mold in humidifier

I have a huge allergy to mold.

I had the scary discovery of finding black mold inside the humidifier on the gasket that seals the reservoir and around the place where the hose attaches.The DME agreed to replace the humidifier for me. Do you think that would be enough? Do I need a new machine also? I immediately tossed the tubing and the mask, and started using my old machine until the humidifier will be exchanged.

I understand that the contaminated air just goes toward me and not to the machine. What if the machine could be the source of the mold? How could I find out?

Please share your thoughts.

Catnapper - Joanie

What the rest of us do is periodically (monthly, wkly) use a Q-tip with water and a little vinegar to clean the tank... not a big deal. I would not have thrown out your mask and hose unless you were aware of mold in them. No way the machine should or could have otherwise been the problem.

Your DME would joyfully replace everything--at YOUR expense!
It is possible to fully clean everything downwind from the tank.
The machine does not need to be replaced.

Catnapper wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:43 am

I understand that the contaminated air just goes toward me and not to the machine. What if the machine could be the source of the mold? How could I find out?

Please share your thoughts.

Catnapper - Joanie

The XPAP blows out the air from your bedroom and house into you, how far are you willing to go to stop the problem? There has to be a source for the growth and the conditions necessary to grow the mold. A mold source, food and moisture. I'd start with moisture, damp or water leak areas. Then I'd check my unit cleaning schedule and cleaning products. Jim

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... inlet-seal

Is this the seal that got black spots on it?

No. I have a Dreamstation, and the seal has a rectangular shape that fits on the top of the reservoir. It goes around the area that the hose connects.

Catnapper wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:43 am

I have a huge allergy to mold.

I had the scary discovery of finding black mold inside the humidifier on the gasket that seals the reservoir and around the place where the hose attaches.The DME agreed to replace the humidifier for me. Do you think that would be enough? Do I need a new machine also? I immediately tossed the tubing and the mask, and started using my old machine until the humidifier will be exchanged.

I understand that the contaminated air just goes toward me and not to the machine. What if the machine could be the source of the mold? How could I find out?

Please share your thoughts.

Catnapper - Joanie

I too am allergic to mould. I can tell when something's up because my nose does a runaway marathon at night. The simplest solution is to run the humidifier tank through a dishwasher cycle, make sure my mask is cleaned daily, and change the filter to the air intake on the xpap. This usually clears it up.

If the cleaning doesn't solve the problem, or maybe a bit of lingering paranoia, I use my insurance to buy new supplies. A new humidifier tank, mask, supply of filters, and a new hose while I'm at it, gives good night's sleep and peace of mind. Save the old set, properly cleaned, sterilized and stored for use when the mould next rears its ugly head in the middle of the night.

That seal is for a DreamStation but it might not be the seal you are seeing with black spots.
My thought was if it was...then simply change the seal regularly as it is cheap.

Just don't fill the tank very full and dump what is left in the morning. I let my tank dry out upside down on a towel during the day. That way mold never has a chance to grow.

Catnapper, I’ve had the same thing happen, on the “rectangular” gasket that lifts up when you open the humidifier.

Quite a frightening thing to find! Kinda freaked out. I took it off & washed thoroughly. For sure I used Dawn dish soap, don’t remember if I used vinegar too but I may have. Also took off & cleaned the oval gasket. Anyway, it hasn’t happened again.

I used to dump the leftover water & let the container dry & leave the top of machine open. Read on here that many people don’t dump the water but simply top it off. I started doing that and would see condensation but wasn’t worried about it since I only used distilled water. After months of doing that - the mold appeared. Could it have been slightly contaminated water? It’s distilled, not sterile, so maybe?

Anyway, I am back to dumping water every morning and leaving the machine open to dry. Besides the gross factor, I’m also allergic to mold, but hadn’t had any symptoms when I discovered it inside the gasket.

Mold/mildew in the humidifier will not occur if you do 'basic' maintenance. Mind you reading about maintenance and 'doing' maintenance are two very different things! There are numerous ways too simplify this process, and what I do works well for me. Living in Houston (already a humid place) my humid setting is at '1'. If you mask is full of droplets when you wake up, then adjust your settings.
Typically, with my settings It takes 3-4 days to empty the humidifier. During refill days is when I do the cleaning. To simplify; Wednesdays and weekends! Note: I only use distilled water - not tap or bottled water - this makes a huge difference in evaporated residuals within the machine.
- Wednesday: I dismantle the humidifier into 3-pieces (lower, upper and gasket). I rinse indvidually with warm water and a soft towel. Clean the silicon gasket grooves with a Q-tip. Important; let all 3-pieces dry out for several hours before reinstalling/using. Mold and mildew cannot grow on a dry surface. I do this cleaning process in the morning (2-minutes) - and let dry all day.
- Weekends: Same as Wednesday, however I soak in dawn dish liquid before cleaning. Again, very important - allow to dry all day!

Other maintenance items:
Nasal cushion: everyday I wipe down with baby wipes and let dry all day
Hose: on Weekends
Machine Filter:change once/month
Nasal diffuser: change 2x/month
Headgear neoprene: I wash with clothes once a month
Machine wipe down/dust: I use a baby wipe to clean the exterior and the humidifier chamber.

So, this works for me, it might not work for you. I do recommend a cleaning regime to adequately maintain your machine... and for your health as well.

You also have to be careful if there is any mold in the air of your home. Most likely you don't, but I have heard of it transferring into the humidifier if there are mold spores in your room. Just thought I would mention this.

I have observed a few suspicious bits of "something" in my tank, and wash the tank when I see them.
The one thing that keeps it away a bit longer is when I swish a capful of vodka around in the clean, rinsed, wet tank.
I leave the remaining "water of life" in the tank and just put the distilled water on top of it.