Argh! The "Joys" of a New Machine

Finally got around to unpacking the Aircurve 11 (Resmed ASV) and setting it up.

Hm, it has a heated hose. Never had one of those before. Wonder if I should leave it naked or put a hose cover on it? And how often do I need to replace it?

Oh, ye freakin' deities. That water chamber is going to drive me nuts. Hard to get in and out of the machine. DIfficult to open. And it doesn't hold enough water to last the night. Unlike with my Respironics, I must get up in the middle of the night to refill the bleeping thing or I have the back of my throat and the roof of my mouth dry as the desert.

And... yet again, whoever set this thing up had NO idea what they were doing.

My EPAP range is 6-8 with a pressure support range of 4-8, giving me an IPAP of 10-16 range. They set the EPAP at 4-8, and the pressure support wide open at 3-15. When I turned it on, I dang near suffocated, because the inhalation it was giving me was 7! Oh, and a forty minute ramp set at 4!

So, I went out and acquired the means to get into the clinical menu, and re-set it correctly. Like I've ended up doing on its three predecessors. Thank heaven for the knowledge gained here!

I like it, mostly -- the shift from EPAP to IPAP is quite a bit gentler than the Respironics. It's smaller and lighter than any of the machines I have had before. Which means it will fit nicely in my carry-on for the trip to Canada in a few weeks. Memorial trip -- it should be my fiftieth anniversary, but I'll be with friends, not my husband, who no longer needs his CPAP. Hmm, should probably go look up what the highest altitude it can adjust for.

In any case, just dropping in... hard to believe it's been almost 18 years since I first wandered in here.

If you continue to need to add water during the night what about getting a spare water chamber and having it ready on the night table for quick insertion in the middle of the night???

Expensive, but there are automatic refill devices: google CSpring MK3 Automatic CPAP Refilling System. I've seen people online who have made their own, the simplest use a rodent water bottle. I still have an Aircurve 10 which holds enough water, the smaller reservoir on the 11 is a common complaint.

As for the heated tube. They are excellent, a huge improvement, at least for me. They last a long time. I can use them for years without issue.
As for covering it. The cover isn't necessary to prevent rainout, but I cover them for comfort. I really hate feeling the bare hose so I use a cover. But that's personal preference.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 02, 2026 5:57 pm

If you continue to need to add water during the night what about getting a spare water chamber and having it ready on the night table for quick insertion in the middle of the night???

That's a good thought -- but it will be a nuisance to carry that extra chamber while traveling.

mlmollenkamp wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 02, 2026 8:05 pm

Expensive, but there are automatic refill devices: google CSpring MK3 Automatic CPAP Refilling System. I've seen people online who have made their own, the simplest use a rodent water bottle. I still have an Aircurve 10 which holds enough water, the smaller reservoir on the 11 is a common complaint.

Rodent water bottles I got, but not sure how one would set that up. That Cspring gadget looks great -- but I'm scorched if I know where I'd put it -- or how I'd carry it with me when traveling.

As for the heated tube. They are excellent, a huge improvement, at least for me. They last a long time. I can use them for years without issue.
As for covering it. The cover isn't necessary to prevent rainout, but I cover them for comfort. I really hate feeling the bare hose so I use a cover. But that's personal preference.

I use a cover to protect the hose from the Hounds (two standard longhaired Dachshunds). Mr. Shadow, who was 11 years old when I got my first ASV gave me my first heated tube. I was snoozing and woke up to HOT air. Mr. Shadow had stretched himself out at my head and pulled the hose between his legs. Instant heated air! Good to know the heated hose doesn't have to be replaced as often as the regular ones.

Yeah, small water tanks seem to be an endemic problem. I built my own auto refilling system for my dreamstation that fills itself when it gets to low.

Try backing down the humidity setting to see how low you can go and still feel its benefits. My AS10 is set to 3 and I've been OK with that and still have water in the tank in the morning.

When traveling just put a little water bottle by your nightstand. (you can buy at most any hotel, some have courtesy free ones ) quick and easy to pour more in. I have the 11 but I don't like much humidity but I do have to refill it every few days instead of once or twice a week like the 10 and I always forget and run out at like 5 am to that hot plastic smell.

Grumpy48 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 03, 2026 1:50 pm

Try backing down the humidity setting to see how low you can go and still feel its benefits. My AS10 is set to 3 and I've been OK with that and still have water in the tank in the morning.

I'll have to go find it in the menu -- I find Resmed menus confusing.

My main thing is waking up with the back of my throat raw if I don't have enough humidity.