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So this may be a stupid question, but I'm a newbie and was wondering...
Does it really matter what kind of water you put into your humidifier? My doctor told me I had to use distilled water. So I have been buying the big jugs of it and pouring it into my humidifier... but it would be much easier to just use the sink! Does distilled water really make a difference?
I appreciate the help!

Yes!!

You are breathing in that water.
Sink water usually has additives in it that you would not generally want to breath in. I have actually seen patients who have gotten bad infections in their lungs from using tap water.
I'd avoid it at all costs.

The biggest reason to use distilled water is to prevent the build up of hard water deposits in your humidifier. With some machines, it is very hard to clean the water tank.

I myself would rather spend the 89 cents on a jug of distilled water than the $26.50 it would cost to replace the tank on my machine.

Others have experenced problems with their lungs by not using distilled water. Once they went back those problems cleared up.

David

Wow, I had no idea. Thanks so much! I'll make sure to always use my distilled water!
Thank you guys. Very helpful.

My humidifier tank looks as good as new after 3 years and not being washed often thanks to distilled water.

CpapRRT wrote:Yes!!

You are breathing in that water.
Sink water usually has additives in it that you would not generally want to breath in. I have actually seen patients who have gotten bad infections in their lungs from using tap water.
I'd avoid it at all costs.

Well that settles it, giving up drinking tap water for red wine.

I've been using tap water for the last 5 years but this fall I might switch to distilled. I haven't experienced any negative effects whatsoever from having tap water in my humidifier, but distilled is a bit cleaner and it smells better.

hobbs wrote:

CpapRRT wrote:Yes!!

You are breathing in that water.
Sink water usually has additives in it that you would not generally want to breath in. I have actually seen patients who have gotten bad infections in their lungs from using tap water.
I'd avoid it at all costs.

Well that settles it, giving up drinking tap water for red wine.

What a GREAT idea... I think maybe we should switch from distilled water in the humidifier to wine also...

I know I always slept better after a few drinks, so we could inhale the wine all night.........

OK, just in case someone out there actually thought I was serious, this was just a mild attempt at some humor....

sarasmyly wrote:Wow, I had no idea.

There's nothing much to have an idea about, except that it was very poor advice that was offered

You DO NOT breath in the water, you only breath the H2O molecules that the humdifier puts into the air flow!

A simple rule is - if you wouldn't drink the tap water, don't put in in your himdifier, if you would drink the tap water then its OK to use in your humidifier.

Distilled water is a convenience if you can get it easily, but otherwise (within the simple rule above) tap water is fine.

Cheers,

Bill

I'll second what Bill said.

I've posted before that the ResMed H4i User Guide calls for "fresh, clean water". In the FAQ section it notes that distilled water will reduce mineral deposits. I'm reading it from the guide as I type, but somebody will surely dispute this.

Mineral deposits can be dissolved with vinegar.

As for CpapRRT's post, did anyone test the humidifier to locate the pathogen involved in the infections? Or are you just assuming the the tap water was the source?

I was gonna chime in earlier on this one, but didn't want to rock the boat. But now that's it's rockin'...

It's simple physics. The humidifier is, in effect, "distilling" the water that's in it. THAT's what you breathe. The "crud" stays in the tank. They recommend distilled ONLY to protect the equipment, NOT your lungs.

If anyone got a serious lung infection it was from not regularly cleaning the tank and NOT from the tap water.

We have one of those filters at our sink so I use filtered water.

They do, however, make tabletop water distillers so you aren't always having to buy a gallon at the grocery store.

LinkC, if there were pathogens in the tap water, could they not become airborne pathogens that the cpap airstream could transport to your lungs?

In the process of making bottled distilled water, the source water is heated to extremely high temperatures that kills all viruses, bacteria and cysts. The temperatures in a respiratory humidifier are nowhere near high enough to kill them.

You seem to think that the pathogens would be left behind by the evaporation process, much as the minerals in the water would be -- I'm not sure you're right about that.

(PS - I agree that using distilled water is mainly to protect the equipment, as I believe water treatment, e.g., chlorination, etc., kills off dangerous pathogens long before they reach your tap)

Have any of you looked up the chemicals and additives your local water?
It is scary. To breath in those chemicals on a nightly basis, usually from 6-8 hours a night is not good for ANYONE.
Living in a state with a horrible water source, I will still stand by distilled water being the best option to avoid both illness and a disgusting h20 chamber.
I would not risk it, and I could not in good conscience ask anyone else to.

I am not aware of whether or not they tested the chambers in those who were sick.

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/findings.php

Greetings, gang!

Been away for a while, but am back!

AFAIK, what is in your humidifier tank is what you breathe, especially if it can turn into a gas. The sleep center that I went to the last time tried to put their tap water into my humidifier, even tho the manual recommended distilled. I am personally not that concerned about the machine, (although I don't want the pesky deposits to clean) but I AM concerned about my lungs. The tap water had a high concentration of CHLORINE in it. I could smell and taste it while on the machine. I asked for distilled water, and finally got it.

Perhaps the parts per million of the chlorine were LEGALLY permissible, but NOT into MY lungs! <g>

Jayne