CPAPtalk.com

RO would definitely make the water still's job easier!

If water simply evaporates into the air, without mechanical agitation, it goes from liquid to gas. It carries no minerals with it. But if mechanical agitation is involved, like air moving fast enough to disturb the water's surface, you get droplets as well. The droplets will themselves vaporize, provided the air is still not saturated with water vapor. If there are any minerals in the droplet, they don't turn to gas. instead, they form an extremely fine dust with (I am guessing) submicron sized particles. I definitely don't want to breathe that, as the lungs could have a hard time getting rid of this material.

My manual states distilled water only.

For what it is worth, technician delivered my machine today and advises distilled water only and to empty and replace water daily. It is a new machine but is being rented by my insurance to start - maybe the DME wants to make sure it's clean if they have to take it back.

About one fill of our local water would plug up the whole thing. I use distilled water only and the hose and tank stay clean.

...but how do you plan to clean those deposits out of your throat and lungs

The water vapour from tap water, or bottled water, or seawater, or rainwater, or wellwater, or RO water, or sheeps urine, that gets into the airstream has no mineral deposits. It is exactly the same as the water vapour that is generated from distilled water.

Sorry to interject in this discussion, but the level of misinformation is staggering.

Quite simply, water vapour is water vapour. End of story

Cheers

K

Would it matter if tap water is hard water and stains the tank as was the case for my neighbour. When she replaced the tank and used mineral water she no longer had the foggy look on her plastic clear reservior.

kopoloff wrote:

...but how do you plan to clean those deposits out of your throat and lungs

The water vapour from tap water, or bottled water, or seawater, or rainwater, or wellwater, or RO water, or sheeps urine, that gets into the airstream has no mineral deposits. It is exactly the same as the water vapour that is generated from distilled water.

Sorry to interject in this discussion, but the level of misinformation is staggering.

Quite simply, water vapour is water vapour. End of story

Cheers

K

...until the water vapour picks up microscopic impurities as it travels along through the air.

Paul56 wrote:...until the water vapour picks up microscopic impurities as it travels along through the air.

Is that why we don't clean our hoses....the humidifier cleans them out for us?

The Dreamer

TheDreamer wrote:

Paul56 wrote:...until the water vapour picks up microscopic impurities as it travels along through the air.

Is that why we don't clean our hoses....the humidifier cleans them out for us?

The Dreamer

Exactly!

...and sends all the junk into our collection tanks... otherwise known as lungs.

Disclaimer: Commentary not to be taken seriously... notice the smilie.

...until the water vapour picks up microscopic impurities as it travels along through the air

And if that is the case, then the impurities have come from the air, not the water. Which means that the issue is all about the air we breath, not the distilled water that our humidifiers actually produce in their own right

Kopoloff

i always use distilled water in mine

I recently switched back to distilled water after reading much discussion on this site (and thread)... and I have been feeling better and better!

For some time now, I had complained to my doctor about a weird congested feeling in my lungs. Like I always had a touch of bronchitis or something. My humidifier had allot of calcium power build up. It was a major chore to get it perfectly clean. In a matter of days, since switching back to distilled water, I feel less congested and more rested!

So thanks everybody! As a direct result, I am feeling much better and will never use anything other than distilled water again!

Now I am looking forward to my new HC150 coming next week, as I have never been fond of the M Series humidifier.

rooster wrote:

jdm2857 wrote:...... ResMed only specifies "fresh clean water."

That surprises me. My Respironics manual says, "distilled water only". The idea is to prevent mineral scale buildup in the tank.

My DME sends a new water tank every six months whether I need it or not.

oceanpearl wrote:

rooster wrote:

jdm2857 wrote:...... ResMed only specifies "fresh clean water."

That surprises me. My Respironics manual says, "distilled water only". The idea is to prevent mineral scale buildup in the tank.

My DME sends a new water tank every six months whether I need it or not.

You are part of the DME revenue generation program.

My DME leaves me alone... because they do not have a direct pipeline to my insurance.

jdm2857 wrote:I was just wondering what everyone uses. ResMed only specifies "fresh clean water."

Hubby's resmed specifically called for Distilled water and the DME made it abundantly clear that if we used anything other than that the warrantee would be VOID