clouds in my humidifier TELL ME HOW TO UPLOAD PICS

For the first time in two years I found fungus, bacteria or alien growth in my humidifier chamber...I clean my equiptment every sunday...I wash my humidifier out with warm soapy water, rinse, add vinegar mixture, shake it and then let it set for 20 minutes...i refill with distilled water....always used distilled water...been buying my distilled water at walmart...may buy a branded distilled water..this did scare me to even think that was inhaling moldy water vapors...tks=FA

If you are regularly using distilled water...this is very unusual. I have been using distilled water and I never clean my humidifier cup. I just refill it as needed. It's as clear as it was when it was new.

freshair wrote:... let it set for 20 minutes...

I think there is value in letting the system get completely dry. I empty my humidifier tank every 2-3 days (the plant loves the distilled water) and let it sit and dry for 12 hours. All the while, the tank holder is open, so air has a chance to dry out the hose and mask too.

I wash my humidifier, hose, and mask every two weeks. I bought a second hose so I can let the first dry out completely. I switch between them. I may buy a second mask so I can let the first dry out more often too.

John

I ended up with a PR 560 and my resmed hose was hanging on the kitchen cabinet door after its last cleaning a few days before. It still had water in the hose. I'm going to build a hose dryer.

just was thinking about how some people use a funnel to pour the water and how the funnel would collect bacteria from sitting out in the open for long periods likewise i would not considered leaving any other parts open or exposed to room air even to dry
the water would then carry bacteria from the funnel into the water chamber

I have always used distilled water......dump old water out every week....tks=FA

LSAT wrote:If you are regularly using distilled water...this is very unusual. I have been using distilled water and I never clean my humidifier cup. I just refill it as needed. It's as clear as it was when it was new.

I got mold from WM distilled water too.
But I clean the tank maybe every month.
I think the home distilled is cleaner.

I am going to change to a name brand distilled water...might be an over reaction on my part but i'm too damn old to take any chances....Thanks to you all for the replies=FA

chunkyfrog wrote:I got mold from WM distilled water too.
But I clean the tank maybe every month.
I think the home distilled is cleaner.

It might be something in tap water you use to clean it. As was suggested, let it dry 100% when you clean it. Then add distilled water for use when chamber is dry.

RandyJ wrote:It might be something in tap water you use to clean it. As was suggested, let it dry 100% when you clean it. Then add distilled water for use when chamber is dry.

washing with tap water is just another opportunity to transfer bacteria

The final rinse should be with distilled water.

Guest wrote:washing with tap water is just another opportunity to transfer bacteria

Since breathing is just another opportunity to transfer bacteria, perhaps you could stop doing that as well

freshair wrote:......dump old water out every week

A week is more than long enough for distilled water in a humdifier tank to acquire all sorts of microbial stuff from the air in a normal, ambient domestic environment. More frequent dumping/cleaning is indicated, not matter what sort of water you utilise in your humidifier

Cheers,

Bill

I, too, had mold from WM distilled water, but not from a branded distilled water. I empty my tank daily and use the water for other purposes.

The WM label states, "Processed by Steam Distillation, Microfiltration, Ozonation" (which one? ) and "Source: Municipal Supplies, Douglas,Ga". The branded distilled label states, "Distilled Water by Steam Distillation". I don't trust microfiltration or ozonation as distillation. My tap water often smells of chlorine, etc. and is from municipal supplies. I don't want to breathe that all night.

Dishwash the tank you're using once a week. Get two tanks and let the cleaned one sit empty and dry for a week between cleaning cycles.

If it gets yucky, buy a new one.

I've done this for several years with some of my tanks, and never had any kind of buildup, even with WM distilled water.