Found coral colored slime growing in humidifier

I was not suggesting that people use bleach in their machines. I was just pointing out that Vinegar kills as many bugs as bleach does.

tildafish wrote:

New tanks for my model cost $125, which I don't have. I only get one at teh copay price once a year. This was a new tank and I had never used anything but distilled water in it. That was my point......you can't trust it unless you disinfect as well as wash, and I'd been told I only needed to wash. ]

Damn, what machine do you have?!?!

Another reason to avoid the integrated humidifiers and go for the stand alone HC150 ... replacement reservoirs are practically disposable at only $15

I have a Respironics M Series. I was told the cost of an HH when I was not due for a replacement (once a year in April) would be $123.00. This HH is a brand new design.

It is clean now, and last night I did not have weepy eyes in the middle of the night for the first time in ages. I had thought that was due to dust mites, but maybe this stuff had been growing unseen ever since they gave me the new HH.

The redesign is what I believe is at fault here. The old ones leaked, but the new one grew this stuff only in the areas that had been reconfigured.

Tildafish

Respironics M Series replacement tank is $40 at CPAP.com

I have the new, redesigned, tank. Been using for 2 months with distilled water and bottled on 1/2 a dozen occasions. Opened once or twice a week to dump what's left over, never cleaned. Inside clean as a whistle.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): respironics, cpap.com, clean

Do you mean the "flap style" tank or the "round seals?

https://www.cpap.com/pdf/Respironics-M- ... n-Cues.pdf

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Respir ... amber.html $39.99 use drop down to select type.

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap.com

I looked at the first link in the post above, and my HH is the RB3 model with the "large latch". I don't know why they charge so much.....good thing I only have a small copayment. If I do need a replacement before the time is up, I will try online...thanks for the tip.

My DME finally called me back and said she has seen the coral pink stuff in tanks before, but never when someone is as diligent as I am about cleaning. She was really surprised, despite the fact that she is used to what Florida weather does to things (everything gets moldy here). She says only people who are lax about cleaning end up with that stuff growing in there. She agreed with using vinegar to make sure it does not happen again.

I have no idea why it happened, but I don't want it to happen again, so I will use vinegar every morning and dry it out in the air all day. It is in a bright room, but not in direct sun, so I doubt the rubber part will be hurt.

Tildafish

I heard the very same story locally. I am trying to understand just how this happens as I understand it can make one quite ill. Please don't be offended - I would like to ask some questions to try and figure out where this is coming from.

Could you tell us what brand distilled water you have been using? If you have used water other than distilled - even once - kindly let us know that.

What brand cleaning supplies do you use?
Do you have well water? Or city water?
Do you have any pets?

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
GumbyCT

Hi Gumby,
I use Sweetbay brand distilled water. I have never used non-distilled H20, not even once. I use Original Dawn dishwashing liquid and cool water to wash it. My DME insists that no other dishwashing liquid but original Dawn is acceptable, and that the water must not be warm.....not sure why. We have one indoor cat.

Hope that helps,

Tildafish

If you only used distilled water, my guess is that stuff got in there some other way. Dawn is some tuff stuff, I almost killed my tomato plants using Dawn on them one year but that is another story.

So back to the water used to clean the tank - city or well water?

I had this problem and did some research on it....the "pink" residue isn't from the water itself necessarily; it's likely from airborne bacteria. Various public works departments have posted the following text online on their FAQs for water quality:

Pink Stains

What is this pink residue in my bathroom?

Pink residue is generally not a problem with water quality. In fact, pink residue is likely a result of airborne bacteria which produce a pinkish or dark gray film on regularly moist surfaces. Such surfaces include toilet bowls, showerheads, sink drains, and tiles.

Some people have also noted that the pink residue appears in their pet's water bowl, which causes no apparent harm to the pet and is easily cleaned off.

Many experts agree that the bacteria that causes these pink stains is most likely Serratia marcescens, a bacteria which is found naturally in soil, food, and in animals. Serratia, which produce a characteristic red pigment, thrive on moisture, dust, and phosphates and need almost nothing to survive.

The pinkish film often appears during or after construction or remodeling, when dust and dirt containing Serratia bacteria are stirred up. Once the bacteria is airborne, it will seek a moist location in which it can grow. Some people have reported that the pink residue only appears during certain times of the year, when their windows are left open for most of the day. This bacteria is present in a number of environments and wind can carry the airborne bacteria or stir up dust in which the bacteria is present.

The use of activated carbon filters, which remove chlorine from the water, can make the problem worse. The absence of the normal levels of chlorine in tap water allows Serratia to thrive.

How do I get rid of the pink residue?

The best solution to this problem is to continually clean the involved surfaces to keep them free from bacteria. Compounds containing chlorine work best, but keep in mind that abrasive cleaners may scratch fixtures, making them more susceptible to bacterial growth.