How long do you use your mask before replacing the seal ?

dsm wrote:Here in Aust we don't get any reimbursement beyond a one off payment of about $500-$600 (on the better health plans) PER 3 YEARS

Its every 5 years with MediBank Private (the largest Australian private health insurer), but as I am on the the top level of cover I can get about AUD$1000 back in total ($500 from the base part of the plan and another $500 from the top level part).

I used to do a soap and water wash on my F&P HC405 seal once a week and usually managed to get a year out of it before i felt the need to replace it.

Since the last replacment I have been more rigorous and soap and water wash my HC 405 seal pretty much every day, with an ultrasonic clean on the weekend. The seal is ceratinly looking better than the previous ones did for teh same dgree of use, and while I hope to get longer out of it.

With the HC405 mask, I find the cushions need replacing every 6 months or so to keep the seal in good contact with my face, but the cost of the cushion is a faction of the cost of a seal.

Cheers,

Bill

billbolton wrote: Since the last replacment I have been more rigorous and soap and water wash my HC 405 seal pretty much every day, with an ultrasonic clean on the weekend. The seal is ceratinly looking better than the previous ones did for teh same dgree of use, and while I hope to get longer out of it.

Bill, how do you do the "ultrasonic clean?"

Gerryk wrote:I am getting about a month out of mine if i am lucky. I was recently told by my DME that the quattro cushions go bad faster than anything.

What is your criteria for saying that you get a month? I have been using mine for three months and as long as I wash it it seems as good as new. I have a spare I haven't opened yet

billbolton wrote:

dsm wrote:Here in Aust we don't get any reimbursement beyond a one off payment of about $500-$600 (on the better health plans) PER 3 YEARS

Its every 5 years with MediBank Private (the largest Australian private health insurer), but as I am on the the top level of cover I can get about AUD$1000 back in total ($500 from the base part of the plan and another $500 from the top level part).

I used to do a soap and water wash on my F&P HC405 seal once a week and usually managed to get a year out of it before i felt the need to replace it.

Since the last replacment I have been more rigorous and soap and water wash my HC 405 seal pretty much every day, with an ultrasonic clean on the weekend. The seal is ceratinly looking better than the previous ones did for teh same dgree of use, and while I hope to get longer out of it.

With the HC405 mask, I find the cushions need replacing every 6 months or so to keep the seal in good contact with my face, but the cost of the cushion is a faction of the cost of a seal.

Cheers,

Bill

Bill

You are right - they changed it to 5 years. When I 1st started they goofed & told me 1 year & so I applied for the next lot of $500 & although they resisted at 1st (tried to deny the mistake - told me it should have been 3 years) in the end they paid it & then said now its been changed to 5 years but IIRC increased to $600.

DSM

I have had my machine coming up on 5 months.

I wanted to have a back-up direct seal before I went to Ohio to see my sister. The fiasco of getting it is recounted here:
viewtopic.php?p=339768#p339768

Interestingly, when I started using the new seal, I experienced a 5-10 point jump in my leak rate, and annoying micro-leaks which kept waking me up. viewtopic.php?p=349562#p349562

Three nights ago, I pulled out the old seal and tried to see if there was a difference between the two. There was. My old seal was sturdier. The new seal was apparently within manufacturing tolerances, but on one nostril, the silicon was decidedly thinner, which is what was causing the micro-leaks.

I went back to the old seal, and my leak rate went right back down.

So I guess I will order new seals whenever I can, in hopes of getting ones which meet, not manufacturing tolerances, but my wearing tolerances.

Kiralynx wrote: Interestingly, when I started using the new seal, I experienced a 5-10 point jump in my leak rate, and annoying micro-leaks which kept waking me up......My old seal was sturdier. I went back to the old seal, and my leak rate went right back down. ......So I guess I will order new seals whenever I can, in hopes of getting ones which meet, not manufacturing tolerances, but my wearing tolerances.

This is very interesting to me, since I have said the same thing recently, almost word for word, about my Swift LT. There is absolutely no question whatever that there is now a difference in quality among its Medium pillows, and the same as you describe for your mask. I have registered a complaint to ResMed about the thinner, leakier Medium pillow that seems to be supplied with the full mask/headgear pack as contrasted with the sturdier nasal pillow obtained when paying premium price for the pillow separately (which I happened to be lucky enough to start with). Doubt that my complaint went any further than the person answering the phone. But I suspect the sad result will be a decrease in effectiveness/satisfaction and decreased purchases of this mask over time....and ResMed will likely have no clue as to the reason this might be, unless people register complaints. I actually went back to my original pillow after getting several inferior, thin, flimsy replacements that leaked badly.

This is my mask. I am committed to it because it has worked almost flawlessly for me, and I am comfortable with its small nuances. I want ResMed to recognize that we are not idiots out here who won't know the difference!

Edited to mention that I have now been using my original Swift LT pillow and headgear for 7 months. And over the past several months, I have painstakingly acquired about 8 medium LT pillows in an effort to obtain the same effective quality because of this variation. Only the 2 that were sealed individually/separately from ResMed are of the sturdy quality. The rest are headed for the back-up-hope-I-never-have-to-use-these bin,

I have had and used my first Simplicity a good 9 months w/o ever replacing the cushion (seal). I still have it for traveling and its working fine. I'm into my 5th month on my second Simplicity w/o ever replacing the cushion (seal). Since adding a chin strap my Leak rate is great. No leak problems. I haven't used any other mask long enough to give any thought to changing cushion or seal. I didn't vote in the poll since none of the choices seemed particulary appropriate. I did replace one CL2 simple nasal cushion thanks to the cat putting a hole in it.

plr, Interesting that you're describing somewhat the same thing that I just observed with a different mask. My husband just got a replacement mask (UMFF) the same as his original mask. I noticed that the exhaust vent was much noisier than his old one . When I could not get any satisfaction from the DME(she said she couldn't hear any difference and they all sound noisy,just get used to it), I decided to buy a replacement exhaust vent from cpap.com(a $10.00 investment). Lo and behold, it arrived yesterday, much sturdier and firmer than the one that came with the mask. I put it on his new mask and it's now whisper quiet. What do you make of that? Dori

RipVW wrote:Bill, how do you do the "ultrasonic clean?

I use a small ultrasonic cleaner I bought off Australian eBay.....



http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ultrasonic-Multi ... 240%3A1318

I'm sure you will be able to find a similar unit (at a variety of prices) on US eBay.

Cheers,

Bill

by billbolton
. . . I use a small ultrasonic cleaner I bought off Australian eBay.....

Thanks, Bill!

plr66 wrote:

Kiralynx wrote:Interestingly, when I started using the new seal, I experienced a 5-10 point jump in my leak rate, and annoying micro-leaks which kept waking me up......My old seal was sturdier. I went back to the old seal, and my leak rate went right back down. ......So I guess I will order new seals whenever I can, in hopes of getting ones which meet, not manufacturing tolerances, but my wearing tolerances.

This is very interesting to me, since I have said the same thing recently, almost word for word, about my Swift LT. There is absolutely no question whatever that there is now a difference in quality among its Medium pillows, and the same as you describe for your mask.

Hmm. So the question is, is it, as my husband suggested, a matter of manufacturing tolerances, or is it attempt to cut their costs on our equipment?

It may be time, not for phone calls or emails, but for real, physical letters.... these days, those have much more impact.

I didn't see any responses where the individual identified themselves as being on Medicare.

Medicare allows 2 each gel/silicon replacements per 30 days (at least in California).

By the way, I had to educate my DME to that fact!

I take full advantage of their policy. Medicare is not exactly a generous provider.

If they think that I need to replace the item every 2 weeks ... I'm going to change them every 2 weeks.

Well, I'm on Medicare and I'm only on my second Simplicity simple nasal cushion mask in some 14 months and both w/original cushions. Why bother changing them if I'm still getting a good seal w/the originals? Just because they are "free" or almost "free" to you? Especially when you know how much more the local DME's charge than the online suppliers? If you need them, that's one thing, but just because you "can" and it doesn't cost you hardly anything outta pocket? Who are you punishing by doing so?

Slinky wrote:Well, I'm on Medicare and I'm only on my second Simplicity simple nasal cushion mask in some 14 months and both w/original cushions. Why bother changing them if I'm still getting a good seal w/the originals? Just because they are "free" or almost "free" to you? Especially when you know how much more the local DME's charge than the online suppliers? If you need them, that's one thing, but just because you "can" and it doesn't cost you hardly anything outta pocket? Who are you punishing by doing so?

I took a second seal because (a) I'd been told I ought to replace them every three months, and (b) I wanted a back-up to the one I had, since my DME takes 2-3 weeks to get the thing in once ordered.

To my dismay, the replacement was not the same quality as the original. So I guess I'm stuck taking one every three months in the hopes that I will have a couple which are good quality. Then I can wear them however long they last.

Slinky wrote:Well, I'm on Medicare and I'm only on my second Simplicity simple nasal cushion mask in some 14 months and both w/original cushions. Why bother changing them if I'm still getting a good seal w/the originals? Just because they are "free" or almost "free" to you? Especially when you know how much more the local DME's charge than the online suppliers? If you need them, that's one thing, but just because you "can" and it doesn't cost you hardly anything outta pocket? Who are you punishing by doing so?

Slinky ... Again, my view re Medicare is that they are not what I consider generous. If they have deemed that something is replaceable at a given point, I'm going to go with the assumption that they've done their homework before setting any criteria.

Yes, I'm paying for it out of my pocket in a sense since I (like all on Medicare) pay for Medicare. My supplemental insurance picks up the 20% balance ... and I would suspect that all on Medicare carry some form of supplemental (and of course I also have to pay for my supplemental).

I guess one way to look at it is that if I'm paying for all this through my insurance premiums ... why shouldn't I be getting what I'm paying for and entitled to?

For those that are not familiar with what is available and when (and the DMEs in my area had to be educated) ... reference Medicare's document L171.

By the way, I'm not punishing anyone ... I'm merely using the resources that I'm paying for and that's available to me.