CPAPtalk.com

Yes, different things cause you to use more water such as mouth breathing, leaks time actually on the machine sleeping and where the humidifier is set. I usually use about half or a little more of the water but their are a few rare times that I have slept close to eight hours and my chamber was nearly empty.

NateS wrote:
This sounds like a great idea but I assume I'm not the only one whose nightly water consumption from the humidifier varies greatly.

Nate

You must have huge swings of relative humidity where you live. If I sleep 6 hours (give or take 1/2 hour) nightly, my water consumption is pretty constant. I will use a greater amount (measurably) if I sleep 8 hours or more.

RandyJ wrote: You must have huge swings of relative humidity where you live. If I sleep 6 hours (give or take 1/2 hour) nightly, my water consumption is pretty constant. I will use a greater amount (measurably) if I sleep 8 hours or more.

My water needs also can vary greatly from night to night. I do use a high setting though (my preference) and even with roughly the same amount of hours of sleep and pretty much non existent leaks..it will vary significantly. Since I already know that allowing the tank to run dry causes extreme sinus and nasal misery there is zero way I want to have any chance of that happening again. I top off the tank every night.
I live in the midwest and sometimes we do have some substantial swings in humidity. Living in tornado alley and all, every day is a crap shoot. Especially this time of year.

I've noticed that after a few days of just topping off with distilled water, the bottom of the humidifier chamber has a slight film. It's enough that if I run my finger over it, it leaves a mark that looks like the way you can write on a foggy mirror, but it doesn't go away. That makes me think I need to clean it at least twice a week.

Cheapie humidity gauge beside the machine.
Lets me know if I need to top it off in order to sleep in.

chunkyfrog wrote:Cheapie humidity gauge beside the machine.
Lets me know if I need to top it off in order to sleep in.

Good idea!

I have a humidistat on the nightstandm but I go by how I feel as far as the cpcp humidifier. The humidistat is for me to see if I need to turn on an additional humidifier.

I live in the Chicago are not the State of Chicago itself and the weather here changes faster than out Governor. It is nothing to wake up with thick soupy fog and go to bed with extremely low humidity.

Weather like that will cause big swings nightly in the amount of water you use. It's even worst with those weather changes when you prefer to sleep with the windows open.