Heated hose Development

Now that the weather is getting cooler I am experiencing condensation in my hose. I removed the humidifier and am getting a mild dry mouth. Tonight I will try the humidifier without any heat. I have not tried insulating the hose yet, but that will come next..

The permanent solution is a heated hose. The climatline won’t work with my machine and the Aussie Heated Hose will. However my insurance does not cover heated hose replacement. Cpap hose is fairly flimsy and subject to bacteria contamination from the atmosphere. My insurance will replace hose every six months. I plan to experiment with heat tape wrapped around the hose.

I love to tinker and my cpap machine has dramatically improved the quality of my sleep and my energy level in the morning. However, I think I can build a better machine. From the group I would like some advice. I am new at this and there is a lot of knowledge here; I would like to build on that knowledge and not reinvent the wheel. So as I start my project(s) I invite you to assist.

You've probably already seen these links and have checked out the posts about the Repti heat cable... so, this link is for new readers who might also be dealing with rain-out:

LINKS to discussions about the Aussie heated hose - to prevent rainout
viewtopic.php?t=5305

One solution that I've been thinking to try is this:

http://cozywinters.com/shop/bed-foot-warmer.html

It should be just long enough to completely wrap around a six foot hose if you do it in a spiral fashion.

I was also going to rig up something with heat tape but at $40 this is probably a better deal and significantly easier to implement. The only issue is whether the heater is going to make the hose so heavy that it has to be fixed to the bed or some other immovable object.

I'm not quite ready to give this a shot. If I do get around to it I'll post a follow-up to let you know how it works.

Cheers,
XJ.

I broke out my aussie heated hose yesterday. Getting to be that time of the year. If i did not have the aussie I would have certainly went after the reptile heater. I use the fleece covers for the warmer months.

I ordered 2 reptile heaters for me and Hubby. I am waiting on the climate line one till they are perfected.

This may seem a little primative to you but I have found it effective to put the excess hose next to my chest, under my tee shirt. The machine is right next to me so most of the hose is underneath my shirt. This will warm the air 5 or 6 degrees without any additional expense. Don't laugh, it works!

Stormynights wrote:I ordered 2 reptile heaters for me and Hubby. I am waiting on the climate line one till they are perfected.

I have a question; where did you order the reptile heaters from. Please let us know how they work for you.

Pat

Pat Harman wrote:

Stormynights wrote:I ordered 2 reptile heaters for me and Hubby. I am waiting on the climate line one till they are perfected.

I have a question; where did you order the reptile heaters from. Please let us know how they work for you.

Pat

I read the thread on them and thought they were worth a try. I ordered from Ebay. Zoo Med Repti Heat Cable

ppharman wrote:The permanent solution is a heated hose.

KISS principal: A simple hose cover is the first thing to try.

The cover also offers the advantage of better "feel" when it touches bare skin and less noise when the hose bangs around.

I agree with Roster. Start with a hose cover and take it from there. Before I had a chance to order a hose cover, I wrapped a baby blanket around my hose. Three years later, it's still on and I've never had any rainout. I don't have any heat on in my house (that's another story) and it's getting cold at night. I thought for sure when the HVAC broke that I would have a snoot full of water, but none so far.

Before I bought my hose cover I had thought about wrapping it with a fleece baby blanket. If you don't want to spring for the hose cover then you can find fleece receiving blankets at Walmart for less than $5, wrap your hose, and secure it with cable ties or twist ties. It would be worth a shot.

You can get the Repti heater from any pet store (the big ones are generally better stocked of course). You may want the one at 15w vs less or more, but you should also insulate the hose from the heater or it can melt it.. use something more than just 1-2 layers of fabric though and also 'insulate' yourself - it won't burn you unless you keep it against you for a little time and will be able to move it long before it matters.

Julie wrote:You can get the Repti heater from any pet store (the big ones are generally better stocked of course). You may want the one at 15w vs less or more, but you should also insulate the hose from the heater or it can melt it.. use something more than just 1-2 layers of fabric though and also 'insulate' yourself - it won't burn you unless you keep it against you for a little time and will be able to move it long before it matters.

Do you lay the hose on the heater?

How about wrapping the hose in a heating pad (after wrapping it in something to keep it from melting)?

Dealing with condensation in the hose and nasal pillow. First I appreciate all the feedback I am getting. I have developed the following for slowly ratcheting up solutions for the problem.

1) I removed the humidifier. This solved the rainout problem, but I no longer get the benefit of the humidified air.
2) Use the humidifier, but no heat. This is called passover. I have not ruled this out as at least a partial solution.
3) A hose cover seems to have merit, and they are inexpensive. I plan to order one for testing and am waiting till payday so I can order viewing software and a card reader at the same time.
4) Purchasing the reptile heater, if all of the above do not work satisfactorily. This is not expensive, less than $25 delivered. I am a little concerned about the hose melting that has been reported here.
5) I am out of ideas at this point, but I understand the both the physics of the problem and the solution. I don’t think I will have to punt or resort to shooting the beast.

Pat