

While this sounds like a great common sense thing to do, I'm not so sure that everyone reading this advice would pull it off safely. I do very distinctly remember reading another VERY technically savvy poster taking just this approach. To make a long story short, it took him a long time to figure out with the help of his CPAP manufacturer's tech support line that he had altered the air flow-through characteristics of his CPAP machine. And this guy was a technical professional.

Aside from that particular caveat, there may or may not be an issue with the non-medical grade of material used on the Home Depot filters. There is a huge difference in the filter material particle count (measured in parts per million) disbursed throughout an entire household versus that which a CPAP machine would disperse directly into the respiratory tract in much higher concentrations.

Maybe better to play it safe and buy the medical grade filter that has flow-through and other design characteristics to match the CPAP machine???

Irving, I'm glad you found something that works for you, but I would caution anyone that you may invalidate your machine's warranty if you do not use the proper filter. Just a thought.