Weird spots on water tank

Hi,

My water tank has these dark spots in the rubber seal which I can't clean (pic below).

Is this worrisome? Could it be black mold?

I have used it in this condition for more than a year now and I rarely clean my equipment except for the mask cushion.

TiA

Yes.....Order a new seal or new humidifier tub.

LSAT wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Yes.....Order a new seal or new humidifier tub.

Will do (they only sell the whole tank though).

Can i prevent this mold buildup by regular cleaning? If so, how often? For the past year, I just dumped the old water when filling it at night.

cyberdreamer wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 7:37 pm

LSAT wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Yes.....Order a new seal or new humidifier tub.

Will do (they only sell the whole tank though).

Can i prevent this mold buildup by regular cleaning? If so, how often? For the past year, I just dumped the old water when filling it at night.

are you using tap water or distilled water?

zonker wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 7:54 pm

cyberdreamer wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 7:37 pm

LSAT wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Yes.....Order a new seal or new humidifier tub.

Will do (they only sell the whole tank though).

Can i prevent this mold buildup by regular cleaning? If so, how often? For the past year, I just dumped the old water when filling it at night.

are you using tap water or distilled water?

Filtered tap water with a water filter advertised as having 7 stages. When travelling, I use bottled water.

I have been using a machine for five and a half years and have never had anything like that show up in my tank. I clean our equipment (masks and water reservoirs) once every week. Occasionally, I will go two weeks between cleaning, but never more than that.

cyberdreamer wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:05 pm

Filtered tap water with a water filter advertised as having 7 stages. When travelling, I use bottled water.

i MOSTLY use distilled water with lapses of using tap water. i haven't had what you described, so i guess i really don't have any advice for you.

Okie bipap wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:49 pm

I have been using a machine for five and a half years and have never had anything like that show up in my tank. I clean our equipment (masks and water reservoirs) once every week. Occasionally, I will go two weeks between cleaning, but never more than that.

zonker wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:51 pm

cyberdreamer wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:05 pm

Filtered tap water with a water filter advertised as having 7 stages. When travelling, I use bottled water.

i MOSTLY use distilled water with lapses of using tap water. i haven't had what you described, so i guess i really don't have any advice for you.

Hmm, perhaps I used dirty water one time or the mold came from some hotel I stayed. I'll empty it every morning and try to wash at least every 2 weeks to see if I can prevent this from happening again.

Thanks!

Clean it with some vinegar. Not only is vinegar great for descaling, it also kills mold.

After cleaning with vinegar, even if the staining remains, the mold will effectively be cleaned. If that's you only tank, order your second one and relegate that one to backup tank.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:27 am

Clean it with some vinegar. Not only is vinegar great for descaling, it also kills mold.

After cleaning with vinegar, even if the staining remains, the mold will effectively be cleaned. If that's you only tank, order your second one and relegate that one to backup tank.

I tried vinegar, dish soap and vigorous brushing but it didn't work; it seems to be inside the silicone. From what I read, black mold is very resistant and laughs at our attempts to kill it with vinegar.

Thankfully, I couldn't see any black mold in the inside connections to the water tank, hose and mask. Only the silicone piece of the tank was affected.

Yeah, I replaced with a new tank I had bought recently thanks to the advice here of having a spare of everything. The tank is so shiny when it's new...