Reservoir Stuck

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
freetimecreations
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by freetimecreations » Sun Dec 23, 2018 12:06 pm

Tom Magarian wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 10:28 am
I have been using my Res Med Auto Sense 10 for about 10 months to date.
I have had sticking issues with the water tank for about the last month.
Today no matter how hard I yanked on the tank, I could not remove it. Upon investigating it further, I found that the stainless steel bottom of the tank had cemented itself to the stainless steel heating element.
The problem is caused by mineral deposits in the water, that over time build up and because of the heat, form a cement that causes the tank to stick in the unit.
This was a surprise, because I have always used distilled water from Walgreen's Drug Store. Evidently, the distilled water is not as pure as one might think.
(Disclaimer I own Walgreens stock, I don't regularly buy their distilled water)

First, I don't know where you evidently found the information that Walgreen's distilled water is not as pure as one might think.

Second, What does "as pure as one might think" mean? This is a humidifier chamber that gets rinsed out with tap water and left to dry. That last step theoretically adds impurities from the tap water to the inside and outside of the humidifier. I'm not suggesting or recommending for people to rinse their tanks with distilled water after cleaning.

Third, Let's go with your theory that Walgreens water is not as pure, Exactly how is the water in your CPAP getting outside of the chamber and depositing minerals on the heating element? Does your tank have a leak?

Fourth, I believe that one solution was proposed in this thread was to wipe the bottom of the tank with a cloth to make sure there is no spilled water or some dirt, sticky stuff from the surface of where the tank sat as you filled it. I also wipe the top of the heating element on the machine every couple of weeks.

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Okie bipap
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by Okie bipap » Sun Dec 23, 2018 2:04 pm

My machine is over three years old and my wife's is about a year and a half. I have never seen any sort of mineral build up on the bottom of the water reservoir or on the heating plates. It sounds like you have water where it shouldn't be. When you wash the reservoir, make sure you get all of the water out of the little hole located on the bottom of the reservoir. I always shake our reservoirs vigorously and make sure all of the water is out of the space between the metal and the plastic on the bottom.

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palerider
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by palerider » Sun Dec 23, 2018 2:17 pm

Tom Magarian wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 10:28 am
The problem is caused by mineral deposits in the water, that over time build up and because of the heat, form a cement that causes the tank to stick in the unit.
This was a surprise, because I have always used distilled water from Walgreen's Drug Store. Evidently, the distilled water is not as pure as one might think.
I may be unclear on the operation here, but it was always my thought that the water was supposed to go *inside* the humidifier tank, and not on the bottom, between it and the heating plate...

This really doesn't help my innate suspicion of first posts offering 'advice".

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chartle
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by chartle » Sun Dec 23, 2018 2:47 pm

Its also possible that if you removed it in the morning when its still warm and then set it down on something that something stuck to the bottom of the tank.

Could happen even when it was not hot.

HoseCrusher
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by HoseCrusher » Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:22 pm

Another observation is that there is plastic encapsulating the rest of the humidifier tank. Through this encapsulating the stainless plate sticks through, but it is possible to have some water caught between the plastic and the tank.

If that water has minerals in it, and if it dribbles out during the heating during the night, it is possible to cement the tank to the heating plate.

A solution would be to make sure the humidifier tank is throughly dry prior to use. This means checking to see if the plastic encapsulation is dry and that is a little hard to judge. Another option is to finish washing by soaking the outside of the bottom half of the humidifier in distilled water. This should eliminate any minerals leaking out on the heating plate and would eliminate the cementing of the tank to the heating plate.

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RetiredWoman
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Re: Reservoir Stuck FILE DOWN THE TOP POINTS

Post by RetiredWoman » Tue Dec 25, 2018 11:19 am

I read these posts a few weeks ago and followed the suggestion to file down the 2 triangular pieces on the top of the reservoir. IT WORKS!
I used a nail file. I was surprised a nail file would file the plastic but it did (a metal nail file). Now my reservoir comes out easily every day. I WAS having a lot of trouble getting it out. I didn't file all the way down, just the top parts of the points - they fit into openings in the
machine when you slide the reservoir in. The reservoir still says in place. Thank you to the person who posted that solution!!

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Pugsy
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by Pugsy » Tue Dec 25, 2018 11:20 am

Sometimes when I add water to the chamber at night I have found that I sometimes get a little water sloshed out the back where the hinge is.
I always wipe the bottom of the water chamber with something just to insure the bottom is totally dry.
Never had the chamber get stuck.

If water is between the bottom of the chamber and the heating plate.....and it’s oxidizing....it had to come from somewhere and in the absence of major leak that most of us would see....probably a little user error involved.

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RonS
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by RonS » Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:50 am

I had this problem a couple of weeks ago and I spent a good hour in and out with the tank to try to nail down the likely culprit... for my case. YMMV

The tank slid in no problem, but didn't want to come back out without a medium amount of force. I instantly recalled these discussions and simultaneously wanted to find the problem while being worried mine would get permanently stuck. I have a backup tank that I've had wrapped up since I got the machine, so I contemplated switching, but didn't.

At first it was quite puzzling there is no apparent contamination, the unit is clean, there are no stains on the heating surface or the bottom of the tank. Both seem normally smooth. There didn't appear to be any defect in the tank that I could see. The two halves appeared to be mating properly and the lid compresses easily in the front. There didn't appear to be anything out of place inside the machine, using a dental inspection mirror as well.

I pulled straight, I pulled diagonally, I pulled up and down and it was still sticking. I seemed to have a little better luck pulling hard and directly to one side before pulling out, but it was still "sticky". I turned the machine on to see if additional pressure internally would help to pop the tank out to no avail.

In the end it was the gasket in the tank was not 100% properly located, even though it appeared to be in the proper position. So while you could squish the halves together normally, normal being they came together in front, turns out the tank lid was likely just flexing and not crushing the gasket properly in back where it counts.
There was no sign of air leakage in sound during operation, in my stats or when I was using the pressure to try to help push it out, reseating the gasket was a "what the heck, it couldn't hurt" experiment. It. Looked. And. Acted. Normal. Except causing the tank to stick, I guess. :D :D :D

Reseating the gasket solved the problem, 100%.

As I mentioned when I started, I don't know if this is everyone's issue or not. But it sure as heck seemed to be the same frustrating problem with a non-obvious cause.

jvan
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by jvan » Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:13 am

This certainly appears to be an ongoing problem, one I share with you.

As of this morning I seem to have solved it at least on my unit. On either side of the top, the last part to go into the machine,
there is a protrusion that catches on an indentation at the top inside of the unit. Using my wife’s nail file I sort of rounded the catching edge of the protrusion on each side. Not much, just a little bit. At least in my case the problem appears to be solved. The humidifier basin still seats itself securely but can be removed quite easily. I hope this is a solution for some of you, if more details are required let me know. Apnea sucks.

jvan
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by jvan » Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:47 am

Sorry, I just read the same solution about 5 posts up. Lesson learned.

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Pugsy
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by Pugsy » Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:58 am

jvan wrote:
Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:47 am
Sorry, I just read the same solution about 5 posts up. Lesson learned.
No problem...Happens all the time. Not a big deal and hurts nothing to bring this old thread back to the front for a little while just in case someone else is having the same problem and wondering what they can do to fix it.

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mardi jensen
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by mardi jensen » Sun Mar 03, 2019 8:38 pm

I also have a sticky reservoir. My husband can open it but I cant, my fingers are not very strong. Once it is open and reinserted it goes in and out easily until machine is turned on then it is stuck again. Almost like it is held by a slight vacuum?

krazyfilly
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by krazyfilly » Mon May 27, 2019 11:08 pm

Turn it on, let it warm up for a couple minutes and the reservoir will come right out. Clean the plates on the humidifier and the outside of the reservoir. I'm thinking you can also spray some silicone lubricant on it though I have not had to resort to this.

arkaxow
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by arkaxow » Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:47 pm

Tom Magarian wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 10:28 am
Tom here,

I have been using my Res Med Auto Sense 10 for about 10 months to date.
I have had sticking issues with the water tank for about the last month.
Today no matter how hard I yanked on the tank, I could not remove it. Upon investigating it further, I found that the stainless steel bottom of the tank had cemented itself to the stainless steel heating element.
I was able to slip a a thin kitchen knife between the tank and the heating element to get it to release.
The problem is caused by mineral deposits in the water, that over time build up and because of the heat, form a cement that causes the tank to stick in the unit.
This was a surprise, because I have always used distilled water from Walgreen's Drug Store. Evidently, the distilled water is not as pure as one might think.

I hope this will explain the problem to the rest of the community Good luck to all,

Tom
OK. After reading all the earlier posts, I tried this with a nail file to pry between the stainless steel bottom of the tank and it worked! There was no food, glue, etc. under there. There didn't appear to be any residue at all! I cleaned off the bottom with a paper towel just to make sure there was no residue in the slightest from any tap water or stuff on my countertop. We shall see what happens next. But I suspect that it is just a design flaw that the manufacturers don't want to correct. By the way I got mine about 2 weeks ago (7/1/19), so they obviously haven't fixed the problem.

Ash6555
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Re: Reservoir Stuck

Post by Ash6555 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:22 am

My reservoir was stuck in place. It took me two hours to wiggle, tug and ply it out. It was stuck on the bottom not at the top. On inspection, once i finally wrestled it out, I noticed that there was a sticky substance on the plate in the machine. Once I cleaned that out everything was fine. Now I check regularly.