Important info for users of Respironics M Series machines

Hi All,
I have not been here for a while, but I learned something important last night.

I have a seven year old Respironics M-Series Auto, but I expect this will be useful for any older M Series machine. The quality of my therapy has been going down fast, even though the machine seems to be working properly. Last night after a partial disassembly, I found a THIRD filter, and it was filthy.
(I am calling the coarse and fine filters 1 and 2, as everyone should already know about them)

After a simple filter wash, I just had the best nights sleep that I have had in YEARS. This made me so happy I had to come here right away and share it with others. (The people in this forum are the reason I got started well, I owe you guys a lot)

So anyway, if you want to find this third filter, it's not too hard to do.
Always remove the water tank before moving the machine.
Disconnect all power and move the CPAP to a table for easy access.
Lift the front edge of the CPAP machine about a half inch to separate it from the humidifier and base.
The CPAP machine should lift away from the base easily.
Remove the coarse and fine filters from the back of the machine.
Using a small hex wrench (Allen wrench), remove the one small screw that attaches the filter holder to the machine. Look on the bottom of the machine right under where the filters go, you'll see the screw,
Pull the filter holder off the machine, then turn it over and have a look inside.

Once there I saw the third filter, and it was full of dust. it even put up a puff of dust as I pulled it out of the holder. (nasty!)
Wash it gently with baby shampoo, dry it out without twisting or wringing it. (It is more delicate than the gray foam on the back, and I assume harder to replace, too.) and re-assemble everything as you found it.

I can't believe that I am the first to find this "extra" filter, and I have not been here often enough to know what has been discussed in the past few years, but I offer this in hopes that I can help someone who might be having the same problem as I was.

Oh, the usual disclaimers apply. Opening your machine may void your warranty, but this fix will only be useful if your machine is old enough to be out of warranty already. Honestly the fix is easy to do, and I intend to wash mine every six months now.

And once more, BIG thanks to everyone here who helped me get started seven years back. My CPAP and I have been a success story ever since.

Pleasant Dreams!
LyleHaze

Great Hint, I think there are still some of these machines around and this might save some folk a lot of hassle.

This "hidden filter" subject was brought up years ago in this thread.

http : // www . cpaptalk . com/viewtopic . php?f=1&t=23991&p=207497&hilit=hidden+filter+M+Series#p207497

Good thing it wasn't "purged"........


Den

.

Those M series machines are tanks. It would not surprise me to find them in use ten or fifteen years after production at a future date.

STL Mark wrote:Those M series machines are tanks.

I thought so too.

I never understood the complaining about the noise...my first machine was the M series APAP and the only noise I heard was the vent noise from the mask (Swift LT at the time because the others (like Swift FX) hadn't been born) which was a bit noisy compared to these newer masks but at the time it was the better of what was available in nasal pillows that suited my needs.

I thought the M series machine was pretty quiet and hubby said he never heard it at all...only heard the mask venting noise occasionally.
I am wondering if maybe the people complaining about noise either were just extra sensitive to noise or maybe had a lemon for a machine....not much different than now with some people complaining about noise from the machine.

I never had a chance to try the Legacy model which was the model the M series replaced but we still have lots of Legacy users here.
I think Den could open his own Legacy store with his stash of machines.
The only reason I went from the M series to the PR S1 was the lure of additional data..curiosity plain and simple.
Curiosity has driven all my machine changes...I just like to experiment and find it makes this whole cpap thing more interesting...it sure gets boring otherwise.

I cleaned the link up from Wulfman so here it is viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23991&p=207497&hili ... es#p207497
there were spaces in the link form Wulfmann and when I copied and pasted it, it wouldn't work. Interesting thread.

No way am I going to take a machine apart....
from past experience I am really good at taking things apart and totally suck at putting things back together.
Just like when I tried to change the cartridge in my kitchen faucet...couldn't get it back together to work properly...stripped out some stuff...ended up buying a whole new faucet (not a cheap one either) just trying to save $20 by replacing cartridge...
learned my lesson. It was an expensive lesson.
Some things I am real good at and some things I totally suck at.