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You should have a second cleanable tank. You can take yours apart but make sure you can get another if you need it.

Its not rust is it? Do the spots come off if you wipe it with a q-tip? Want to try science at home? if so, wipe the q-tip on jello and put one sealed sample in your fridge for a day and another at room temperature if you want to verify its biological.

The orange spots seem to have changed the surface tension around them from the photo. That would indicate a water soluble mineral. In the morning, fill the tank up with warm (microwaved would be fine just not boiling - the storage instructions for the tank say 95°C or 200°F) distilled water. That should help get rid of the deposits. If that doesn't work, try it with hot tap water since what ever is in the tank was happy to be dissolved in your tap water.

If you don't have a thermometer, A cup of boiled water will be cool enough after about a minute. The heat will kill most thing that can cause problems and the heat helps redissolve minerals.

avi123 wrote:

DrDeke wrote:

avi123 wrote:Could you remove the Dr from your screen name to avoid confusion?

No, I don't think I can. At least I didn't see an option to in the user preferences?

DrDeke, now you can see why that lady from Canada is on my ignore list with other bully ladies. Nothing useful in their posts, just nit picking.

She probably looks like this:

Gee Avi..If I'm on your ignore list, how is it that you are replying to my post? If I'm a bully then what would we label you???? Its funny isn't it that your ignore list is all made up of ladies Did you have a Mother complex????
For your info I like Builta's clown photo.
Cheers
Nan

avi123 wrote:

SMenasco wrote:I wash my tank with hot tap water and liquid Tide, once a month, and rinse with distilled water. I immediately fill it up and put it back in service. Since it has room air blowing over it, I don't see the need to air dry it. My house remains a constant year round 73 degrees and 45 percent RH. With the Climate Line set on 75, a tank will last two days with about 1/4" remaining, so I refill every other day. So far, no critters. Don't drink the water with orange globules in it, unless you're extremely thirsty.

By drying the tank for the day you will most likely kill all the bacteria in it. Ask Dr ArchAngel.

The same works for drying bread, fruit, etc., which could keep it consumable for decades.

Do the same with your cutting boards, dishes, tooth brushes, etc.

So the idea is to have two chambers, one of which to stay dry during the day.

\
Avi...Why do you ask DrDeke to remove the Dr from his name to avoid confusion...but...YOU add Dr to archangle's name.
You are a strange dude!!!!!

Why would I want to ask Dr. Archangle? I agree that he's knowledgeable, however, I assume he'll only tell me I will develop the gallopin' epizootics if I don't air dry it. I need two tanks? As far as this equipment is concerned, I'm not OC nor as anal about it as some on here. Thank you.

Did I miss the fireworks--again?

-tim wrote:Its not rust is it? Do the spots come off if you wipe it with a q-tip? Want to try science at home? if so, wipe the q-tip on jello and put one sealed sample in your fridge for a day and another at room temperature if you want to verify its biological.

Oh, that would have been a fun thing to try! However, I already removed the spots by soaking the metal part of the tub with a (very) mild bleach solution recommended by someone earlier in the thread. Interestingly, the mild vinegar solution soak I tried before that did nothing - I thought vinegar was supposed to be good at removing mineral deposits.

I've switched to distilled water for now anyway, but I will give your experiment a try if the spots return (which I don't imagine they will, but who knows).

DrDeke wrote:

-tim wrote:Its not rust is it? Do the spots come off if you wipe it with a q-tip? Want to try science at home? if so, wipe the q-tip on jello and put one sealed sample in your fridge for a day and another at room temperature if you want to verify its biological.

Oh, that would have been a fun thing to try! However, I already removed the spots by soaking the metal part of the tub with a (very) mild bleach solution recommended by someone earlier in the thread. Interestingly, the mild vinegar solution soak I tried before that did nothing - I thought vinegar was supposed to be good at removing mineral deposits.

I've switched to distilled water for now anyway, but I will give your experiment a try if the spots return (which I don't imagine they will, but who knows).

You can do the experiment without the cpap gear too. Mild bleach tends to dye molds and not kill them (but the vinegar would have done far more damage if that was the case but you wouldn't have seen it). Bleach sort of rules out rust. The pH of bleach is basic and vinegar is acidic so chances are the orange stuff an acidic salt from your water but I know very little of the water geology of your general area other than there is some great water in your state and there is some very odd water there too. Get a plastic container (a cut milk or coke bottle or butter trey) and put just enough water in it so it will evaporate in a few days. Drop in a tiny amount of baking powder like one scoop using a tooth pick (or a drop of bleach) and mix that with the water and a second with a drop of vinegar or sprite as well. Let that evaporate and see if the orange shows up in either too.

In the photo, it looked like the water dried out around the spots sooner than other places. If thats still going on, something may still be on the metal that isn't so easy to see and you can still do the experiment where you can swap that onto cheap agar (aka jello) and see what grows.

The metal base on the cleanable tray is much more solid than the disposable type so ask for one next time and it might be stainless steel which should be more immune to stuff attaching to it.

GumbyCT wrote:YOU are wobbling again...

Well, apparently, typing slowly didn't help.

Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens.

Try reading again, slowly. The main advantage of distilled water vs. germs is to have a lower level of nutrients in the water for germs to feed on. Your humidifier tank will never be sterile once you use it and let room air flow through it. If the environment in the water tank is favorable for the growth of bacteria or mold, they're going to grow in it.

A few drops of tap water mixed with distilled water isn't going to significantly raise the level of bacteria food vs. pure distilled water.

SMenasco wrote:Why would I want to ask Dr. Archangle? I agree that he's knowledgeable, however, I assume he'll only tell me I will develop the gallopin' epizootics if I don't air dry it. I need two tanks? As far as this equipment is concerned, I'm not OC nor as anal about it as some on here. Thank you.

I'm not really that concerned about germs in the water unless you let it get really bad. I'm breathing the vapor from the water, not snorting it up the nose.

However, I like mine clean, just in case, and for the "yuck" factor. If someone else wants to keep the germ level in the tank down, letting it dry out for a week or so between washing is a good idea. You probably want a spare tank anyway, so why not use the extra tank to help stay clean?

archangle wrote:

GumbyCT wrote:YOU are wobbling again...

Well, apparently, typing slowly didn't help.

Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens.

Try reading again, slowly. The main advantage of distilled water vs. germs is to have a lower level of nutrients in the water for germs to feed on. Your humidifier tank will never be sterile once you use it and let room air flow through it. If the environment in the water tank is favorable for the growth of bacteria or mold, they're going to grow in it.

A few drops of tap water mixed with distilled water isn't going to significantly raise the level of bacteria food vs. pure distilled water.

Translation - "Gumby you are right" - "using distilled water will avoid other problems, I just can't believe my medicine doesn't help".

archangle wrote:

SMenasco wrote:Why would I want to ask Dr. Archangle? I agree that he's knowledgeable, however, I assume he'll only tell me I will develop the gallopin' epizootics if I don't air dry it. I need two tanks? As far as this equipment is concerned, I'm not OC nor as anal about it as some on here. Thank you.

I'm not really that concerned about germs in the water unless you let it get really bad. I'm breathing the vapor from the water, not snorting it up the nose.

However, I like mine clean, just in case, and for the "yuck" factor. If someone else wants to keep the germ level in the tank down, letting it dry out for a week or so between washing is a good idea. You probably want a spare tank anyway, so why not use the extra tank to help stay clean?

LMAO -he needs to feel needed. LMAO

GumbyCT wrote:LMAO -he needs to feel needed. LMAO

Well, at least I know someone will always be infatuated with me.

archangle wrote:

GumbyCT wrote:LMAO -he needs to feel needed. LMAO

Well, at least I know someone will always be infatuated with me.

WHO?

Your body must be getting used to the medicine. Have you tried lithium?

I'm not scared of a little yuck, being an old diesel fleet sub sailor. And I have never washed my Climate Line hose, just replace it every 6 months. Drink beer; water will rust your innards

GumbyCT wrote:

dragon672 wrote: . . .
People can't understand why things grow in their tank when they use distilled BUT rinse with tap water. Distilled should also be used for whatever cleaning process you finally decide on.

Oh my, GumbyCT - I am guilty - thanks for telling us - Ooooo - oumie stupid!

I also have a few orange/pink spots (2) in the tank