APAP malfunctions when I move from Los Angeles to Denver

I just updated my profile but found that the image of the machine is wrong.
I have the newest M series Auto CPAP that came out about 1.5 year ago.

I just updated my profile again and type this message to reverify the image of my machine.

It's not like the car warning, It May have a real problem, especally if it doesn't feel like it's working correctly. Jim

Goofproof is probably on the money here.

It seems probable you have got water or moisture inside the sensing circuit. That can sometimes happen when traveling & if the humidifier wasn't completely emptied or dried out. But I'm not experienced with the M series so am more guessing than being certain.

Goodluck

DSM

#2 - a small bit of moistre forming in the very small dia sensing tubes can travel back and forth & skew all sorts of things such as auto on off & pressure sensing.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier

pcisuser wrote:Oh, just after one day of use after detecting the problem (see my first post in this series), I got a message from the machine display "SERVICÊ REQUIRED" with warning beeping sound.

That is.

The warning is very clear. However, say if you are having a 2008 Toyota and it the dash board displays something like that, it just means "bring the car in for 5000 mile routine service" (i.e. not really a problem). In this case, could someone shed some light into what this message could have meant.

My insurance paid for this machine in full just a little more than a year ago. I still have the same insurance and same coverage. I wonder if the insurance will pay for the repair or not... Just a little confused as what I can do.

Appreciate your help very much so far. This community has been very friendly and helpful.

Regards,

Paul

If you bought it "new", these machines have a two-year warranty......so, you'd have to have the DME you purchased it from (or an online seller) send it back to Respironics to get fixed. If it's a local DME, you should ask for a loaner till yours comes back.
Your insurance wouldn't really have anything to do with warranty work.

Den

Yes,

You are right. the DME APRIA in Manhattan Beach Los Angeles told me that it has a 2 year warranty and the manufacturer will repair it under the warranty. The problem is it will take about 1 month to turn around.

They told me that I will need a doctor prescription to get a loaner which is not free. Either my insurance or I have to pay for the loaner. That is, no free loaner.

Since I have a high 500 deductible and my insurance year will end/restart in June/July (i.e. mid year), I think I have to sleep without the machine for one month now. (well, sometimes I hate the mask strapped on my face that I don't use it for several days, but of course the bad sleeps would warn me to return to the jail....)

I have a PPO with 500 deductible. So I normally plan the big item expenses like see specialists, procedures every other year. This happens too late in my fiscal year and I guess I have to leave with it for a month now.

I think the machine's processor must have gone bad with many weird sympton one after another. In sequence: first does not auton turn on/off, then turn on all the times, then Pressure seems to be off, then service required. I don't think the machine is leaked/wet due to water as I drained it out carefully before I travelled.

Thanks everyone here. You guys are so wonderful. I have not seen a community so warm, so responsive, so helpful, and so willing to donate your time/effort for the good of others.

Thanks again very much.

They told me that I will need a doctor prescription to get a loaner which is not free. Either my insurance or I have to pay for the loaner. That is, no free loaner.

Ask them to have that in writing. "This person uses cpap. His (her?) machine is broken and will be at the manufacturer for a month. We will not supply a replacement machine without a new prescription."

I bet their policy will change when you demand it writing. What's wrong with your older prescription? Why isn't that proof enough that you need a machine?

O.

Also if you have a XPAP script it is honored, at our site, doesn't expire, and masks don't need a script. The cost of a new XPAP, would be less than your co-pay. everyone needs a spare. Jim

I too have a M Series that started displaying the "service required" warning and also purchased it from Apria in Concord (Bay area). They gave me a loaner, no problem. I did have to ask for one, they did not volunteer, and they only had a C flex not an A flex, it was no big deal. In fact, she just gave me the one that was in the demo room.

Funny thing is, is the loaner is demonstrating the same problem my original has where it stopped recording hour usage and all sorts of stats and it displays the service required warning every second morning I shut the unit down. I remedy (The warning message at least) the situation by going into the setup mode and switching the mode from auto to cpap. Then I power off the unit, power it back up and put it into setup mode again and switch it back to auto. I'm in business for another two nights. This is really annoying. Anyone have any idea how to fix this? My unit has been in for repair for about a month so I suspect I'll get my unit back any day now (I hope, I hope).

Thanks,

Martin

This thread is what concerned me about traveling with my M series machine (by air anyway).
It was mentioned in the original post that the machine was packed in the luggage rather
than carry-on. If this is so and it was air travel that would mean that the unit was subject
to possibly 30000 feet of altitude in the cargo bay ?
Is it correct to assume this or not ?



Bill

I don't know if the cargo areas in these planes is pressurized or not. I have flown several times with my machine but I always hand-carry it. I don't care to entrust something I need for sleeping to the 'tender' care of baggage handlers and the careful routing of baggage to it's destination. I have never had any issues with carrying the machine as an extra piece of luggage, although it is a bit of a hassle taking it through security with all of the other stuff (removing shoes, coats, metal stuff from pockets, etc.)

Yes, all modern passenger airliners have pressurized luggage compartments.

However, neither the luggage compartment nor the passenger cabin are maintained at a specific pressure/altitude. Typically, they range from 5,000 to 8,000 ft ASL. Starting at sea level, that amount of change could very well upset a pressure-sensitive device.

Whether it's in the with the luggage or in the overhead makes no difference pressure-wise. Rough handling is a different story, however...