Film on tank from storage

PR560 tank with odd film from only one month in storage

I frequently cleaned by tank. Got a new machine and started using my new PR760. Put my PR560 tank up on the dresser. Surprise! It has developed a film inside exactly up to where the distilled water line was. What is that? It can’t be bacteria film….too visible to the naked eye. Can it be just residue from the distilled water or stuff from the air? Room is always clean. Anybody get this from a tank not used for a month?

Thanks

Unless it's been exposed to something other than room air, I wouldn't worry. Open it up and put it in the dishwasher if you want and see how clean it gets. If it doesn't get clean, you might try sloshing a 10% vinegar solution in it for a while. That tends to remove mineral scale from water.

archangle wrote:Unless it's been exposed to something other than room air, I wouldn't worry. Open it up and put it in the dishwasher if you want and see how clean it gets. If it doesn't get clean, you might try sloshing a 10% vinegar solution in it for a while. That tends to remove mineral scale from water.

Thanks, I appreciate this!

That humidifier tank does not like the dishwasher and can crack. Wash it by hand using common dishwashing detergent. If the film is a mineral deposit, vinegar will remove it. Many acrylics will fog or craze in the dishwasher due to high temperatures and chlorine cleaners.

Pesser wrote:PR560 tank with odd film from only one month in storage

I frequently cleaned by tank. Got a new machine and started using my new PR760. Put my PR560 tank up on the dresser. Surprise! It has developed a film inside exactly up to where the distilled water line was. What is that? It can’t be bacteria film….too visible to the naked eye. Can it be just residue from the distilled water or stuff from the air? Room is always clean. Anybody get this from a tank not used for a month?

Thanks

You can get that kind of build up if the water you are using is not actually distilled. Sometimes the water is labled distilled but is really "purified" water. Check and read on the fine print to see if it is described as "steam distilled". If there is any other description besides that, then its not really distilled water.

To clean it, follow the suggestion to first use vinegar to get rid of the mineral deposits, then make a slurry of salt and a little water to slosh around inside to break up any bacterial film remaining. Rinse with actual distilled water and you will be good to go.

The brand I use is Crystal Springs.

Sleeprider wrote:That humidifier tank does not like the dishwasher and can crack. Wash it by hand using common dishwashing detergent. If the film is a mineral deposit, vinegar will remove it. Many acrylics will fog or craze in the dishwasher due to high temperatures and chlorine cleaners.

PRS1 tanks are dishwashable. ResMed makes both dishwashable and non-dishwashable tanks.

cpap.com reference that tanks are dishwashable.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... l-kit.html
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html

http://www.resmed.com/epn/assets/docume ... ur_eng.pdf - ResMed says S9 tank is dishwashable. They don't make it clear whether the A10 cleanable tank is dishwashable.

Respironics doesn't say whether the tank is dishwashable or not. The recommend hand washing in the manual.

I've been dishwashing my Respironics and ResMed dishwashable tanks every other week for 10 years now with no apparent problems. I think they're made from polycarbonate.

Replacement tanks are pretty cheap online, so if you do damage one, just replace it.

I'll also note that dishwashing it one time is a different question from washing it many times.

I've had good luck using the vinegar first then the salt slurry. I did find with the salt slurry that I had to gently use a Q-tip in the corners to get the stubborn film out. Don't use much pressure or you will scratch the surface. It's worth getting a dishwasher safe tank, for me it's much easier to dump it in the upper level rack... it always comes out clean. No negative effect on the silicone seal that I can tell. I've washed my tank in the dishwasher many times and it's still good to go.

archangle wrote:

Sleeprider wrote:That humidifier tank does not like the dishwasher and can crack. Wash it by hand using common dishwashing detergent. If the film is a mineral deposit, vinegar will remove it. Many acrylics will fog or craze in the dishwasher due to high temperatures and chlorine cleaners.

PRS1 tanks are dishwashable. ResMed makes both dishwashable and non-dishwashable tanks.

cpap.com reference that tanks are dishwashable.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... l-kit.html
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html

http://www.resmed.com/epn/assets/docume ... ur_eng.pdf - ResMed says S9 tank is dishwashable. They don't make it clear whether the A10 cleanable tank is dishwashable.

Respironics doesn't say whether the tank is dishwashable or not. The recommend hand washing in the manual.

I've been dishwashing my Respironics and ResMed dishwashable tanks every other week for 10 years now with no apparent problems. I think they're made from polycarbonate.

Replacement tanks are pretty cheap online, so if you do damage one, just replace it.

I'll also note that dishwashing it one time is a different question from washing it many times.

Pretty hard to argue with this! Thanks! I'll try this tonight. By the way I appreciate the effort you have placed in helping me!

Sleeprider wrote:That humidifier tank does not like the dishwasher and can crack. Wash it by hand using common dishwashing detergent. If the film is a mineral deposit, vinegar will remove it. Many acrylics will fog or craze in the dishwasher due to high temperatures and chlorine cleaners.

I think you're right about the mineral deposit. Because of the product description on cpap.com I am going to try the dishwasher; kind of "jam" it so it won't move around! Thanks for this.

OK, the S10 cleanable tank is dishwashable, according to ResMed.

http://www.resmed.com/uk/en/consumer/pr ... dair-.html

"The HumidAir’s cleanable water tub is easy to disassemble, clean and reassemble. It can be washed on the top shelf of a dishwasher."

Why is this info so hard to find?

Knowing ResMed, they'll probably change the web page soon and delete the page or at least change the URL.