I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

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stevenal
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I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by stevenal » Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:27 am

Okay, I'm a rebel.
A persistent bout of bronchitis has had me reevaluating my cleaning schedule (almost never). I cleaned pillows, mask tube, hose, and changed the filter before looking at the tank. It was rather limey, so I tried a vinegar soak. After a few hours, the vinegar had simply made the lime slimy. Perhaps I diluted it too much? Bedtime was approaching, so I looked in the closet and was pleased to find a never used tank; also standard. I put the new one in service and pitched the old. Soon I realized I now had no spare. What if the new one sprung a leak? With nothing to lose, I retrieved the old tank parts and put them on the top shelf of my Bosh and ran it. The lime is gone, and it looks pristine. I filled it with water and set it on a dry counter for a while to check for water leaks. None. I also tried sealing one hole while blowing into the other to check for air leaks. The lid rises a bit, but nothing leaks. The new tank acts exactly the same. After two nights back on the old tank, I'm still here. I think my cough is improving, but it may just be coincidence.
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ChicagoGranny
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by ChicagoGranny » Wed Jan 29, 2025 2:47 pm

stevenal wrote:
Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:27 am
bronchitis
Viral or bacterial?
stevenal wrote:
Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:27 am
I also tried sealing one hole while blowing into the other to check for air leaks.
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stevenal
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by stevenal » Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:40 pm

Viral according to my Dr.
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ChicagoGranny
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by ChicagoGranny » Thu Jan 30, 2025 8:10 am

stevenal wrote:
Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:40 pm
Viral according to my Dr.
Viral pneumonia spreads through respiratory droplets from an infected person's cough, sneeze, or talk. The droplets can be inhaled by others nearby. It's very unlikely it had anything to do with the cleanliness of your CPAP.
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stevenal
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by stevenal » Fri Jan 31, 2025 1:44 pm

Not sure where I suggested I caught a virus from my CPAP, and I never used the word pnuemonia. I caught it almost two months ago from one or both of my germy grandchildren who live where the viruses are different enough that I have less resistance.
Dr. assures me I was virus free a week and a half after my symptoms began and just the irritation and cough remained. Just looking for ways to avoid any further irritation while the cough persists.
Searching this forum with the word "bronchitis" brought up more than I could possibly read. A lot of what I did read focused on equipment cleaning.
I wasn't really looking for a virology lesson here, just thought folks might want to know they might be able to use a dishwasher on a standard tank. Your mileage may vary, of course.
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ChicagoGranny
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by ChicagoGranny » Fri Jan 31, 2025 2:19 pm

stevenal wrote:
Fri Jan 31, 2025 1:44 pm
I wasn't really looking for a virology lesson here
You've been here 12+ years. You should know by now as soon as you hit SUBMIT POST, you no longer own it. Open range.🤠
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ozij
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by ozij » Sat Feb 01, 2025 5:21 am

The lime is gone, and it looks pristine. I filled it with water and set it on a dry counter for a while to check for water leaks. None. I also tried sealing one hole while blowing into the other to check for air leaks. The lid rises a bit, but nothing leaks. The new tank acts exactly the same. After two nights back on the old tank, I'm still here.
Good to know.
Do you happen to know at what temperature your Bosch ran?
I'm asking because I had one AS10 humidifier leak after some years of use, and I'm pretty sure that was a result of when happene when I cleaned it: I forgot to put cold water in it before the water from the kettle, which was too hot... I usually mix cold and kettle to achieve "warm", but since that mishap, I make sure to mix the water in a pitcher first.

And in case someone's wondering: I uses filtered water because of the amounts of lime in my tap water, and I clean the humidifier about once in 2-4 weeks. I find it better to empty the humidifier daily, and put it upside down to airdry.

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stevenal
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by stevenal » Sun Feb 02, 2025 6:10 pm

ozij,

My water heater puts out water that's 127 F. I don't believe the dishwasher heats it further, but I'm not sure.
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Grumpy48
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by Grumpy48 » Sun Feb 02, 2025 6:51 pm

stevenal wrote:
Sun Feb 02, 2025 6:10 pm
ozij,

My water heater puts out water that's 127 F. I don't believe the dishwasher heats it further, but I'm not sure.
It may have a setting to select if the incoming hot water gets boosted to a higher temp. Our Whirlpool dishwasher can do this.

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by ChicagoGranny » Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:49 pm

The wash cycle is the backbone of the cycle where hot water and detergent are pumped through fixed and whirling nozzles above and below the dishes in racks or on conveyer belts. This action loosens and washes away the soil, trapping larger particles for disposal. Water temperature should generally be between 140° and 160°F to soften soils and melt greases. Lipstick removal requires temperatures in excess of 150°F. If the desired water temperature can not be maintained, detergent strength must be increased to compensate.
The rinse cycle uses 160° to 180°F hot water to remove wash solution and any residual soils. The action is similar to the wash cycle but does not use detergents.
The final rinse and sanitization cycle removes all traces of the wash solution with water temperatures between 180° and 195°F. https://c03.apogee.net/mvc/home/hes/lan ... el&id=1144
I didn't know the temps were that high. :o
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Dog Slobber
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by Dog Slobber » Tue Feb 04, 2025 12:23 pm

stevenal wrote:
Sun Feb 02, 2025 6:10 pm
ozij,

My water heater puts out water that's 127 F. I don't believe the dishwasher heats it further, but I'm not sure.
Almost all dishwashers have a heating element and further heat the water.

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ejbpesca
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Re: I put a standard humidifier tank in the dishwasher

Post by ejbpesca » Sun Feb 09, 2025 10:31 am

Out of the 8 dishwashers I've had they all heat water from 130 to 175F. Commercial dishwashers I've used were at 180F (state rule).

The use of vinegar as a cleaner is ineffective here due to the water being so high in calcium. No cleaner works to remove scale except for very harsh/dangerous chemicals. Some get water softener systems to fix that.

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