Quattro Mask: Anyone else having seal problems (brand new se

I use the Quattro. About 2 weeks ago, I tried to switch back to the Ultra Mirage Full Face. I used this mask for about 4 weeks last summer. It was the first mask that I had success with. For some reason, for me, the UMFF is now impossible to get sealed. I don't know how I ever got it leak-free last year.

As for the Quattro, have you tried Lansinoh on your face, on the areas that the seal makes contact with? I tried it last year after reading a suggestion here. I have found that on the nights that I forget to put it on the Quattro tries to slide around a bit. When I do use it (nearly every night) I can often feel that the mask tends to be 'sticky' to some degree. I think it helps with the seal quite a lot and it might be worth a try for you.

Best wishes,
Tony

Gerryk wrote:Den, check that cushion clip. I had a terrible time just like you did recently and swore someone changed the cushion or it was flimsy and not as good as before. I finally found that although the clip and cushion looked perfect, it wasn't set correctly.

I want to second this, as the same thing happened to me. As for the overall experience with this mask, I have a real love/hate relationship with the thing. Some nights we get along quite nicely and then there have been nights when I ripped it off and said things to it that I won't repeat here.

Okay. I am talking to my mask. Perhaps I need to think about this. Or perhaps I don't need to get really worried unless it answers.

Jeanette

So how would you feel if your husband referred to his mask as his "little girlfriend" while you're standing there helping him get comfortable with it?

DoriC wrote:So how would you feel if your husband referred to his mask as his "little girlfriend" while you're standing there helping him get comfortable with it?

Dori, I honestly don't know, but suddely I felt somewhat better about talking to my mask.

I believe I found the real problem.

It seems that the mask straps also wearout at a similar rate to the seals.

I had borrowed another headstrap for the quattro off an older Ultra Mirage F/F mask and then another.
In the end wife & I took a look at the straps & realized all 3 had perished (lost their stretch). I knew I
had one more brand new Ultra Mirage F/F so grabbed the strap from it & used it on an Ultra Mirage F/F
& the mask sat firmly in place all night. - Same with the Quattro.

So the real culprit was a loss of elasticity in the head straps & it seems when these start to fail they then
stretch easily & quickly & become useless.

Lesson learned:

Also consider replacing the straps with the seals, or have a spare new strap to compare.

DSM

(perhaps can swap back to the Vpap Adapt SV again, but am having vg nights with the Bipap Auto SV so will
stay with it for the present). Main reason I would swap is wife does comment on how quiet the Vpap Adapt SV is.

DoriC wrote:So how would you feel if your husband referred to his mask as his "little girlfriend" while you're standing there helping him get comfortable with it?

Dori, he is probably teasing so don't let it bother you. Besides she helps him sleep soundly and helps him out so you can sleep soundly. I would let him call that mask what ever he wants as long as it works for him and you rest and aren't worried about his breathing.

Gerry

Gerry, he is definitely teasing me and I love it! We both remember the beginning days when we hated "her" and weren't sure he'd ever get used to it. Now I have peace of mind knowing "she's" taking care of him while I'm sleeping. It's what you call an "open marriage"!

Well, I am here again on this topic! I just got a new Quattro this week, when they brought the new PRS-One. It is the same size, I have re-seated the seal and it seems okay, but the bloody thing will just NOT seal- it's blowing air out like the machine was set on 40! I'm calling the DME tomorrow (today) and asking for a new mask. I really hope this is NOT a treand; I have used this mask almost exclisively for a year now, and it worked so well. Grrrr!
~joan
PS- when I change back tp my old Quattro, with the same headgear- seals fine. ???

Last night, at about 4 AM, I had "one of those nights". For nearly an hour I fought with my Quattro. I had been sleeping with it for 4 hours with no problems, but after I had to get up at 4 AM for a minute, it decided to fight with me, repeatedly leaking just as I was about to drift back to sleep. I ended up tightening it up more than I prefer to, but eventually I got it sealed and was able to go back to sleep again.

I've noticed that every 2 or 3 weeks, I seem to have "one of those nights" when this cursed thing just won't stay sealed.

Best wishes,
Tony

I haven's seen much of this topic lately so don't know if it's been fixed by now but when we tried the Quattro in 2008 we had to do the "teflon fix" around the elbow. If that's the problem you can do a Search for teflon fix here.

dsm wrote:I believe I found the real problem.
DSM

The Quattro is spawn of the Devil.

Just reconfirming that since fitting a brand new headstrap I am getting excellent nights with both Ultra Mirage F/F mask and the Quattro and on both The Bipap Auto SV and on the Vpap Adapt SV. It seems the older masks I owned appear to have had a slightly weaker headstrap that has narrower bands than the newest one.

I had not thought that a headstrap could be the cause of so much leaking & frustration. It seems the new strap holds the mask in place so much better and I also am finding I don't have to do it us as tight.

The new strap just allows the mask to stay in place so much better than the old straps.

This experience leads me to believe that the Quattro mask seals & straps have a life of about 6 month-12 months & when one goes, I need to seriously think of replacing both the strap and the seal.

I would say that the symptoms of a fading/failing headstrap are when the velcro straps used for tightening the top part, start to get so stretched, they come close to touching.

The new Quattro seal is working very well on both machines.

DSM

dsm wrote:I would say that the symptoms of a fading/failing headstrap are when the velcro straps used for tightening the top part, start to get so stretched, they come close to touching.

DSM

Would that be the same symptoms for the bottom straps, close to touching in back? I think they seem to stretch out more than the top ones.

carbonman wrote:

dsm wrote:I believe I found the real problem.
DSM

The Quattro is spawn of the Devil.

Ditto that! Only FF that's worse than the Quattro is the Forma. Best FF by FAR is the Respironics ComfortFull.

DoriC wrote:

dsm wrote:I would say that the symptoms of a fading/failing headstrap are when the velcro straps used for tightening the top part, start to get so stretched, they come close to touching.

DSM

Would that be the same symptoms for the bottom straps, close to touching in back? I think they seem to stretch out more than the top ones.

Dori

I was going to add both but can't recall if the bottom ones went so far. I think they would have. But the other issue there is the size of the wearer's head. The real measure is when the straps do up much further than they used to

Cheers

DSM