REMSTAR CPAP REPAIR

bonnietx · Post by **bonnietx** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:33 pm

Hello........a friend of mine purchased a used CPAP machine, remstar, on the internet and the air blower has been making a loud noise....now it has a motor shart frozen error message.....we suspect the motor is shot. Has anyone had this difficulty? Do you know where it can be sent for repair. I called respironics and they said I had to go through a local DME to authorize repairs at respironics; but I called a few DMEs and they won't help unless I purchased it from them.......MMMMMMMMMMmmmmm....any ideas?

thanks bonnie

bonnietx · Post by **bonnietx** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:35 pm

OOPssssss My spelling and/or typing skills are poor today....the above should read MOTOR SHAFT FROZEN error message....

thanks again....bonnie

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:32 pm

That is the only authorized way to get it fixed. That way the DME gets to soak you for part of the money on the repair.

What you need is someone who is very careful, to open the unit up, remove the blower and put a couple of drops of 3 IN 1, oil on the bearings and free them up, if it's just started you might be able to recover it. I have done this many times with A/C Fan motors. Sometimes it works as long as the motor hasn't overheated, or the controls been damaged. You don't want anyone to do it that's been certified by WWW. Bull in China Shop.org, working on it. Jim

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): DME

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:41 pm

sounds like the machine got water in it, causes the bearings to fail.

I would do what goofproof said, what have you got to loose. There is only 3 screws on the bottom holding it together then you have to take the cover off the motor.

Gale · Post by **Gale** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:06 pm

Bonnietx I am in the same position. About 5 AM I awoke and could not breath well. At first after having been out of power for days due to the news making ice storm I thought maybe the power was out but I turned on a light and it worked so I got up to find the frozen motor error message. I just tested it again and it had the high current version because the motor did not start turning.

I checked the hours and I had put 12,712 hours on it over the past 4.5 years. Does anyone know the life of a Remstar Pro but I assume the different versions have the same blower motor?

Due to other issues today (heater core went out on the Blazer) I have not opened the case but just went down to the basement and brough up the two extras I bought off E-Bay at the same time and checked out and programmed them to a setting of 12. One was a Pro and one a Plus so I selected the Plus to use until I got up.

I will report what I find when I open up the Pro I have used nightly for the past 4.5 years. I think it only had about 500 hours on it when I got it. I noticed this AM the other two have just under and over 2000 hours on them.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:22 pm

The blower on the remstar is not quite that simple to get at and if you do remove the blower, it can be disassembled and the insides of the blower got at BUT, if you put oil in the bearings, just think about where that oil is going to end up ! (clue - where does the air blow ).

Interestingly I have a Remstar (std model) where the motor grabs but the bearings are ok. What I saw in it is that the motor actually floats in its mount & there is part of the spinner than can rub on the fixed part of the motor assembly & cause both a noise & the motor to grab.

Because these are DC brushless motors,the spinning part (rotor) is the magnet & the coil sits inside the motor case (stator) & around the spinner. They cleverly make that spinner out of a rare earth magnet (toroid). It is why these motors are so powerful.

Good luck

PS there has to be a few people near where you are who have an old Remstar you could raid

I am too far away to help

DSM

Gale · Post by **Gale** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:02 pm

DSM thanks for letting me know what to expect after I open up my 4.5 year old Remstar to service it. When stock piling my CPAP machines I did buy one without care that did not come with from the initial patient user and looks like it has been around the block but it did blow fine so I may just make it a parts machine for the other three. While the one I have used for the past 4.5 years has racked up 12K+ hours two others only have about 2000 hours each so I am OK on machines for a while I hope.

I want to start keeping one in the motorhome so that is one less thing to pack each trip and to keep one (maybe the most worn one) for business flying and driving trips so the one by my bed in the house can say put.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:17 pm

The secret of lubrication, is to use the correct kind, and the correct amount. Too much of a good thing isn't good! Jim

But a little of a Good Thing, is better than Nothing!

Gale · Post by **Gale** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:39 pm

I have not torn into my locked motor Remstar Pro but I found a complete new like Remstar Plus package with 2.6 hours total time (used some one night) for $125 so I just bought it to be on the safe side. When I tear into the one used for 4.5 years I will let you know what I find.

I do not have a reader or the software so a Plus is fine for me.

Gale Hawkins · Post by **Gale Hawkins** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:51 pm

Well every time I post something it seems like I need to edit it. I found the new Remstar listed on E-Bay like the others I own. They just do not stay listed very long.

Great the edit feature is here.

Gale Hawkins · Post by **Gale Hawkins** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:16 pm

dsm wrote:The blower on the remstar is not quite that simple to get at and if you do remove the blower, it can be disassembled and the insides of the blower got at BUT, if you put oil in the bearings, just think about where that oil is going to end up ! (clue - where does the air blow ).

Interestingly I have a Remstar (std model) where the motor grabs but the bearings are ok. What I saw in it is that the motor actually floats in its mount & there is part of the spinner than can rub on the fixed part of the motor assembly & cause both a noise & the motor to grab.

Because these are DC brushless motors,the spinning part (rotor) is the magnet & the coil sits inside the motor case (stator) & around the spinner. They cleverly make that spinner out of a rare earth magnet (toroid). It is why these motors are so powerful.

Good luck

PS there has to be a few people near where you are who have an old Remstar you could raid

I am too far away to help

DSM

dsm when I opened up my Remstar Pro I found the same condition as you described . I am not sure where the problem is actually the motor or logic boads.

I fixed it by replacing it with a Remstar Plus machine showing 2.6 hours i located on E-Bay and reported used some one night. That part was sad but for $125 plus $10 for shipping I have a new CPAP machine. There was no dust in the filter so the 2.6 total hours seems to be correct. I have not card reader so the Pro was never used for the card feature. I do like the two button programming feature a little better on the Pro model because I had learned how to program it first.

Thanks again for your quality input on this forum.

gcolsen@cox.net · Post by **gcolsen@cox.net** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 12:41 pm

i TO AM A REMSTAR USER AND AM EXPERIENCINF BEARING NOISE, AND FEEL IT WONT BE LONG BEFORE IT GOES OUT. i HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR PARTS, AND SO FAR HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE MOTOR. MY MACHINE HAS OVER 15,000 HOURS ON IT, I DO INTENT TO TAKE IT APART, AS I HAVE IN THE PAST TO CLEAN AND SERVICE IT, AND SEE IF I CAN IDENTIFY THE MANUFACTURES OF THE MOTOR

GEORGE

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 12:45 pm

gcolsen@cox.net wrote:i TO AM A REMSTAR USER AND AM EXPERIENCINF BEARING NOISE, AND FEEL IT WONT BE LONG BEFORE IT GOES OUT. i HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR PARTS, AND SO FAR HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE MOTOR. MY MACHINE HAS OVER 15,000 HOURS ON IT, I DO INTENT TO TAKE IT APART, AS I HAVE IN THE PAST TO CLEAN AND SERVICE IT, AND SEE IF I CAN IDENTIFY THE MANUFACTURES OF THE MOTOR

GEORGE

You could contact this outfit. They do factory authorized service work on them.

http://www.acbio.com/

Den

torontoCPAPguy · Post by **torontoCPAPguy** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:07 am

God I'm giddy tonight.
Open the unit up and remove one wire from either terminal of the motor.
Close.
Stand your mini vacuum cleaner on pop cans so brush does not rotate on carpet. Place obstacles around vacuum cleaner so cat does not get sucked in.
Run hose from vacuum exhaust to air intake of CPAP. (Use ductape liberally as needed)
VOILA! Repaired.

Or you can just pick up a ResMed S8 Escape II for $389 delivered.

Now that's why I have the office with the window.

JohnBFisher · Post by **JohnBFisher** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:08 am

torontoCPAPguy wrote:... God I'm giddy tonight. ...

LOL! Of course, in some circles the doctors would note "There's a pill for that!":

REMSTAR CPAP REPAIR

REMSTAR CPAP REPAIR

thats motor SHAFT frozen error

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