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Sudden strong chemical smell - almost like burning. Makes me kinda sick. Do you think it is maybe short circuiting?

Thanks
Ron

can't be good for you to breathe at the very least and at the worst could catch fire.

Humidifier running without water????

You didnt say if it is a new machine, or if you have had it a while. Either way, I wouldn't take a chance with it, take it back to the DME and have it checked out. If they don't solve the problem call the manufacturer.

When I first started therapy, the DME gave me a new machine that I had the same problem with. I called the DME asking if this was normal. They he hawed around, and told me to give it a few days, I then turned around and called the manufacturer, within the hour I got a call from the DME, who was quite upset, told to bring in the machine which was exchanged for another new machine. Seems the manufactured doesn't play with "burning smells". They can create serious health problems for the patient. The DME told me that they could have lost their franchise because of my call.. Too sad for them, they should have viewed this problem more seriously.

Good luck with your therapy.. Burning smells aint normal!

LSAT wrote:Humidifier running without water????

Probably.

I would never run it without water! This happened when I was going to bed, so it was freshly filled. Been using this machine for about nine months. I used my old machine last night which gives a better night sleep. I bought it off someone on this board so the manufacturer won't back it up.

I would start by isolating the smells to either the blower or humidifier section. Simply separate the blower and see if the smell is produced when the unit is on. If it is in the blower, we can then eliminate the humidifier as the source. If the odor is not present in the blower, your problem just got easier.

Thanks. I'll try that tonight. The smell was more of electrics.

If you have a Respironics 50 or 60 series, the problem could be this (which is apparently still an issue):

viewtopic/t107270/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1 ... re#p957743

That thread has a fix, if you are mechanically inclined.

Good find Darth Lady. <like>

thank goodness --we are not crazy--i have had this before i was even on cpap, and had it just the other day---i was researching Phanton Smells--it does happen to some people, I often wonder if it is when my head seems to feel swollen?? I also have glaucoma, high eye pressure---I am wondering if the area of my brain gets squeezed when i am retaining fluid or dealing with an allergy or something--in the last 3 months of being on auto cpap it has not been nearly as bad--[my blood pressure has also dropped to normal] it had disappeared until a couple of days ago when i was having issues with fluid retention and possible eye meds, an stressful dealings with eye pressure which puts my blood pressure up..?? I hate to even tell anyone --they might think i am nuts--it smell like chemicals burning...

Joanster wrote:thank goodness --we are not crazy--i have had this before i was even on cpap, and had it just the other day---i was researching Phanton Smells--it does happen to some people, I often wonder if it is when my head seems to feel swollen?? I also have glaucoma, high eye pressure---I am wondering if the area of my brain gets squeezed when i am retaining fluid or dealing with an allergy or something--in the last 3 months of being on auto cpap it has not been nearly as bad--[my blood pressure has also dropped to normal] it had disappeared until a couple of days ago when i was having issues with fluid retention and possible eye meds, an stressful dealings with eye pressure which puts my blood pressure up..?? I hate to even tell anyone --they might think i am nuts--it smell like chemicals burning...

Joanster, as others have noted, chemical smells through CPAP air are not normal and you should contact the DME.

I remember a few nights with slight burning smells on a 5 year old Phillips Respironics System One Autoset with Humidifier. I think the humidifier tank was running low when this happened but it never ran without water. The machine gradually started dying after that-- on/off controls stopped working, etc. The burning smell i experienced was intermittent, but in retrospect, I should have stopped using the machine and started the process of getting a new one, as it had passed the 5-year threshold that Medicare sets for getting a new machine. Until I got the new machine, I lived in a state of groggy confusion with very poor therapy, so poor I didn't even think to get a new machine until another 3 months had passed and the machine functioned only when plugged and unplugged.

If you can't account for the chemical smells--perhaps related to something used in cleaning the machine, humidifier or mask--I would call your medical supplier from which you bought the machine and get it checked out.

+1
Never assume it is the same thing as you had before.
Have a friend or family member check if they can detect the smell,
Then take it to the DME anyway.
Many people, especially smokers, often have impaired olfactory sense.

mystery solved with my new eye dr. --the eye drops to lower my iop[eye pressure] are the culprit--most people a side effect of this particular drop can be bad metallic taste --mine was in my sense of smell --stopped drops--it goes away--

Darth Lady wrote:If you have a Respironics 50 or 60 series, the problem could be this (which is apparently still an issue):

viewtopic/t107270/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1 ... re#p957743

That thread has a fix, if you are mechanically inclined.

That's a great post with many fine photographs documenting the burning connector problem. Everybody that has a PR System 50 (or even 60) should at least skim it so that they are aware of the problem, then if a burning plastic smell wakes them up they'll be alert and get over to their DME pronto. People who still use the 'classic mode' humidifier settings should be double cautious.