Distilled water

GoofyUT wrote: We just figured out that, at the current price for distilled water at Albertson's of $0.69 a gallon, and my usage of about a gallon every three weeks, the machine will show a return on investment in about 30 YEARS!!!

But you still have to pay for the water in the first place (sure its only pennies) and any electricity it uses Maybe you better start selling distilled water to get a better return

I have always used tap water in mine. No real issues other than the water chamber gets a white film on it now that I moved. Never even had that issue when I used sofened water at the old house. It cleans off but I don't usually bother with it. It is not going to hurt anything. I don't worry about it or having to buy special water.

Christine,

You just don't get what I am saying. Keep this in mind I use distilled water -- mostly because I hate cleaning.

BUT if one wants to used tap water (which was the question asked), and one has a machine where one can get a replacement water tank which one can for $25 for a Remstar series (like mine is - and anyone can buy it at CPAP.com for $25 even if you use your local overpriced DME for everything else), then it is perfectly ok to use tap water if that person choses.

The only thing they need to do is check the condition of the water tank periodically to make sure it doesn't pit all the way through and leak. I have never bothered with this test and don't intend to so I cannot tell anyone if it will take a month or 2 years. And I would suspect that it is very dependent on the individual tap water chemistry. Mine water is very very hard from the public system.

I also had chemistry. Yes, stuff will adhere to the inside of the tank, but if you watch it, you can easily replace it in time, either due to decreased performance or for pitting reasons.

ALSO bacteria does not go into water vapor when you heat water in the humidifier (check the discussion on the topic of cleaning humidifiers a month or two ago). Water vapor is pure water. This is essentially how distilled water is made. Therefore, the bacteria you are worried about hiding in the pitting in the tankwill not get in your air anyway so it is unimportant whether or not your tank pits, unless you let it pit all the way through and leak water on the base plate or get it in the electronics.

All I was trying to tell the original poster is that while many here use distilled water, it is indeed possible to use other water. Some people pointed out that you can clean your tank regularily to remove the scale. Yes you can but you will probably get some pitting in the tank, or in my original comment, you can just watch you tank and replace as needed if you don't mind the cost ($25 for mine who knows for other manufacturers).

I didn't address whether or not an insurance company would cover the new tank or not. That was not the question. I simply said mine costs $25 out of pocket. If one is not willing to haul jugs of distilled water and $25 doesn't bother them then enjoy the tap water, it will work just fine.

I also am not really concerned with imagining what the cost of a replacement tank was years ago as the question was asked about using tap water NOW.

Hi rjgreen,

No question about it - use distilled water. That's what is in the xPap manual and no doubt what the evil DME told you.

The only thing though, is be sure to read the contents label on the container. Sometimes the dye they use to give it that "distilled look" can actually make your pee a little yellow! That's OK compared to the horrible mistake they made in summer of 2004 when they used the red dye. Caused all kinds of hysterical complaints even though they said it was only a vitamin additive.

Now, whenever I pee in the woods at night, I always carry a flashlight just to be sure.

Good luck on your discharge!

Bob F

But with Tap water you also get to breath the chemicals used to de-germ the water, like chlorine, floride, and now some are using a replacement for chlorine. Chlorine breaks down, also some chlorine is released, as pressurized water, gasses as pressure is removed, like soda pop. It's hard telling what the other chemicals do, but if they gass you breath them. Jim

snoregirl wrote: the bacteria you are worried about hiding in the pitting in the tankwill not get in your air anyway so it is unimportant whether or not your tank pits, unless you let it pit all the way through and leak water on the base plate or get it in the electronics.

Hmmm.....if that is truly the case, I've been throwing away a lot of 'FREE' distilled water, emptied from my basement dehumidifier.

Vader wrote:

snoregirl wrote: the bacteria you are worried about hiding in the pitting in the tankwill not get in your air anyway so it is unimportant whether or not your tank pits, unless you let it pit all the way through and leak water on the base plate or get it in the electronics.

Hmmm.....if that is truly the case, I've been throwing away a lot of 'FREE' distilled water, emptied from my basement dehumidifier.

You have free distilled water for sure but it's not clean or sterile, Dirt and germs from your household air are mixed with the distilled water from your de-humifier and or your A/C, evaporator runoff. Where the Steam Distilled, the steam temp is bound to kill off most of the uglyies, and it may be filtered too. Jim

Chlorine is great for disinfecting the water bugs in tap water. However, chlorine also reacts with other organic compounds (ie. from agricultural runoff) present in the water to form carcinogenic trihalomethanes (THMs) ... the levels are generally low enough that the benefits of chlorination outweigh the bad THMs. Your water supplier is required to monitor these levels but nevertheless water quality varies greatly from one location to another and during drought the levels could rise above legal health standards. Why risk it?

Distilled water is still your best bet. You can even distill your own as Chuck mentioned previously ... Sears has a 1 gallon distiller for about $60 -$70. whether or not it is cost effective depends on the costs of your water and electricity vs. your purchase from your local supermarket.

Remember ... it's for your health.

- roberto

btw - Jim is also right about the dehumidifier ... if want a DYI distilled water get yourself a real distiller.

Goofproof wrote:

Vader wrote:

snoregirl wrote: the bacteria you are worried about hiding in the pitting in the tankwill not get in your air anyway so it is unimportant whether or not your tank pits, unless you let it pit all the way through and leak water on the base plate or get it in the electronics.

Hmmm.....if that is truly the case, I've been throwing away a lot of 'FREE' distilled water, emptied from my basement dehumidifier.

You have free distilled water for sure but it's not clean or sterile, Dirt and germs from your household air are mixed with the distilled water from your de-humifier and or your A/C, evaporator runoff. Where the Steam Distilled, the steam temp is bound to kill off most of the uglyies, and it may be filtered too. Jim]

I totally agree. I wasn't really serious about using it,(although, it sounds safer than the water coming from my well ) besides, you can get distilled water at the evil Wal-Mart empire for only 52 cents a gallon.

Goofproof wrote:it's not clean or sterile

Niether is the air you draw into your CPAP machine, in fact it has exactly the same characteristics!