How Much Water Should a Humdifier Use?

MandoJohnny · Post by **MandoJohnny** » Wed May 31, 2006 3:23 pm

I am a newbie. I just passed 100 hours (100% compliance) with my ResMed S8 Elite/H3i/Mirage Swift setup. My pressure is 11 and my efficacy stats have gotten pretty good. AHI is now running low 2's to low 4's. I use the humidifier and generally, I don't feel dried out in the morning, but the ambient humidity has been pretty high every night I have used it.

Some things I noticed about my humidifier, though, are that

1. The "hotplate," or whatever it's called, never gets very warm. It has to be on one of the highest two setting to even feel warm to the touch. On the lower settings, it's cold. I wonder how that can have any effect on the water at all. I demonstrated this for my DME respiratory therapist and he said it was OK, but it didn't seem like he gave it much thought. It was more like he was trying to placate me.

2. The unit doesn't use hardly any water in a night. How much should it use? It seems to me that it should use some significant amount of water if it is doing its job. Also, I never see condensation in the hose or the mask, even a tiny bit.

Is this OK, or should I push harder on my DME?

bsil · Post by **bsil** » Wed May 31, 2006 3:36 pm

I have the same machine that you do. I am in my 2nd week of use.
I also have noticed the same things. Not much water gets used each night and I've never seen condensation in the hose. I fluctuate my humidifier setting between 3-4.But I have been comfortable...not dried out. Of course, it is no longer heating season. May have to turn it up in the winter months.

bsil · Post by **bsil** » Wed May 31, 2006 3:38 pm

Can you talk me through how you retrieve the efficacy stats?

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Wed May 31, 2006 6:34 pm

Well, I'm in Utah, which has a VERY dry, low-humidity climate, and I go through more than half the reservoir every evening, with my humidifier set at 5. I wake up with no dryness or irritation. The last few nights have been pretty cool, and I did see a few droplets of moisture in my Swift pillow-sleeve, but no significant rain-out that interupted my sleep. I do have a ResMed hose cover that I'll put on when A/C season starts though, and I'll probably turn the humidifier down to 4.5.

Maybe you guys aren't using much water cause its humid where you are, and its warm enough that the air absorbs the moisture.

Chuck

roztom · Post by **roztom** » Wed May 31, 2006 6:50 pm

I have a Remstar Auto and I run the HH on 3 and use 75% of the chamber capacity per night.

With the summer upon us it seems it's getting a tad warm. I also use a heated hose so I'm probably going to discontinue the Heated hose and also reduce the setting to 2. - assuming no rainout - I';ll only use the hose in the winter.

Tom

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, rainout, auto

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:03 pm

Folks at cpap.com have told me that if you use a lot of water, that's a sign that you're having leaks. They say you shouldn't use much.

Caroline

roztom · Post by **roztom** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:09 pm

I've always used a bunch - I don't fill it up - I go to the little triangle on the resevoir and from there use 75% of it.

MY leak is around 25% with no large leaks using the Activa nasal mask - I don't think that leaks are an issue. ?

Tom

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:34 pm

i dunno, tom, maybe you wanna check with becky at cpap.com. when i was first starting this time around, she asked me if i was using a lot of water. i said yes. she said water=leaks. but you could tell her your data and see what she says. or not.

caroline

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Wed May 31, 2006 8:16 pm

Oh, nonsense! Water=leaks! I has a ResMed S8 Vantage that gives me data each morning on the screen about leaks. Mine is typically <0.04L/s. And, I use more than half a reservoir every night here in bone-dry Utah, with the H3i cranked to 5.

Sure, big leaks will cause more flow which will pick up more moisture, so leaks can accentuate water usage. But water usage doesn't mean leaks. It could mean humidification, likes its supposed to in the first place!

Chuck

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Wed May 31, 2006 8:38 pm

if that's so for both you guys, maybe she meant that if i use a lot more than i usually use, it's leaks. i don't use much water, but sometimes i use a bunch.

don't you guys get rainout with all that water? I guess not if you have your aussie tubes.

caroline

GoofyUT · Post by **GoofyUT** » Wed May 31, 2006 9:09 pm

Caroline-
I'm sure that's what she meant; If YOU'RE water usage goes up sharply, you ought to investigate a leak.

I don't get rain-out with my S8/H3i combo, but there are some droplets in the pillow-sleeve of my Swift. But, I'm just using the standard hose (though I have a ResMed fleece hose-cover that I'll begin using when A/C season starts). I certainly have more droplets than I used to have with the Fisher &Paykel HC608 CPAP that I used to use, which has a heated hose. I'll probably try turning the H3i down to 4.5 too, just to see what happens.

Take care!!!

Chuck

RedThunder94 · Post by **RedThunder94** » Wed May 31, 2006 9:29 pm

i always fill to the full mark on my humidifier every night, and ever since i turned it up to 3 it will be down to the lower mark by the triangle in the morning, and it is pretty consistent.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 1:41 am

guess it depends on where you live and the humidity, temp etc., but I use 1/2" out of a Remstar on a typical night.

If I use more than that like 3/4 of the tank then it means I either had a large leak all night or was mouth breathing.

cybergt · Post by **cybergt** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:48 pm

My Complaint is with the H3i. I have been on this for a month now, and I have noticed that at setting 1-4, I do not see any heating at all. Settings 5-6 work but the water level does not change significantly each night.

I think there is a design flaw in the H3i. It does not work well as it should. I am curious to see how many other people at this forum that have the H3i have noticed the same issue.

Bob... · Post by **Bob...** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:30 pm

cybergt wrote:My Complaint is with the H3i. I have been on this for a month now, and I have noticed that at setting 1-4, I do not see any heating at all. Settings 5-6 work but the water level does not change significantly each night.

I think there is a design flaw in the H3i. It does not work well as it should. I am curious to see how many other people at this forum that have the H3i have noticed the same issue.

I have used the H3i, REMstar Integrated, and the F&P HC150. They all use ABOUT the same amount of water on similar nights. With the H3i I would say that if you are not using about 1/2 inch of water at 4 or 5 and rainout at 5 or 6 then either the H3i is not selected in the "Settings" menu or you have a defective heating unit.

Bob

How Much Water Should a Humdifier Use?

How Much Water Should a Humdifier Use?

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