CPAPtalk.com

Den, Correct. The article was done with older machines. I did my testing with the S8. It looks like the redesign may have needed some additional redesigning...

xyz wrote:> I am curious about the number of documented cases of a CPAP user getting any sort of infection from their own water tank.

Wrong question. Lots of people get sick -- talking in general here -- and never get it "documented."

Here's a little science:

humidity + heat + darkness = mildew/mold
(if not cleaned)

Think about your shower.

Anecdata =/= science.

Also, correlation =/= causation.

Do people who take showers get sick more often?

old dude wrote:I use most of mine every night, leave what's left in the tank all day and top it off before bed the next night.

In 13 months of nightly use, I've washed my tank out once. I think. I empty it out to move my machine or travel by taking the top off, and the tank looks fine. Nothing growing or anything visible that shouldn't be there. I think I washed my tube out once too. I do wash my mask seal thoroughly every day. I've had that rouge fungus grow in my bathroom before so I do have some idea of the kind of stuff to watch out for.

Given I have diabetes my immune system probably isn't the best, but no problems I'm aware of.

In 13 months of nightly use you've washed your water chamber only once? Whoa!!!! Only once in 13 months?


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

old dude wrote:I use most of mine every night, leave what's left in the tank all day and top it off before bed the next night.

In 13 months of nightly use, I've washed my tank out once. I think. I empty it out to move my machine or travel by taking the top off, and the tank looks fine. Nothing growing or anything visible that shouldn't be there. I think I washed my tube out once too. I do wash my mask seal thoroughly every day. I've had that rouge fungus grow in my bathroom before so I do have some idea of the kind of stuff to watch out for.

Given I have diabetes my immune system probably isn't the best, but no problems I'm aware of.

In 13 months of nightly use you've washed your water chamber only once? Whoa!!!! Only once in 13 months?


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

That is correct.

And it looks as clean as the first day I used it. Obviously I don't have X-ray vision and can't spot microbes with my naked eye, but I think it's just fine and haven't had so much as a cold.

old dude wrote:

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

old dude wrote:I use most of mine every night, leave what's left in the tank all day and top it off before bed the next night.

In 13 months of nightly use, I've washed my tank out once. I think. I empty it out to move my machine or travel by taking the top off, and the tank looks fine. Nothing growing or anything visible that shouldn't be there. I think I washed my tube out once too. I do wash my mask seal thoroughly every day. I've had that rouge fungus grow in my bathroom before so I do have some idea of the kind of stuff to watch out for.

Given I have diabetes my immune system probably isn't the best, but no problems I'm aware of.

In 13 months of nightly use you've washed your water chamber only once? Whoa!!!! Only once in 13 months?


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

That is correct.

And it looks as clean as the first day I used it. Obviously I don't have X-ray vision and can't spot microbes with my naked eye, but I think it's just fine and haven't had so much as a cold.

Most insurance companies to the best of my knowledge will pay for one new water chamber every 6 months; no need to go a year on the same water chamber if your insurance company will pay for one sooner.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

Stevoreno_55 wrote:no need to go a year on the same water chamber if your insurance company will pay for one sooner.

That is certainly one way to look at it.

Another way to look at it might be: "No need to make your insurance company pay for a new water chamber if the old water chamber is still working fine."

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

old dude wrote:

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

old dude wrote:I use most of mine every night, leave what's left in the tank all day and top it off before bed the next night.

In 13 months of nightly use, I've washed my tank out once. I think. I empty it out to move my machine or travel by taking the top off, and the tank looks fine. Nothing growing or anything visible that shouldn't be there. I think I washed my tube out once too. I do wash my mask seal thoroughly every day. I've had that rouge fungus grow in my bathroom before so I do have some idea of the kind of stuff to watch out for.

Given I have diabetes my immune system probably isn't the best, but no problems I'm aware of.

In 13 months of nightly use you've washed your water chamber only once? Whoa!!!! Only once in 13 months?


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

That is correct.

And it looks as clean as the first day I used it. Obviously I don't have X-ray vision and can't spot microbes with my naked eye, but I think it's just fine and haven't had so much as a cold.

Most insurance companies to the best of my knowledge will pay for one new water chamber every 6 months; no need to go a year on the same water chamber if your insurance company will pay for one sooner.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

That's one reason our insurance costs are so damn high! People abusing the insurance system and getting more stuff than they really "need".
And, if a person has a fairly high deductible and never meets it, they're substantially overpaying for everything up to the deductible limit. That doesn't make sense.

I've been using the very same humidifier tank since I started therapy in May of 2005. Other than dumping and rinsing a few times a year, I have only taken it apart ONCE in early 2012 to actually "clean" it.......and it really didn't look like it needed to be cleaned. I only use cool passover humidification and distilled water, so there's really no reason to worry about anything.

I have a total of six HH tanks (all were acquired with new/used machine purchases) and most are unused, waiting for their turn, but all were purchased out-of-pocket. But, as long as the other "originals" are still like new, I see no need to use the spares.


Den

.

Drowsy Dancer wrote:

Stevoreno_55 wrote:no need to go a year on the same water chamber if your insurance company will pay for one sooner.

That is certainly one way to look at it.

Another way to look at it might be: "No need to make your insurance company pay for a new water chamber if the old water chamber is still working fine."

The gaskets on the water chamber that goes inside my Philips Respironics DS400S start to dry out quick and I've had one start to leak at 5 months so 6 months has been a good time to replace my machine's water chamber. Other water chambers on other branded machines might last longer but I get a new one for my machine every 6 months and I do not wash my water chamber in my dishwasher because if I did that would certainly speed up the process of drying those gaskets out.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

my H5i came with the cheaper tank.... I purchased the dishawasher safe version about 2 months after I started therapy.

I had to replace it when I dropped it on a tile floor and cracked the top.



My dishwasher safe tank goes into the dishwasher once a month.... the rest of the time, I top off the tank each evening.

Wulfman... wrote:

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

old dude wrote:

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

old dude wrote:I use most of mine every night, leave what's left in the tank all day and top it off before bed the next night.

In 13 months of nightly use, I've washed my tank out once. I think. I empty it out to move my machine or travel by taking the top off, and the tank looks fine. Nothing growing or anything visible that shouldn't be there. I think I washed my tube out once too. I do wash my mask seal thoroughly every day. I've had that rouge fungus grow in my bathroom before so I do have some idea of the kind of stuff to watch out for.

Given I have diabetes my immune system probably isn't the best, but no problems I'm aware of.

In 13 months of nightly use you've washed your water chamber only once? Whoa!!!! Only once in 13 months?


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

That is correct.

And it looks as clean as the first day I used it. Obviously I don't have X-ray vision and can't spot microbes with my naked eye, but I think it's just fine and haven't had so much as a cold.

Most insurance companies to the best of my knowledge will pay for one new water chamber every 6 months; no need to go a year on the same water chamber if your insurance company will pay for one sooner.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/04/14

That's one reason our insurance costs are so damn high! People abusing the insurance system and getting more stuff than they really "need".
And, if a person has a fairly high deductible and never meets it, they're substantially overpaying for everything up to the deductible limit. That doesn't make sense.

I've been using the very same humidifier tank since I started therapy in May of 2005. Other than dumping and rinsing a few times a year, I have only taken it apart ONCE in early 2012 to actually "clean" it.......and it really didn't look like it needed to be cleaned. I only use cool passover humidification and distilled water, so there's really no reason to worry about anything.

I have a total of six HH tanks (all were acquired with new/used machine purchases) and most are unused, waiting for their turn, but all were purchased out-of-pocket. But, as long as the other "originals" are still like new, I see no need to use the spares.


Den

.

Well since you indicated that you have a stockpile of new water chambers I would see no reason to replace them either. I still have 2 brand new Philips Respironics RB2 parallel ported water chambers which Apria Healthcare shipped to me by mistake years ago; my machine uses the RB3 staggered ported water chamber. I offered to return both of the RB2 units back to my local Apria store; Apria told me they couldn't take them back. Both water chambers were still in their factor sealed clear plastic bags; all I did was open up the boxes when each one of them came; now that's an example of why healthcare insurance costs have skyrocketed. It wasn't my fault that Apria shipped me the wrong water chamber part twice; by the way I still have those 2 brand new factory sealed water chambers stored away in my bedroom closet.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/05/14

Denial Dave wrote:my H5i came with the cheaper tank.... I purchased the dishawasher safe version about 2 months after I started therapy.

I had to replace it when I dropped it on a tile floor and cracked the top.



My dishwasher safe tank goes into the dishwasher once a month.... the rest of the time, I top off the tank each evening.

Does the water chamber you have now come with the lid which can be removed; come with the pull up plastic tabs making it easy to remove the lid for cleaning? I was watching a video on another site demonstrating how to use a ResMed S9 Elite with the heated humidifier and heated hose and the tech in the video was showing the water chamber which came with the machine; he said it was the dishwasher safe model; the one which came with the removable lid; the tech said the standard water chamber that came with the ResMed H5i humidifier did not have a lid that could be removed; I would want to have the water chamber which had the removable lid for easy cleaning.

I've been using a ResMed S9 Elite loaner from my DME for a few weeks and it has a water chamber with the pull tab removable lid; I'm beginning to like this machine now if I can only figure out how many hours are on it that would be great because my DME who has been so nice to let me use this machine is recommending one like it after I complete my new sleep study. If and when I get a new machine and it's a ResMed S9 Elite I'd like to be able to check to see how many hours the machine has on it. I've read stories here of others getting used machines from their DME's who claimed the machines were brand new; I want to make sure when the plastic covering is removed from my machine out of the box that my machine is in fact a brand new machine and not a gently used "new looking" machine.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/05/14

Stevoreno_55 wrote: I've been using a ResMed S9 Elite loaner from my DME for a few weeks and it has a water chamber with the pull tab removable lid; I'm beginning to like this machine now if I can only figure out how many hours are on it that would be great because my DME who has been so nice to let me use this machine is recommending one like it after I complete my new sleep study.

Check here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/resmed-s9-cpap-setup

easiest way to reply is via this link;

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html

Stevoreno_55 wrote:

Denial Dave wrote:my H5i came with the cheaper tank.... I purchased the dishawasher safe version about 2 months after I started therapy.

I had to replace it when I dropped it on a tile floor and cracked the top.



My dishwasher safe tank goes into the dishwasher once a month.... the rest of the time, I top off the tank each evening.

Does the water chamber you have now come with the lid which can be removed; come with the pull up plastic tabs making it easy to remove the lid for cleaning? I was watching a video on another site demonstrating how to use a ResMed S9 Elite with the heated humidifier and heated hose and the tech in the video was showing the water chamber which came with the machine; he said it was the dishwasher safe model; the one which came with the removable lid; the tech said the standard water chamber that came with the ResMed H5i humidifier did not have a lid that could be removed; I would want to have the water chamber which had the removable lid for easy cleaning.

I've been using a ResMed S9 Elite loaner from my DME for a few weeks and it has a water chamber with the pull tab removable lid; I'm beginning to like this machine now if I can only figure out how many hours are on it that would be great because my DME who has been so nice to let me use this machine is recommending one like it after I complete my new sleep study. If and when I get a new machine and it's a ResMed S9 Elite I'd like to be able to check to see how many hours the machine has on it. I've read stories here of others getting used machines from their DME's who claimed the machines were brand new; I want to make sure when the plastic covering is removed from my machine out of the box that my machine is in fact a brand new machine and not a gently used "new looking" machine.



Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
05/05/14

Since this subject came up again, it made me check my water tank which I got sometime last year. I've never washed it and just top off with distilled water.

It looks like the day I got it - no spots, no slime, no nothing. I did wipe down where the tank sits; it was a little dusty. I'm more concerned about breathing in the dust than I am the water tank which was like new.

Kind of odd that money grubbing Resmed will not sell a "new machine" with the dishwasher safe water chamber but make you spend more money to get it.

No not really odd at all, it is their business plan = Rob your customers, pick their pockets clean.

For that reason alone I would go with Respironics, period.