Full face mask and smart start

[eviltim]

So I recently (a few weeks ago) switched to the AirFit F10 full time and while it's been fine for the most part I've had a few days where I only used it for half the night or so. Now I've never been one to rip off the mask unknowingly (I've done it a few times knowingly but that's a different problem) and I don't remember waking up with the mask off. I noticed last night that I had a hard time starting the machine with just breathing; had to take a rather large inhale to get it to go, so I'm wondering if the smart start failing to trigger after one of my nightly restroom visits could be the cause.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

[justMongo]

Are you setting the mask type in the menu?

The anti asphyxia valve in the FFM might require more "pull" to activate smartstart.
(It's in the elbow on the mask)

[Terry]

I noticed last night that I had a hard time starting the machine with just breathing; had to take a rather large inhale to get it to go, so I'm wondering if the smart start failing to trigger after one of my nightly restroom visits could be the cause.

Mine has a big valve in the front that flops open when there's no air pressure, so you don't suffocate. It's extremely difficult or impossible for me to start the machine by breathing into it.

Yours probably does the same thing. It's more likely that you took it off and it stopped, than it stopped so you took it off.

If you can download and view your data you can get a good idea what was going on before you took it off.

[eviltim]

Are you setting the mask type in the menu?

The anti asphyxia valve in the FFM might require more "pull" to activate smartstart.
(It's in the elbow on the mask)

Good catch! Maybe that will help.

I noticed last night that I had a hard time starting the machine with just breathing; had to take a rather large inhale to get it to go, so I'm wondering if the smart start failing to trigger after one of my nightly restroom visits could be the cause.

Mine has a big valve in the front that flops open when there's no air pressure, so you don't suffocate. It's extremely difficult or impossible for me to start the machine by breathing into it.

Yours probably does the same thing. It's more likely that you took it off and it stopped, than it stopped so you took it off.

If you can download and view your data you can get a good idea what was going on before you took it off.

What I mean is I disconnect the mask to go to the bathroom, so I'm thinking maybe I crash back into bed and it doesn't start. (I don't take it off, I just remove the hose). Really nothing suggestive in the data other than a large gap in the middle of the last two nights.

[archangle]

Auto start with FFM varies a lot from machine to machine and mask to mask. Sometimes it works fine, sometimes not at all.

If you're having problems, you may get it to work if you put your hand over the port for the anti-asphyxia valve while you inhale and exhale a few times.

[NickDanger]

I bet the anti-asphyxia valve is the key. I don't use a FFM (nasal pillows for me), but I find that the machine starts when I exhale, not when I inhale.

[archangle]

I bet the anti-asphyxia valve is the key. I don't use a FFM (nasal pillows for me), but I find that the machine starts when I exhale, not when I inhale.

Yes, when you have an anti-asphyxia valve and the machine is off, you breathe room air in and out through the valve, not through the hose, and not through the CPAP machine for it to sense.

Some of the air does go up and down the hose, so sometimes it will work, sometimes not.

[PsychoMike]

I find it depends on the volume of the mask. With my Quattro FX (nasal mask), it didn't take much of an inhale at all to get the machine to start, with the Quattro Air (FFM) it took a bit more and with the FitLife (TFM) it takes either a bit of a sharp inhale or a couple regular breaths for the machine to figure out I'm tied back in.

[eviltim]

Well, didn't have any issues last night, so I hope this holds up.