REMstar Plus With Cflex Issues

My boyfriend has a remstar plus with cflex machine and he has been having issues with it so I'm wondering if anybody here knows an easy fix. The machine turns on and blows air but when he puts the mask on it quits and the machine shuts down. Once and awhile he can get it to stay on for and hour or so with the mask on then it quits and shuts down. Any ideas?

How long has he had the machine?
Which Remstar Plus with CFlex model is it? Respironics uses the term Remstar in every model so that doesn't tell us much.
There should be a sticker on the bottom of the blower unit with a 3 digit model number...that would tell us which series machine it is.

On the assumption that it is a System One machine and either a 250 or 260 machine...I can only think of one thing to try.
There's a feature in the clinical setup called Auto Off.....when it is set to On if the machine senses high leaks it will turn itself off.
So perhaps that sensing function is either sensing a big leak or it is malfunctioning.

I would suggest taking it back to the supplier...it should not be turning itself off like that. And if it is from a really big leak...then the mask fit is horribly wrong.

These machines have a 2 year warranty. On that same sticker where the model number is there is an 8 digit number which is manufacture date in year/month/day format.

Here are some instructions on how to get into the clinical setup menu to see if Auto Off is set to On or Off for the System One machines.
http://www.apneaboard.com/pr-system-one ... structions

Also please read this blog about full data machines...which would tell us if the leak was big.
The Remstar Plus with CFlex...not a full data machine so no way to tell if leaks or anything else is bad.
http://www.apneaboard.com/pr-system-one ... structions
Model number has to be 450 or higher to have any useful data.
It may not matter to him..but I did want to mention it because if he does have a defective machine covered under warranty...now would be a good time to get that model swapped out for a full data model.

If turning off due to auto-off there would have to be an enormous leak -- one he would definitely notice. The hose would virtually have to be disconnected at that point the leak would be so big.

This sounds like an actual problem with the machine requiring diagnosis by a repair facility.

It basically sounds broken.

hyperlexis wrote:It basically sounds broken.

That's my first thought also but thought I would throw in the Auto Off thing just in case...
there may be a big leak somewhere and the person doesn't know or can't hear it...like in the hose or the connectors. Normally we would assume there would be a loud noise but there may not be.

If the guy is a newbie to this therapy (that's another reason I asked how long he has had the machine) he may not realize that there is something amiss with the connectors or the hose or whatever.

I would be taking it back to supplier and having it checked out ASAP. My gut tells me it is a faulty machine sensor but it wouldn't be impossible for it to be a bad connection or hose problem causing a big leak.
If the user is a newbie to cpap therapy he may not know how to check for those type of problems and that's what I think the supplier should be doing...regardless of what the problem is. That's part of the reason they get the big bucks and in this case bigger bucks since they supplied a lower base cost machine. They need to provide a service and part of that service is figuring out what the problem might be because there is most definitely a problem that needs to be addressed.

CMT wrote:My boyfriend has a remstar plus with cflex machine and he has been having issues with it so I'm wondering if anybody here knows an easy fix. The machine turns on and blows air but when he puts the mask on it quits and the machine shuts down. Once and awhile he can get it to stay on for and hour or so with the mask on then it quits and shuts down. Any ideas?

You're supposed to put the mask on BEFORE you start the machine. A large leak could possibly shut it down if one of the internal settings is not set correctly.

Try that and see if the machine stays on. Otherwise, take it to the DME he got it from and have them test it.

Which specific model is it? There should be a model number on the bottom of the machine. (Don't turn it over with water in the humidifier.)


Den

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Thanks for the info. He has had the machine about four years. The bottom of the machine shows 250P. I think he has tried the auto off setting but I will mention it to him. My guess is that it is broke. It is no longer under warranty either. Unfortunate that it broke a few weeks after his insurance lapsed.

CMT wrote:Thanks for the info. He has had the machine about four years. The bottom of the machine shows 250P. I think he has tried the auto off setting but I will mention it to him. My guess is that it is broke. It is no longer under warranty either. Unfortunate that it broke a few weeks after his insurance lapsed.

If it IS "broke", there's a company "acbio(dot)com" that does repair (and warranty) work on CPAPs (and other equipment).
They are also a member of this forum and the member name is "Accurate" (you can look them up in the member list or by doing an Advanced Search on that name. They have offices in various parts of the country.


Den

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Thanks for the info. I did speak to an individual that works at the clinic where he received his machine and his suggestion was to buy a used machine from Craigslist. There are many on Craigslist for sale in our area however, not all have cflex as an option. I really don't know a thing about what this means. Can someone help me understandwhat cflex means? I don't want to buy something that will not work for him properly. Of course I ask my better half and all I get is a mumble and a "I need a new machine" LOL I really feel bad for him not being able to sleep and would like to get him a new machine to use until he has insurance again. Thanks again for all your help.

Hi CMT,

Cflex is a setting which makes it a little easier to breathe out against the pressure. Some folks use it at first but then don't need it, others find it helps long-term. You can see if it is set on his machine by looking at the screen and spinning the dial to the right, a push of the button when the Cflex option is highlighted will show if his is set to run (it would show 1, 2, or 3) or not.

If Craigslist isn't working out quickly enough, and you can handle the cost out of pocket:

If he is willing to switch brands there are machines by "3B" which are on sale at CPAP dot com for under $200, new.

If he wants the same brand, there is a used unit like his on secondwindcpap dot com for $225 right now, (or pay $50 more to get a model 450 which would also show him AHI).

If paying for a replacement machine is not an option, I think there is an organization which provides machines to folks in need, but I can't remember who that is so someone else on the forum might speak up about that.

--SleepyCPAP

Check your private message box please. I can maybe help you sort through the models but I need some questions answered first to do it the best.

I was traveling and my CPAP got lost. I picked up one of these (remstar plus) units on Craig's list and had the same problem. When I bought it from the guy I just made sure it blew air. I just needed it to run, I didn't care about pressure as I only needed it for a couple of days. After checking the clinician settings (google), I discovered it would continue running if you were setting the pressure, but the clinician screen would time out. This told me that it was a pressure sensor, but with no schematic I couldn't do a repair. I removed the clear plastic "L" shaped piece of rubber, which I figured was a pressure restrictor of some type. It worked fine. I wouldn't recommend this fix for continued use, but after 4 days with out my cpap I finally got a decent nights sleep. It makes a little extra noise, but like I said, without a schematic you can only do so much. I keep it for a backup. Hope this helps somebody.

Thank you for your concern, John, but the matter was hopefully resolved a year ago.