Sticky: Distilled Water vs. bottled water vs tap water

I am going on vacation and the time share I will be staying st does not have Distilled Water available. They do have bottled water and their tap water is purified. I cannot get to a grocery store in the area until 2 days after arrival since the grocery run is only available 2 days after my arrival. Is there any safe way to use the bottled water or purified water for those 2 days? Is there anything I can do to the water available to improve it to get it closer to being distilled?

I have used bottled water for a few days. I emptied the tank in the morning & let it dry out before the next use to help reduce buildup.
When I returned home, I went back to distilled.

As another option I have also traveled bringing a gallon of distilled water with me. No issue for me either way.

Take your chances with the one you think is best - bottled or purified - and pick up a jug of white vinegar on your grocery run for a fresh start on the distilled water. Not all distilled is created equal either - I used some on my last trip that was definitely shady and probably not really distilled. If you're lucky there will be a recognizable legit brand you can choose.

When I can't get distilled water, I use any water that is safe to drink, but not carbonated, flavored, or colored.

When I get home, I clean the tank thoroughly.

It's only 2 days, just go without any water or bring some with you ...

Avoid bottled drinking water that is "mineral" water.
Unless you buy it to DRINK.

If the water regionally isn't normally treated with softeners in homes, but is otherwise safe to drink from the tap, why the heck not use tap water? Heavily mineralized water is probably not good to use for long, and certainly not if it starts to build crust inside your reservoir because you don't routinely empty the dregs each morning and/or you use up all the available contents with your humidity settings by the time you typically awaken each morning.

Tap water is 99.99% safe, essentially free, readily available, and can be replaced for essentially no cost to you. Simply ensure you empty the reservoir faithfully each morning upon rising and rinse it with more fresh tap water. No need to dry it...fill it anew and replace the reservoir in the machine, ready for the next night's sleep.

Any water works just fine in any CPAP. If you don't use Distilled, there will be some mineral build up that can be cleaned with Vinigar and water. No big deal.

moosie wrote: ↑

Tue May 01, 2018 3:18 pm

I am going on vacation and the time share I will be staying st does not have Distilled Water available. They do have bottled water and their tap water is purified. I cannot get to a grocery store in the area until 2 days after arrival since the grocery run is only available 2 days after my arrival. Is there any safe way to use the bottled water or purified water for those 2 days? Is there anything I can do to the water available to improve it to get it closer to being distilled?

This comes up over, and over... It oughta be a sticky.

In other countries, where distilled water is not as cheap and plentiful as it is in the states... you know what the cpap manuals say to use?

"WATER"

Just plain, ordinary "water", not bottled, not distilled, not mineral, not purified... just "water".

Just use tap water. When it's heated and vapor evaporates off of the water in your humidifier, that's the first step in distillation anyway... and that's why any minerals in the water end up left behind in the tank... Clean them out with vinegar, or even citric acid.

LSAT wrote: ↑

Tue May 01, 2018 4:36 pm

Any water works just fine in any CPAP. If you don't use Distilled, there will be some mineral build up that can be cleaned with Vinigar and water. No big deal.

What is the correct way to clean with vinegar? Do you use it straight ?
Thanks for your help.

moosie wrote: ↑

Wed May 02, 2018 7:44 am

LSAT wrote: ↑

Tue May 01, 2018 4:36 pm

Any water works just fine in any CPAP. If you don't use Distilled, there will be some mineral build up that can be cleaned with Vinegar and water. No big deal.

What is the correct way to clean with vinegar? Do you use it straight ?
Thanks for your help.

If you use it straight you will need to rinse really well. Mix it with some water.

moosie wrote: ↑

Wed May 02, 2018 7:44 am

LSAT wrote: ↑

Tue May 01, 2018 4:36 pm

Any water works just fine in any CPAP. If you don't use Distilled, there will be some mineral build up that can be cleaned with Vinigar and water. No big deal.

What is the correct way to clean with vinegar? Do you use it straight ?
Thanks for your help.

I don't think there is a correct way, just ways that each of us find that works. The Medicare standard is to replace the normal ( not dishwasher safe) tank every 6 months, that way needs very little if any de-liming. Personally, I use a 20% or so mix by total guess, I pour in a few glugs of vinegar to about 8 glugs of water and let it soak. Soak for an hour or so, until the lime is gone. A few rinses and I am good to go with no noticeable smells.

Regular bottled water is fine. Clean out the chamber when you get home.

moosie wrote: ↑

Wed May 02, 2018 7:44 am

LSAT wrote: ↑

Tue May 01, 2018 4:36 pm

Any water works just fine in any CPAP. If you don't use Distilled, there will be some mineral build up that can be cleaned with Vinigar and water. No big deal.

What is the correct way to clean with vinegar? Do you use it straight ?
Thanks for your help.

I don't know if it's the "correct" way, but what I do is to take some toilet paper, or paper towel, and line the thing with that, then I pour in a little white vinegar in, and let the paper towel wick it up the sides of the tank, so that the sides stay wet without having to use a lot of vinegar. Come back later, wipe out whatever is left of the mineral coating, and then rinse.

The problem with vinegar is that the smell lingers (at least for me).
For a breathing device that is intolerable and I hate the smell of vinegar.
What else do folks use to clean?