Humidifier Water Poll

Distilled water exclusively! Except occasionally when staying in a hotel. Distill my own water at home. No more lugging those gallon jugs home from the supermarket.

Distilled water only... My husband and I both use CPAP machines and if we travel we just take a jug of distilled water with us, or get a gallon when we get to where we are going. It works fine for us and we both have nice, clean tanks...

After seberal years of trying to clean deposits from water chambers, & scratching a couple to death doing so, I decided to get a distilled water machine

Like this ...

http://www.retsel.com.au/distillers/wat ... tiller.htm

I only paid about $AUD 250 ($US220 ?) even though some web sites here lit them at around $AUD400+

I have had this machine for about 18 months & I keep 2 4 liter containers, one as standby & one in use each night.
It has been magnificent & I never get dirty water chambers anymore & only do a special rinse (using mouthwash)
about 1 per month.

The water distiller runs over night when needed (about once every 2 weeks or so). Mine has a stainless steel
interior & I clean it after every use (it is scary to see what comes out of 4 liters of tap water & sits in the bottom
of the distiller).

I am also convinced this is the most hygienic approach of all. I highly recommend the distillers as filters
don't remove all the nasties.

DSM

araminta wrote:I used distilled water only -- except when traveling -- so as not to get a build up of minerals in the tank.

I try to find distilled water near the hotel, but if I can't, I don't mind a limited period of time of using regular tap water.

And then washing well after I get back home.

If I were on an extended trip, I might bring along a filtration pump that I use for camping.

Why not pack a small bottle of distilled water?

Distilled water w/ a shot of diet coke ..........uhm, DSM...that looks like a handy little gadget for making distilled water and fits into the green movement today........might have to consider looking into it.........how long does it take to make a cup of distilled water? Have you had the distiller very long, and time consuming care required?

elg5cats

dsm wrote: I have had this machine for about 18 months & I keep 2 4 liter containers, one as standby & one in use each night.
It has been magnificent & I never get dirty water chambers anymore & only do a special rinse (using mouthwash)
about 1 per month.
DSM

I like your idea of using mouthwash. Love this forum and all the great ideas.
Bill

dsm wrote:After seberal years of trying to clean deposits from water chambers, & scratching a couple to death doing so, I decided to get a distilled water machine

Like this ...

http://www.retsel.com.au/distillers/wat ... tiller.htm

I only paid about $AUD 250 ($US220 ?) even though some web sites here lit them at around $AUD400+

I have had this machine for about 18 months & I keep 2 4 liter containers, one as standby & one in use each night.
It has been magnificent & I never get dirty water chambers anymore & only do a special rinse (using mouthwash)
about 1 per month.

The water distiller runs over night when needed (about once every 2 weeks or so). Mine has a stainless steel
interior & I clean it after every use (it is scary to see what comes out of 4 liters of tap water & sits in the bottom
of the distiller).

I am also convinced this is the most hygienic approach of all. I highly recommend the distillers as filters
don't remove all the nasties.

DSM

Ditto! Even though I used distilled water I bought from the supermarket, my humidifier would get a slimy orange algae or something, so I had to clean it regularly to get rid of the mess. So, I bought this distiller 4 months ago for $129.95. Haven't had to clean my humidifer since!! Hooray!!! So, I've decided that the bottled distilled water must have contained some impurities. I'll never use that over the counter distilled water again.
http://www.a1-water-distiller.com/a-ss-outside.htm

ResMed's opinions:

". . . The water should be changed for each use. . . . It is recommended that you wash your humidifier and tubing daily in warm water, using a mild detergent. Rinse them thoroughly with clean water and allow them to dry away from direct sunlight. . . . Using distilled water will maximize the life of the water chamber and reduce mineral deposits. However, it is ok to occasionally use tap water to clean your humidifier. . . . "-- http://www.resmed.com/us/patients_and_f ... s.html#top

The NY Times' opinion:

" . . . Vodka is measured by its purity, by an almost Platonic neutrality that makes tasting it more akin to tasting bottled waters, or snowflakes. . . . "--http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/dinin ... ner=rssnyt

OutaSync wrote:I've only used distilled water and have never had to clean the tanks on either of my two machines. They both remain crystal clear. I top off every other day. The only one that ever gets drained and dried is my travel machine. I've never washed my hose and it remains perfectly clean.

Ditto. I use distilled water and just keep adding more as needed, without dumping the unused distilled water out. Two or three times a year I'll dump the water, give it a quick rinse, and start over.

elg5cats wrote:Distilled water w/ a shot of diet coke ..........uhm, DSM...that looks like a handy little gadget for making distilled water and fits into the green movement today........might have to consider looking into it.........how long does it take to make a cup of distilled water? Have you had the distiller very long, and time consuming care required?

elg5cats

Once I start the machine (just before bed time) it runs most of the night (I think for at least 6 hrs) & there is 4 l of pure clean water.

It takes me 2or 3 mins with steel wool to clean the small layer of 'gunge' left behind by the distilling process, but I know someone who
chisels it out after a 2 or so weeks he showed me these horrible chunks of dark brown 'crystals' - this guy had terminal cancer & went
into remission & tells me he swears it was because he sucks rocksalt daily & distills all his drinking water (it was he who got me onto this
device) but I only use it for my cpap H/H & still drink tap water if I want some. The residue is enough to shake your confidence in what
goes into our mouths from tap water

DSM

jnk wrote:The NY Times' opinion:

" . . . Vodka is measured by its purity, by an almost Platonic neutrality that makes tasting it more akin to tasting bottled waters, or snowflakes. . . . "--http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/dinin ... ner=rssnyt

So you voted for the vodka eh?

Even before I got my cpap & humidifier, I knew I wanted a water distiller (I ended up getting a $170 one from Amazon.com...the only one they had in stock and Amazon Prime eligible). Though for the first two nights I used filtered tap water....until I had distilled water to fill it with. I live 1.5 miles away from the grocery store...and its up hill coming back....so buying a gallon of distilled water every weekend (or so) when I do my grocery run wasn't going to happen.

Since then, the only time I didn't use distilled water was on my recent trip. I got really expensive hotel bottled water....(I had asked if they had distilled, and they said no...and that there wasn't anywhere nearby [the range of the complementary hotel shuttle] that would). I had looked at checking a bottle of distilled water...but I couldn't come up with enough stuff to fill a check bag, and justify that checked bag fee.

Not sure what's, in store for future flights.

Though now I'm starting to worry about puddle jumpers and where my CPAP machine might end up. Especially after hearing about American Airlines. American Eagle is starting regional service to Manhattan, KS on August 25th. So, I was looking at them as a less complicated way to visit my parents in December.

There's no direct flight from Kansas City to them, but there is from Dallas. A few years ago...when I was making the trip....I flew Manhattan to Kansas City, then to Chicago, then to Dallas, and then finally to Calgary, Alberta.

The flight was original supposed to be Kansas City to Dallas, but they diverted to Chicago due to weather (and one of the radars on the plane wasn't working). But, then in Chicago, the only available flight to Calgary was via Dallas... And, that was with American Airlines. (the return flight was via Denver...where they lost my bags). Since then I try to avoid Denver....

The Dreamer.

jnk wrote:ResMed's opinions:

". . . The water should be changed for each use. . . . It is recommended that you wash your humidifier and tubing daily in warm water, using a mild detergent. Rinse them thoroughly with clean water and allow them to dry away from direct sunlight. . . . Using distilled water will maximize the life of the water chamber and reduce mineral deposits. However, it is ok to occasionally use tap water to clean your humidifier. . . . "-- http://www.resmed.com/us/patients_and_f ... s.html#top

Well, somthing at ResMed has changed.

From the H4i User Guide:

Filling the Water Chamber

3. Fill with fresh, clean water up to the maximum water level mark.

Cleaning the H4i

Daily
Wash the water chamber, tub plate, and tub plate seal in warm water, using a mild detergent. Use the yellow cleaning plug to assist in the cleaning process. Rinse thoroughly in clean water and allow them to dry away from direct sunlight.

Weekly

White powder or deposits in the water chamber can be cleaned using a solution of one part vinegar to 10 parts water, as follows:
1. Fill the cleaning plug to the rim with vinegar and pour into the empty water chamber.
2. Add clean water to the water chamber until the solution reaches the maximum water level mark.
3. Let the solution soak for 10 minutes.
4. Discard the solution and rinse the water chamber with clean water.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use distilled water in the water chamber? Using distilled water will maximize the life of the water chamber and reduce mineral deposits.


This is from me, not ResMed:

If you do use tap water, be sure to empty and refill the water chamber daily. If you just top the water level off, the mineral content of the water in the chamber will rise daily, eventually making a big scaly mess.

dsm wrote: It takes me 2or 3 mins with steel wool to clean the small layer of 'gunge' left behind by the distilling process, but I know someone who
chisels it out after a 2 or so weeks he showed me these horrible chunks of dark brown 'crystals' - this guy had terminal cancer & went
into remission & tells me he swears it was because he sucks rocksalt daily & distills all his drinking water (it was he who got me onto this
device) but I only use it for my cpap H/H & still drink tap water if I want some. The residue is enough to shake your confidence in what
goes into our mouths from tap water

DSM

The bulk of that 'gunge' is minerals, mostly calcium, which are actually good for your health.

You might try using vinegar to dissolve the residue in your distiller rather than mechanically removing it. The stainless steel should easily withstand straight household white vinegar (it's only 5% acetic acid).