CPAPtalk.com

I recently found this site when researching for a new machine, I am grateful for all the posts and reviews which helped me decide to buy the S9 auto. I've only had it for 1 night and so far love it! I like it much more than my S8. My wife also liked that it was so quiet. Not sure what AHI means but mine was .5 last night. Guess ill have to search the site for more info. Does anyone have the cleanable tank?

pjk000 wrote:Not sure what AHI means but mine was .5 last night.

AHI = Apnea/Hypopnea Index. It's how many apneas and/or hypopneas sneaked through despite treatment...averaged out per hour. An AHI of .5 is extremely low, which is a very good thing! A low AHI means the pressure the machine was set for was doing a very good job at preventing most apneas/hypopneas for you.

Derek explains how to figure AHI:
viewtopic.php?p=9427
Derek was a professor at MIT.
I was (and still am) probably below fifth grade in math skills , but I have no shame about asking questions!

pjk000 wrote:... I recently found this site when researching for a new machine ...

Well welcome to the wacky world of CPAP therapy and this forum. It can be rough and tumble at times (what place isn't). But you will find LOTS of folks willing to help by sharing their experiences, hints and tips. It makes it a lot easier to adjust to use of CPAP.

pjk000 wrote:... Not sure what AHI means but mine was .5 last night. Guess ill have to search the site for more info. Does anyone have the cleanable tank? ...

Well, Rested Gal took care of the AHI question. Let me tackle the second.

Why worry about a "cleanable" tank. Just use distilled water. That way you can leave the water "as is" in the tank. It won't leave any residue. Nothing will grow in it. It's a simple approach to that issue. I've done that for years and years and years. Oh, every three or four months I'll rinse out the humidifier tank. But I normally don't need to then.

Keep up the good work - both with the therapy and learning more about OSA and CPAP therapy. The more you know, the easier it is to live with it.

I would prefer a cleanable tank. Whether or not the tank needs washing depends on the pollution where you live (dust, mold spores), where you keep the tank during the day when it's not in use, and the quality of the distilled water you use (how it was distilled).

My tank needs cleaning every now and then -- I'd say about once a month or so.

O.

I've seen quite a difference in distilled water from different sources.

Distilled Water from Wal-Mart left a pink residue in the tank --- ungood.

Distilled Water from Fry's ( Kroger ) has never left any residue.

Some folks have bought distilled water machines but I don't know if it's worth the cost and hassle. I kinda doubt it.

But not all brands of distilled water are the same that's for sure.

Arizona-Willie wrote:... Distilled Water from Wal-Mart left a pink residue in the tank --- ungood. ...

Wow! That's a new one on me. We just use distilled water from our grocery store. Have had no problem with it. I definitely agree. I would be very displeased if it left a pink residue.

I noticed the same thing with Walmart's distilled water.

Had my first night with the S9, and it is GREAT. I can't hear it or see it during the night, & my wife reckons she can't hear it either. If it wasn't for the mask, you wouldn't know it's on. Getting used to the controls and trying to find the Clinician menu. Also trying to get a hold of the Resmed Rescan software so I can view my results. Anyone got a download link? Which version suits the S9? The slimline tube is hassle free and adds to a good nights sleep.

Thanks for the hint on distilled water. I will try it, sound like it will save me a great deal of time. I have always used tap water and emptied the tank every morning. Once a week I would use a bottle brush and vinegar to clean it and run it through the dishwasher. I have ordered the cleanable tank, my DME said the tank and heated hose are back ordered for a month, hopefully they come soon.

preemiern wrote:I noticed the same thing with Walmart's distilled water.

It might be gross, but I notice that same pink scum in my toilet and sink, if I wait too long to clean... Just what is that pink scum? Has anyone tried to culture it yet?

Arizona-Willie wrote:
Distilled Water from Fry's ( Kroger ) has never left any residue.

I've been using Fry's distilled for a year, my tank has always been spotless. Although now with my S9 when i turn on my machine my water instantly turns blue

But I've been doing well with the blue water so far

Uncle_Bob wrote:

Arizona-Willie wrote:
Distilled Water from Fry's ( Kroger ) has never left any residue.

I've been using Fry's distilled for a year, my tank has always been spotless. Although now with my S9 when i turn on my machine my water instantly turns blue

But I've been doing well with the blue water so far

=========================
And when I turn the machine off the water turns orangish red.

Johnbfisher sez:

Why worry about a "cleanable" tank. Just use distilled water. That way you can leave the water "as is" in the tank. It won't leave any residue. Nothing will grow in it

This is an old canard that has be bounced around many times. While many people just top up their humidifier tank with distilled as needed and have no troubles, this method is no guarantee of smooth sailing.

Distilled water is NOT sterile. Even if it was, by pouring the sterile water into a non-sterile tank, attached to a non-sterile hose and mask, bugs can grow. In previous discussions my "betters," who certainly know more than I do, have reached the heady-heights of molecule size, disbursment in the air, pressure in the air stream, bark, bark, bark, as their proof that bugs expelled by the person using the CPAP are not able to find their way into the humidifier tank.

The bottom line of this is that if you use a TOTALLY sealed sterile chamber, only add sterile water to it and have NO route for any air, water, molecule, bacteria, virus, cough, etc., (all things that we can and do exhale) find it's way back into the chamber, the chamber might stay sterile.

So, fill your chamber with distilled water and just top it up as you need to -->things might just roll along and be fine. However, don't think that this distilled water is any guarantee of sterility with no problems. Things can and do get into the water and grow.

The manufacturers recommend washing out the tank, hose and mask for a reason.

I've asked the respirologist and respiratory therapist with whom I work here in the ICU and have been told that nasty crap can and does grow in the wet CPAP circuit and that inhaling aspects of this stuff is not good for one's lungs. Anyone who thinks that using distilled water is protecting themselves from risk of infection is kidding themselves.

Dump, rinse and let your chamber dry during the day. Give your hose a wash, rinse, dry weekly. Wash your mask regularly. Be good to your lungs.

ozij wrote:I would prefer a cleanable tank. ...

The main reason for a non-cleanable tank is that ResMed can sell them every six months - or try to, just like hoses or masks. It's all about planned obsolescence. The cleanable ones make considerably more sense, but they probably won't show as much turnover. If your audience is a brick-and-mortar DME-only based situation in the US, it's very likely the DME will not even let their cpap users know a cleanable tank is available. They make more money. ResMed makes more money. If the unit were to be used in a hospital situation, it would be easy to say 'new patient, new tank' -- another cost to attribute to the patient's insurance. It freaks me out to see how they throw away the oximetry leads after each sleep lab. I could see it happening for this too - for no good reason.

Sorry if this comes across as pessimistic. I just see where this is leading as part of the disposable/wasteful mind-frame of the US healthcare system.

DreamDiver wrote:

preemiern wrote:I noticed the same thing with Walmart's distilled water.

It might be gross, but I notice that same pink scum in my toilet and sink, if I wait too long to clean... Just what is that pink scum? Has anyone tried to culture it yet?

Supposedly, the pink is caused by the growth of bacteria called "serratia marcescens".