Question about Phillips Respersonics System One

Hello,

I'm helping my Dad maintain his treatment machine. It's a Phillips Respersonics REMstar Auto A-Flex System One with Humidifier. At this time he does not have the heated tube option.

First question:

Insurance compliance sent us an SD card for data transfer. They stated that after inserting the card into the machine, "the machine will tell you when it is safe to remove the card." I'm not seeing this. What I do see is immediately after the card is inserted, the machine display reads "Data transfer in progress. Do not remove Card." This flashes for a few minutes, and then it stops. At this point is it safe to remove the card? At no point does the display ever state that it is "safe to remove the card."

Second question:

My Dad has been complaining that the air flow is too cool. In reviewing the setup options and features for the Humidifier, we decided to turn off the "System One Humidification" feature. According to what is stated in the manual, the user is now able to set desired Humidity (settings 0-5) manually using the "Humidifier" option in the setup menu.

My guess is the higher the setting, the higher the level of heated humidity. Is this correct? The problem is after running the machine for 30 minutes - the heating plate located at the bottom of the Humidifier module is still ice cold and so his the air-flow.

So, I reverted the machine back to "System One Humidification" ON - set it to number 3. Same results. After 30 minutes or more the heating plate is still ice cold.

Can someone please explain to me what we are doing wrong? We would like to set this machine up to provide comfortable air that is not too cool which my Dad finds quite irritating. We realize there is a heated tube option that we may need to consider.

Thank You for the assistance.

-paul.

First question:
The machine will NOT tell you its safe to remove card. After it flashes like you said then its ok to remove card.

Second Question: You need to plug in the special heated hose that you should have received w/your PR1 system. Once done, you will have the option in settings for heat...

d

The plate should warm instantly. It works fine without a heated hose. Bring it in for fixing or replacement.

Paveta

How old is the machine?
It sounds as if the humidifier is not heating. Have you disconnected the humidifier and then reconnected it to make sure that the internal electrical connectors are hooking up properly?

Do you have a local supplier who can check it?
If the machine is less than two years old, you can get a replacement humidifier at no cost.
If the system is older than five years, you should talk to your insurance provider about a replacement.

JDS74 wrote:Paveta

How old is the machine?
It sounds as if the humidifier is not heating. Have you disconnected the humidifier and then reconnected it to make sure that the internal electrical connectors are hooking up properly?

Do you have a local supplier who can check it?
If the machine is less than two years old, you can get a replacement humidifier at no cost.
If the system is older than five years, you should talk to your insurance provider about a replacement.

Thanks, everyone for all your responses.

The machine is just about 2 years old.

Just to be sure - is there any other setting besides the System One Auto and/or Manual Heated Humidity that I may have set incorrectly that would completely turn off the heating plate functions?

And yes, I did separate the humidifier module from the main module to check the male/female contacts. Everything looked fine.

I guess we will need to contact the provider and request a replacement ...

Thanks again.

-paul.

paveta wrote:Just to be sure - is there any other setting besides the System One Auto and/or Manual Heated Humidity that I may have set incorrectly that would completely turn off the heating plate functions?

Correct there is nothing else in there that you could have accidentally turned off to stop the heating plate from warming up.

With either the System One Auto humidification or the manual (called Classic mode) if you set it at 5 and after 30 minutes there is no warming at all to the bottom of the tank....it's defective.
Make arrangements for a new humidifier.

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree with the posters above. The plate may NOT necessarily heat up. That's because the PRS1 is set to respond to the relative humidity in the room, so if it is not bone dry in the room, there may not be any heat on the plate. The air in this machine runs pretty cold. Since his model takes a heated hose, you could order one to overcome that problem.

I think you can also set the humidifier to "classic mode" through the clinical menu (not sure this works on models that can accept a heated hose). Classic mode is warmER, but not particularly warm either. I've heard people describe their ResMed humidifier as warm and sauna like, but I don't think there's any way to achieve that on a PR machine without a heated hose.

Yes, this model can come with the heated tube option but his does not appear have it.

paveta wrote:At this time he does not have the heated tube option.

So ordering one entails ordering a complete humidifier anyway.

You may be right about the room humidity affecting the heated plate in the humidifier.
However, unless they live in the tropics, the relative humidity in a heated house in the winter will be quite low.
I suspect not high enough to turn off any heating in the humidifer.

Given that his machine is just less than two years old, it still makes sense to contact the supplier so that any warranty involved will not lapse.

Janknitz wrote:The plate may NOT necessarily heat up. That's because the PRS1 is set to respond to the relative humidity in the room,

In the automatic mode..maybe but I doubt it. ... but when in manual or Classic mode (and OP says they tried turning off the new System One humidification so using manual or Classic) it heats no matter what the humidity outside is. It could raining and it will heat because the humidity sensors aren't a factor.

From what was said here below...sounds like Classic mode was tried at max setting and still no heat. There should have been.

paveta wrote:, we decided to turn off the "System One Humidification" feature. According to what is stated in the manual, the user is now able to set desired Humidity (settings 0-5) manually using the "Humidifier" option in the setup menu.

My guess is the higher the setting, the higher the level of heated humidity. Is this correct? The problem is after running the machine for 30 minutes - the heating plate located at the bottom of the Humidifier module is still ice cold and so his the air-flow.

So, I reverted the machine back to "System One Humidification" ON - set it to number 3. Same results. After 30 minutes or more the heating plate is still ice cold.

It's my caveman, redneck method but pulling as much of the hose as possible under the covers warms the air quite a bit. Many people get the hose all tangled up in the covers, but it's never been a concern for me. It's quick fix until you get hardware changes in place

I once spoke with a tech guy at the Respironics lab. He said one of the big complaints that people had about the System One that was false, is that the pad under the humidifier heats up when the machine is turned on and the humidifier is set on. The pad only heats up if a person is hosed up to the machine and is breathing.

In my own limited experience, I have an Resmed S9 VPAP Auto. The heated hose works much better than the pad under the water tank, that is, the heated hose more comfortable to use and allows better control of the humidity. In the Settings for the machine one can turn the tank heater, and the hose heater Off and On. IE: Check the Settings of the machine.

In my case I took my machine to see my Sleep Doc and left the heated hose at home (no reason to expose it to more germs and viruses). While there someone turned the tank heater on, so it gets warm now when it did not before. Nor can I find a way to turn it off in the settings. OH well.

By the way. Respironics refuses all calls from ordinary people, and refers them to speak with their DME's. So do not bother calling the manufacturers of machines with questions. Getting answers to our problems is what a DME is getting paid to do. Snicker Snicker.

purple wrote: He said one of the big complaints that people had about the System One that was false, is that the pad under the humidifier heats up when the machine is turned on and the humidifier is set on. The pad only heats up if a person is hosed up to the machine and is breathing.

The PR System One machine will indeed heat the humidifier WITHOUT being hooked up to a breathing person.
I can personally vouch for it. I have bought and sold several PR S1 machines and doing that is how I check to make sure the humidifier is working properly without my having to use the machine.

I don't have to be "hosed up" for the plate to warm if I use the preheat option (depress the dial until you hear a beep and the humidifier icon lights up on the machine).

Figure out what's going on with regards to any possible mechanical issues, but if you get a chance to replace/upgrade, I'd seriously consider the heated hose. My humidifier was OK most nights, if still a bit on the chilly/dry side at certain points (which would wake me up and have me removing the mask); I just spent $75 for the heated hose upgrade from cpap.com and it has already been worth every penny. Comfortable--and consistently so.

Thanks again for all responses.

I called the machine supplier. They are sending someone over tomorrow to replace the Humidifier module at no cost. After reading everything above I guess I'm still not convinced it's the humidifier. I know that my Dad likes to keep his bedroom on the cool side. I'll have to talk to him about this and see what he says.

Regarding the heated tube option - does his existing module support it? In other words - does the use of the heated tube require a totally different humidifier module compared to the standard unit that came with his machine?

thanks again.

-paul.

paveta wrote:Thanks again for all responses.
Regarding the heated tube option - does his existing module support it? In other words - does the use of the heated tube require a totally different humidifier module compared to the standard unit that came with his machine?
thanks again.
paul.

Yes, the humidifier module is different between the standard humidifier and one that accepts the heated hose.
Look at the connector where the hose attaches. The heated hose one has a small electrical connection. That standard one does not.

The temperature of the room does not effect whether the humidifier heats or not. Only humidity in the room and the machine setting do.
It does affect rainout if the setting is high and the room is cool.
If water is condensing in the hose, look in to getting or making a hose wrap. I use fleece fabric from the fabric store to wrap my hose. This will also keep the air temperature higher and a little more comfortable.