Machine gets really loud

My husband has used a CPAP machine for a couple of years. I've noticed from time-to-time that during the night it will sometimes get really loud. He falls asleep right away and it's very quiet. But after a while, it ramps way up and gets very noisy. After a while, it slows back down. Is it supposed to do that; is it something that is happening because he stops breathing and it's kicking in to accommodate his need for air?

janr,

Before we can do anything but speculate about the noise problem that you're talking about, we need to know several things:

1) The exact make and model of the machine that hubby is using.

2) The exact make and model of the mask hubby is using---or at least the type of mask he is using. Does it cover both his mouth and nose? Does it cover only the tip of his nose? Or does it rest gently against his nostrils leaving the nose completely uncovered?

3) Is hubby using a heated humidifier? If so what's the humidifier set to?

4) What does the noise sound like? And where does the noise seem to be coming from?

The machine is a ResMed IAX1 with a humidifier. The mask is nasal only, F&P Pilairo. Is that enough information? Thanks for your help!

The humidifier is set to 77 degrees and down below that on the screen it says 5.0.

janr wrote:The machine is a ResMed IAX1 with a humidifier. The mask is nasal only, F&P Pilairo. Is that enough information? Thanks for your help!

I'm not sure what a ResMed IAX1 is.

Does your machine + humidifier look like this:

If so, then it's an S9 of some sort.

You still need to describe what the noise sounds like and where it's coming from.

Is the noise coming from the mask or hubby's face? Or is the noise coming from the hose? Or is the noise coming from the blower unit itself?

And how does it sound? Does it sound like magnified breathing noises? Fart-sounding noises? Bubbling/gurgling noises? Jet airplane air whooshing noises? Or high pitched whirring fan noises?

Most people who use the S9 say that the blower unit itself is virtually silent, regardless of how high the pressure is set. So most noise problems are actually caused by other components in the "system" and that's why it's important to try to identify where the noise is coming from and exactly what the noise sounds like.

It's definitely the jet airplane sound. It is very quite normally. Then it all of a sudden takes off and gets this jet airplane sort of sound that is so much louder. It's difficult to tell where it is coming from. I'll try to figure it out next time it happens. Sometimes I fall asleep before he does and don't hear it. So I'll try to stay awake and hear it one of these nights soon. Thanks for your patience!

Guest wrote:It's definitely the jet airplane sound. It is very quite normally. Then it all of a sudden takes off and gets this jet airplane sort of sound that is so much louder. It's difficult to tell where it is coming from. I'll try to figure it out next time it happens. Sometimes I fall asleep before he does and don't hear it. So I'll try to stay awake and hear it one of these nights soon. Thanks for your patience!

Maybe his mouth is falling open and the sound you're hearing is the air escaping from his mouth......and the machine increasing pressure to compensate for it. Or, it's a massive leak from the mask being dislodged (and the machine increasing pressure).
Does his mask cover just his nose or nose and mouth?


Den

.

It covers just his nose. Next time it happens, I'll check to see if his mouth is open. Thanks for the suggestion!

A jet airplane noise can also be caused by the normal exhaust flow hitting the covers or the bed pillow. Sometimes when you move around in the bed in your sleep, the position of the hose shifts and that will pull the exhaust vents on the Pilaro nasal pillows mask into a different position. And if the exhaust flow hits the covers or bed pillow it can sound like a jet plane. If this is the problem, then try to move the hose slightly to see if that reduces the air flow. Or kick hubby to make him move around a bit and that might fix the problem.