[Equipment] ResMed Quiet Air Diffuser Vent F30

[shultza85]

I know this thread is old, but I have a question in regards to the black spots on the material in your quiet air elbow......Do you happen to be a smoker? I am a smoker, and the material in my elbow starts turning darker in less than a week. It doesn't show up as the little dots, but the entire material starts darkening. I searched forever trying to find out why mine kept doing this after short usage, but couldn't find anything. Then one day a light bulb turned on in my head and realized it's bc I'm a smoker, and all the tar in my lungs is building up on the material. Absolutely disgusting! (Yes...I know I need to quit)

Now...after figuring this out, I have no idea if there's a way to clean the elbow a certain way to remove some/all of the build up. (I assume it will eventually cause a decrease in airflow, and I can also smell tobacco smoke in my mask when first turning machine on) I've tried using a toothbrush to semi get into the open crease under translucent cap, but it doesn't really help. Soaking it in warm water with dawn doesn't help. The only thing that has helped is adding a TINY bit of bleach to the dawn soak, and rinsing super thoroughly. But I believe the bleach just whitened it, and didn't actually remove the build up. Also, idk if it's ok to breathe through anything cleaned with bleach (even if it's rinsed really well).

I've literally been buying a new elbow at least every 3 months, but usually a lot sooner, because I feel like the airflow is diminished (could be imagining it though due to worrying about it).

Anyway, sorry for the long reply, and if you have any suggestions for cleaning the elbow material, please let me know (maybe white vinegar?). Thanks, Alisha

[Sleepster]

Try cleaning it with vegetable oil or rubbing alcohol. You could also apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the surface to keep the dirt from sticking.

I doubt the smell is coming from that elbow. If you smoke in your house the smell will be throughout the entire air stream inside the machine. They have to be taken apart and cleaned to get the smell out.

[shultza85]

Wouldn't the vegetable oil just clog the cottony material even more than the tar from my lungs? And the smell is definitely coming from the material in elbow, as when I pick it up and smell just the elbow, it def smells like smoke. We don't smoke in the bedroom, but I'm sure you are right about the smoke filtering through the entire machine also. I didn't think about trying rubbing alcohol, but will def bc trying this, so thank you!

[docwayne]

I have been a c-pap user for over ten years and recently purchased the full face Resmed F30 with Quiet Air Diffuser vent.  It is super comfortable to wear, but seems to have a serious problem which no one has been  able to address.  My provider has never had another  customer purchase this mask and I called Resmed Customer Service but they said they weren't aware of any issues. 
The quiet vent elbow does not have enough airflow to remove the appropriate amount of carbon dioxide.  In five nights of using it I have woken up EVERY morning with a headache and I recognise the type of headache as the very same type I get if I don't have my mask on.
I  do understand that the two little side flaps are designed stay shut when the machine  is in use and are there to prevent hypoxia in the event of a shut down.  I have read about the quiet vent and see and that there are teensy tiny openings around the elbow to release air in a more gentle way but it is not nearly enough.  I can feel the tiniest bit of air escape (such as what you would feel from a couple pinprick size openings )when I inhale but none whatsoever when I exhale.
I don't know if there is a flaw in the design or maybe the particular elbow I have has a manufacturing flaw.  Has anyone else had this issue?

This is very similar to my problem as well, except I'm less concerned about the CO2 and more concerned with the fact that it just doesn't vent any of the warm, moist air that condenses in the mask and downs me out every night!

[snorin2]

Somewhere in this thread, there was a reference to a Resmed doc that said that the air flow out of the newer Quiet-Air elbow was half the flow of the older elbow (11 vs 22, I think).   If someone can find the post #, please post it or better still, tell me how to search for it.   I don't know how to search for it!.

Then we have a post where someone measured the time to flow a quantity of water through both elbows and they were more or less the same.  What do people make of this?????.

Must there not be an industry-wide standard elbow flow rate so that the algorithm (in all machines) will work to keep the pressure correct.  I mean: how does the machine know that you have switched elbows and one is leaking more than another--or does it just put it down to mask leak?

So---------- I am experiencing massive leaks through the F20 (Touch) mask itself.  At first, I put it down to the elbow; but it is really the mask---So I am trying to put things together in terms of the elbow issue.  I would think that if I am getting leaks in the order of 25 ml/min plus all the time with my much used Touch, I would not have to worry about the re-breathing issue.  Is that right or does the Co2 have to go out through the holes?

As an intermediate solution, Catherine, I am wondering if you could get an F20 Touch cushion, loosen off the straps till your getting the massive leaks, and this would ensure you get rid of the CO2

Updates and comments on the issue of the black stuff, the issue of the blockage because of the black stuff-whatever it is- and the issue of cleaning etc. of the black stuff ----would be appreciated.  It would be nice to have a resolution of this issue for those of us who use the F20/F30.

I never felt comfortable using vinegar (acidic) because of the smell and bleach (basic) will certainly do the trick, but I would never use it.  I did boil an elbow once in water for 20 minutes without damage.  However, I had difficulty drying it.

[vroomvroom]

I did not even THINK of CO2 as an issue. I am in the Brevida with a diffuser, but I don't think I can sleep in any other mask that does not have a diffuser. The noise would just bother me too much.

Is there another quiet pillow to try? P10 also has a diffuser, I think? Not sure what else would be a decent replacement.

I've only ever used the Brevida, but I don't feel like I am fully rested in the morning, despite the machine showing stellar results.

[Crimson Nape]

While the masks with diffusers are quiet, they require additional maintenance to prevent rebreathing CO₂.  The problem is that the mesh is so tight or small, water molecules in your exhalation humidity can clog these diffusers. This also allows mold to grow on the diffuser.  I don't use the humidifier and find that I need to clean the diffuser every two to three days.  Otherwise, I will awake with a headache.  

A couple of years ago, a member documented this problem with the P10's diffuser.  The member even had taken ultra-high magnification of the blockage.  A Waterpik was found to adequately clean the diffuser, but complete drying is still required.

- Red

[Ventura Bill]

While the masks with diffusers are quiet, they require additional maintenance to prevent rebreathing CO₂.  The problem is that the mesh is so tight or small, water molecules in your exhalation humidity can clog these diffusers.  This also allows mold to grow on the diffuser.  I don't use the humidifier and find that I need to clean the diffuser every two to three days.  Otherwise, I will awake with a headache.  

A couple of years ago, a member documented this problem with the P10's diffuser.  The member even had taken ultra-high magnification of the blockage.  A Waterpik was found to adequately clean the diffuser, but complete drying is still required.

- Red

I have been using a ResMed ASV for about five years and just replaced the motor. Found this thread and read through it all with some concerns because I have used both F-20 and F-30 masks. I have problems with dizzy headaches when waking in mornings and often wondered if I was having machine caused issues.

I have a couple Quiet Air Diffusers so will try to do some experimenting. I still have an older FP Simplus that worked well but the blast of cold exhaust air would annoy my wife when I changed sides while sleeping. Covering my head with a blanket worked but was not fun for me. The F20 and F30 solved that issue so I never used the Simplus again after I switched to the ASV machine. I may try thew Simplus tonight to see how it plays. My AHI has been 0.6 most of the time. So it will be interesting to see if things change.

Ventura Bill

[Ventura Bill]

Well,

Using my FP Simplus, I slept reasonably well last night but woke up about 4 times for a bathroom break (only a couple hours sleep between trips). I had some weird dreams too but that may have been the Onion Soup I had for dinner. After the 4th time I switched back to my F30 mask and slept several hours more uninterrupted. AHI was under 1. So it was a bit inconclusive to me.

Later in the day I took a nap for an hour and a half using my spare F20 mask with an earlier water flossing cleaned diffuser and was pleasantly surprised at how well I felt upon awakening. My AHI was low too so I am guessing that the water flossing technique was helping. I have later cleaned all 4 of my spare diffusers and am hoping things remain improved. I like the F30 because I can wear glasses with it on but the F20 is a bit more comfortable similar to the Simplus mask without the cold air blasts to my wife's side of the bed.

It was a chore to read all the posts in this thread but that answers many of my questions. WaterPik cleaning is simple and easy enough to do and using my Hurricane Dryer seems to do the drying quickly. Having several spares also minimizes the cleaning task.


Thanks Red for the great tips.

Ventura Bill

[Jay Belmont]

I have a Resmed N30, which has a built-in diffuser very similar to this one. Glad to hear about the waterpik approach because in my experience the fiber pads in the diffuser go bad fairly quickly because they're not removable, not replaceable, and can't be properly reached for cleaning by any normal means. Eventually you get an extremely obnoxious high pitched whistling as they just quit working.

My opinion is it's defective by design, the fiber pads are designed to be impossible to clean or replace in order to force you to buy new product more frequently.