[Equipment] ResMed Quiet Air Diffuser Vent F30

[jgunders]

The "Quiet Air" one is substandard.  I stopped using mine after only 4 nights because I was getting water buildup in the mask and the hose. Thinking this was something I was doing, I tried several different settings including with no water in the humidifier and the hose set to the warmest (30C) setting. I still got water on my face and in the hose (the hose was warm to the touch). With that much water appearing it means I was rebreathing a lot.  I'm still using my old version diffuser with new masks and I've never had an issue with humidity despite having the humidity higher and the hose temperature lower.

Thinking that my issue could be a "one off" defect with the new diffuser, I continued to use the old one and not pass judgment on the newer design until my next mask arrived 6 months later. I took both new ones apart and the holes and the construction are exactly the same.  The one I used for 4 nights had visible mold in the quieting foam.  Also the holes in the main body were much smaller.  High exit air flow with the old version might be an issue for people using a very high setting, but the reduced holes are not adequate for lower settings since they restrict too much air from exiting.  You can see from the pics that the new version has significantly smaller holes and channels for the exiting air.  Note that pics of the new version's main body are in a disassembled state with the redirector and internal foam pictured seperately.  The last pic shows foam from two new versions... 0 days and 4 days use.
"Q



Look at the pictures posted of the old versus new pictures posted by Canuckguy.  I just noticed this long thread of discussion about the black dots.  What bothers me is not the foam or the black dots, but the size of the holes.  I also pulled my new Quiet Air filter diffuser apart and have been using it for the last couple of weeks.  I no longer have the old larger hole noisy elbow.  I can't understand why ResMed decreased the size of the holes.  That would raise the pressure, but I am not familiar with whether that's good or bad.  I do have an old F20 mask "manual" and it says at the bottom of page 11:  Pressure level with standard elbow 22 dBa,  Pressure level with Quiet Air elbow 13 dBa.  There is also two lines above that:  Power Level with standard elbow 30 dBa, Power level with quiet air elbow 21 dBa


I believe this confirms that they have purposely designed a smaller pressure drop across the Quiet Air elbow.  This would raise the pressure inside the mask and explains why the holes are smaller.  I dont think the foam ring has much to do with the pressure drop.  It's just for sound deadening. I have a friend who looked at his F20 manual and he said those duplicate lines for standard and quiet air were removed from his F20 manual.

[Cruiser]

It will be interesting to see how long it takes before Resmed modifies the design. Clearly there are issues.

[Draganpavlov]

I'm having trouble filling with air in my stomach and getting pain in my lungs on morning that goes away after 20min. I use the Resmed F20 mask with QuietAir.. I wonder if QuietAir is behind my problem.. My press is set to 7-13

[jgunders]

On the Resmed Quiet Air elbow for my F20 foam mask:  I have changed my mind that they have screwed something up with the new design.  There are other pictures posted that show the hole design is the same for both.  I modifified mine to remove the diffuser and am still using it.  I have another one that I haven't modified.  I expect I won't be able to get the old version much longer, but they aren't hard to modify.  For me personally, I like to hear the sound of the air coming out of the elbow.  If it's all quiet I think there is some blockiage in my mask or hose.  Maybe I'll give the quiet another try at some point, but for now I like the modified one.  They last forever.

[yankees123]

Just to follow up does anyone wash their quiet elbow?

[RayBee]

Just to follow up does anyone wash their quiet elbow?

I have two of them and rotate.  Every couple weeks I'll remove one from service and soak it in 100% white vinegar for a few days.  And the other one goes into service.  They both have the black discoloration in the diffuser mesh, but I think all of them will do that.  Mold?  Maybe.  Haven't heard of anybody getting sick over it.  The vinegar seems to be quite effective to nuke the mold, but a little discoloration persists.  Can't seem to get rid of the discoloration entirely with the vinegar soak, but personally I don't really care.  The latest version is very quiet, which I like.

All of the variations of the quiet elbow seem to pop up on eBay, so pick up a spare or two of your favorite version whenever you find a bargain.

[Melman]

I've been using the quite air diffuser for about 6 months. I have no issues with it. I do npt wash it. I've inspected it carefully with bright light and see no discoloration.

[RayBee]

I've been using the quite air diffuser for about 6 months. I have no issues with it. I do npt wash it. I've inspected it carefully with bright light and see no discoloration.

I would have bet money that mine wasn't discolored too.  The only way I could actually see that it had discolored (with my aging eyes) was to use a jeweler's loop, looking into the holes with a strong light shining from the sides through the translucent plastic diffuser cover.

I could see that the blackened fibers actually had some thickness to them.  That kind of creeped me out.  After the white vinegar soak, the fibers were still blackened (maybe 80% of pre-vinegar soak) but back to their normal thickness.  I even tried blasting into the holes with a fine water jet, like a Waterpik, (but not that brand) and the results were no visible change.

Some people do notice the discoloration and I think Resmed's "out" for all this is their recommendation to replace it on a periodic basis.  I don't know what that time period is at the moment, but they seem to enjoy selling a lot of product by recommending unnecessarily short replacement schedules for all of their consumable components - which is basically everything that isn't the PAP device and power cord.  I'm 100% out of pocket, so I try to keep things in good condition for as long as possible.

[Boodmaster]

I just posted, talking about a potentially related issue. I always get headaches and high/dizzy when I wear the f20/30 with the quiet air (I've kept the filter in). But I feel like it just doesn't port enough. I have to use the old elbow. I'm not surprised by discoloration, simply because dust, air particles, and all that sh*t in our bodies that we're breathing out. I absolutely can not use the quiet air elbow. Headaches, dizziness, etc.

[70sSanO]

I have used a Quiet Air elbow for 4 months. I washed it once and then saw this thread and stopped washing it. I don’t use a humidifier so there should be less moisture present.

I see no discoloration just looking at it, but... with a high power magnifier looking through the holes from the inside out towards a light source, it certainly seems like the diffuser material is darker through the holes.

It is in fact darker as I compared it to 2 other new Quiet Air elbows and it is obvious to see. This is a disappointment since it is not caused by excessive moisture or washing.

The real fix is for Resmed to redesign the elbow to be able to take it apart and replace the diffuser the same way a CPAP filter is replaced. Honestly, the material looks the same as filter material.

John