CPAP is whistling

[JonathanLennox]

I have a Philips Respironics REMstar System One (a brick, I know -- no useful data recording), which I've had for a while now, and I've recently started having a weird issue.

At night, as I breathe, the machine makes a weird whistling or humming noise (very tonal), but only as I'm breathing in. If I hold my breath or breathe out, the machine is essentially silent (making only a light whooshing noise).

This of course makes it very hard to sleep.

This has only started happening recently, but I'm not sure precisely when. I've noticed for a while that I would get these kinds of whistling/humming noises as the machine was ramping up -- again, with different notes as I breathed in and out, and shifting as the pressure ramped up -- but it was quiet once it was at full pressure.

One item of note is that I recently (within the last month) switched from using nasal pillows to using an over-the-nose mask. I'm not positive the problem occurred precisely when I changed, though, since I usually sleep with a white noise machine running. I first noticed it when I was traveling, and didn't have the white noise machine, but now it's pretty noticeable. (It's also possible that the CPAP got damaged while I was traveling)

Is this problem:

• Something I can fix?
  
• Something broken in my CPAP, so I should get it replaced if I can?
  
• A known problem with this model of CPAP?
  

Any information would be very helpful.

Thanks!

[justMongo]

Don't know about your model machine.
However, on machines like ResMed, you have to change the mask type in a menu for it to accurately work.
Perhaps not an issue with a "brick."

As for noise; I have an O2 concentrator in my room... I'd never hear a noise from my CPAP machine.

[Bama Rambler]

Have you tried to narrow down if it's the mask, hose and/or machine itself that's whistling?

Just making a noise on inhale could be the mask.

[JonathanLennox]

Have you tried to narrow down if it's the mask, hose and/or machine itself that's whistling?

It's the machine itself -- the noise is definitely coming from my bedside table, not in front of me.

I haven't narrowed down whether it's coming from the humidifier section or the main part of the machine.

[RonWessels]

Is it possible that, with your change of mask, the actual airflow (not the pressure, but the airflow required to maintain that pressure) has changed/increased so that the airflow turbulence through the humidifier is causing a low-pitched whistling sound? I know mine does that as well - I can hear a "hooting" when I inhale.

[JonathanLennox]

Is it possible that, with your change of mask, the actual airflow (not the pressure, but the airflow required to maintain that pressure) has changed/increased so that the airflow turbulence through the humidifier is causing a low-pitched whistling sound? I know mine does that as well - I can hear a "hooting" when I inhale.

That sounds very much like what's happening. Is there anything that can be done about it? The hooting is waking me in the night, which rather defeats the purpose of a CPAP.

[ImaSurvivor]

I'm not familiar with your machine but with the ResMed S9 AutoSet, we have to change the setting on the machine with the type mask we are using. Not sure that is your problem but throwing it out there just in case.

[zonk]

If I hold my breath or breathe out, the machine is essentially silent (making only a light whooshing noise).

More or less similar with my S9, if I hold my breath, the noise stop

Nothing can be done about it, the noise coming from the motor, some machines are faulty from the factory
New machines comes with 2 years warranty, tell them the machine is faulty and ask for a replacement but this time, not a brick