Resmed Mirage Quattro - Air Leaks

I'm relatively new to CPAP but have been doing pretty well until the last few nights.

My Mirage Quattro full-face mask has been fine up till now but it's suddenly decided to start leaking air. The noise and flow of the leaks make it impossible to sleep.

It's was purchased on the 7th June, so is not yet 2 months old.
I give the bladder a daily wash, I've been using dishwashing liquid and hot water in the sink and then rinse it in cold water.

I've watched the Resmed video with the tech showing how to put the mask and headgear on properly, and it still leaks.

I get it on comfortably with no leaks, and then a slight jaw movement or turn of the head creates a leak on the face or near the eye. I can tighten the headgear as much as possible and still no joy. The other night my headgear was so tight I got a headache from it.

I can also be lying dead still on my back as I was last night with all being good and as the pressure ramps up from 4.0 to 9.0 a leak will start all by itself without me shifting.

The last 2 nights I've given up and had to take the mask off and sleep without it. I'm currently waiting for my sleep technician where I bought the gear to ring back, hopefully she can assist.

Any hints from people that have been in the same boat?

The only way I was able to solve my leaky Quattro problem was to replace it with a different mask altogether. Is the cushion still flexible? Can you try loosening the headgear so that you can determine that the cushion still responds to pressure?

I only washed my mask once a week or so not daily and with ivory and lukewarm water. Your pressure range needs to be narrowed so you do not have a great fluctuation or you will need to tighten the mask initially to compensate. When I used my quattro I kept it fairly tight. I have since switched to a nasal mask and and love it. I will probably have to switch to the quattro when I have a cold and head is stuffed.

My cushions last 3 months max. I found that washing mine regularly made it leak quicker...possible softening the cushion too much. I currently wash mine only once every 2 weeks. I use a moist wipe every day or two to gently clean the cushion.

Thanks for the replies.

I did try a nasal mask initially and couldn't stand it. I'm a mouth breather and the nasal mask irritated me.

Yes, the cushion is still flexible and soft. Maybe daily washing is too much, but I did this on the recommendation of the sleep tech where I bought the gear.

I tried starting with the headgear loose and tightening just enough to stop the leaks so it was comfortable as suggested. It was after this that a turn of the head or jaw movement caused a leak.

I then tightened it more and lay down, all good for a while, and then after a while, more leaks without me having moved a muscle.

Maybe I have stuffed the cushion with the daily washing? It doesn't seem any different to me though. How do you know when a cushion has had it?

I woke up feeling rubbish today after having slept without the mask last night. I also snore like a train without it, as per my better half, so she's keen for me to fix it also.

I hope to catch up with the sleep tech on Monday to try and sort it out.

Where is it leaking?
Many of the earlier (and later) Quattros leaked out of the front of the mask where the elbow attaches. The quick fix is to pull the elbow out of the front of the mask, wrap the groove in the elbow with about three or four wraps of Teflon plumbers tape. Then shove it back together. That leak should be fixed.

Are you SURE it's the right size?


Den

I think the problem is face oils. The solution is every morning when you shower, stick the mask under the bath faucet and rinse it vigorously. 3 times a week, I put shampoo in it before rinsing. I've done this ever since my CPAP sentence began with my Quattro and I have virtually no leaking and I havent even had to change the cushion yet

I have not had my Quattro long enough to really comment on its longivity, but in terms of leaks, it has been the ONLY mask I have tried (and have been through several) that has had, essentially, ZERO leaks for me. I do find that I need to adjust the straps and the forehead brace nightly to get the fit right. I wash it only once a week in lukewarm sudsy water, swishing it around after disassembly and I use the air from the hose running for 20 - 30 minutes at most to dry it out. I have noted as of late that it is critical that I give it a wipe down every morning otherwise the wretched "blech" remains behind on the mask. The purpose therefore of the weekly washing is only to get into the crevices and make sure that the remaining oils and any bacteria are washed away. I love this mask and am now going to stock up on replacement rubber. Perhaps another spare mask. I have not found another FFM that fits and feels as well.

If I were to guess I would say that the 'bladder' portion of your mask has perhaps reached the end of its useful life? In any event, it would be interesting and make sense to see if a replacement rubber bladder resolves the problem. The only other thing that I can think of is maintaining a clean face - I use a Strydex pad to remove my facial oils each night before retiring.

I definitely need to readjust the straps and the forehead brace every night, especially if I have taken in any salt, etc.

Hello
Have any of you "leakers" tried remzzzs yet? I made mine out of an old well washed white t-shirt, only I added a bit to go all the way up to the plastic head piece and covered that. If you go to the remzzz web site you will see them, then go back to this forum and type in remzzz or homemade remzzz, there is a pattern there you can copy. Actually you can just draw the outline of your mask on the fabric, but leave 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch extra all the way round. I love them, no leaks whatsoever, and I keep my mask straps fairly loose, the mask is intended to sort of float on your face.
Good luck
Nan

Hi all, I am new here as well. I have three nights under my belt with CPAP and am also having problems with leaks from the Quattro mask. I am thinking of trading it in, but I don't know what for... maybe the Forma. The most noticeable leak is on the corner of my mouth, where it makes a blubbering noise.

In addition, My nose hurts and my eyes are teary. I am getting almost no sleep at night. Since this is the weekend I am going to work with it more during the day today.

You know what? We need that Dyson vacuum inventor guy to come up with a comfortably designed CPAP mask. He'd make a fortune.

Billy6 wrote:I think the problem is face oils. The solution is every morning when you shower, stick the mask under the bath faucet and rinse it vigorously. 3 times a week, I put shampoo in it before rinsing. I've done this ever since my CPAP sentence began with my Quattro and I have virtually no leaking and I havent even had to change the cushion yet

Billy...You haven't changed the cushion in 2 years????????????

I've been on cpap for about 8 years using a nasal pillow mask. I got a Quattro a few months ago to use when I have a cold. Whenever I turn my head, the Q starts leaking. I find myself awake and playing with the mask often during the night. My leaks rates are unacceptable with this mask. The Q is comfortable, I like wearing it, but it is unusable due to the massive leaks. For now, I've got back to my Adam Circuit nasal pillow mask.

Can anybody tell me if the Mirage leaks less? I really want to get a FFM that doesn't leak.

Laos Film Director wrote:I've been on cpap for about 8 years using a nasal pillow mask. I got a Quattro a few months ago to use when I have a cold. Whenever I turn my head, the Q starts leaking. I find myself awake and playing with the mask often during the night. My leaks rates are unacceptable with this mask. The Q is comfortable, I like wearing it, but it is unusable due to the massive leaks. For now, I've got back to my Adam Circuit nasal pillow mask.

Can anybody tell me if the Mirage leaks less? I really want to get a FFM that doesn't leak.

Everybody's different, but I've been using my original UMFF for over five years and it seems to fit and seal better with age and use. It's definitely my favorite. I do have a Quattro, but haven't worn it in about three years. Size-wise, the Q tends to run just a wee bit larger (lengthwise) then the UMFF.

Den

From photos, the Quattro and Ultra Mirage look very similar, how different are they?

BTW, thank you so much for having this Forum!!!

PJ the DJ wrote:From photos, the Quattro and Ultra Mirage look very similar, how different are they?

BTW, thank you so much for having this Forum!!!

In my opinion, they designed the Quattro to have fewer parts so it could be made cheaper. Well, they succeeded in that respect. They eliminated a number of parts in the elbow section where the anti-asphyxiation valve is. That area is where there were (initially) more leakage problems with the Quattro. The seal is also flimsier in the Quattro and from what I've read, wears out faster. I'm over five years of use with the original seal on my UMFF and it still seals very well. They came out with some fancy dial adjustment for the forehead support on the Q, but since I wear my top straps VERY loose and the forehead support in the forward most position (to get it as far away from my forehead as possible) with either mask, I don't have any use for those "adjustments". There are some trade-offs, but I still find my UMFF a better mask.


Den