Does Humidifier know when its out of water?

[2PAPs]

Definite maybe. If my machine is on auto, then it will not go dry. If I have it on manual (to get continuous moist air steam), then it will run dry.

[Sleeprider]

I actually scorched the bottom of my tank because I inadvertently went to sleep one night without refilling the tank! 

yup, Been there, did that. Now I have a stain on the bottom of the tank. My question now is, does anyone know how to remove that burnt plastic smell? I have it continuously now! And that is another reason I look like my Avatar in the morning.

The rainbow color on the bottom of the tank is common metal tempering. If the plastic was damaged, that would be unusual since the heater does not normally get hot enough to damage it.  A replacement humidifier tanks for the Resmed costs less than $22.00, so the best policy is just replace it, or inform your DME you want a replacement under insurance.  This is considered a normal wear part and Medicare will replace it on a 6 month interval.

[oldfart59]

I guess that would solve the burnt smell issue

[Sleeprider]

It's always a good idea to have an extra humidifier chamber. You never know when one might fail.

If your power supply is anywhere near your machine's air intake, move it away. That has also been known to cause "hot" smells.

[mtboy]

Uhmmm you are supposed to empty the tank, clean it and let it dry every day. Otherwise it will build bacteria that believe me you don't need in your lungs. I discovered this the hard way, the solution - wash gently and dry every day, put in the dishwasher every other day. But my water tank is dishwasher safe so I don't know about the others.

[Hydrangea]

A soak in vinegar helps remove the burned up grossness.

If my tank goes dry, it smells like burned popcorn, and the only thing that removes it is a long soak in vinegar. So if that happens, I'm awake for the day. Major bummer. So I bought a 2nd tank (on Amazon), that way if I wake up to a burned smell I can switch it out with a new one and go back to sleep.

[Melman]

I just top off my tank every day and only drain it and wash it every few weeks. I've never seen any sign of microbial growth and I'm a microbiologist. I'm sure they are there but the numbers and species are not a threat (at least in my case). We inhale bacteria constantly every day. You probably inhale more waterborne bugs in the shower than from your CPAP.

[mtboy]

Hi Melman, at first I was doing like you but then one day while scrubbing the tank with antibacterial soap I realised that there is a transparent microfilm just between the metal plate and the plastic that was not getting off from the soapy scrub with my finger. So I decided to try and scrub with a wooden toothpick, then it started to came off and it became green!!! I don't know what this was but only the dish washer managed to remove it completely.

[Hydrangea]

Just wanted to add... I think your bedroom's humidity can affect how quickly your humidifier's reservoir empties.

I used to live in a humid climate (and our house was humid), and I could go 3 nights before thinking of refilling the reservoir.

Now I live in a very dry climate, and I have to refill the reservoir each night. Even then, if I sleep too long, it'll run dry and wake me up with the burnt popcorn smell. This is why I bought a 2nd tank - so I can quickly fill that one up, slide it in, and go back to sleep. (I can't sleep with a burnt popcorn smelling one, even if I put more water into it.)