05-17-2014, 02:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-17-2014, 03:33 PM by WakeUpTime.)
Heating Tubing settings for PR System One
On the PR System One humidifier with the humidifier heated tube and heated hose, I've been looking at finding a way to keep the humidity higher. The heated hose seems to dry out the air significantly contributing to "dry mouth" for mouth breathers with full face masks.
The humidifier is almost empty each morning, so I assume the heated hose dries the humidified water right out again. Being sick with a cold at the moment, it would be great to have warm moist air like a humidifier or vaporizer but the opposite is true.
I really don't get the marketing brochure on the heated tube option that says:
"higher levels of humidity can be achieved for patients who could benefit from humidification".
How does heating moist air (therefore drying it out) increase humidification?
Maybe it means when warm moist air hits a really cold hose it converts it back to water droplets that causes rainout and therefore doesn't enter the lungs; and therefore the humidity becomes negated? (I'm a dummy with sciences.)
The settings for my PR System One (760) are:
Heated Tube humidification: ON OFF (when heated tube attached)
Humidity Level: 1 2 3
Tube temperature: 0 1 2 3 4 5
I dropped the "tube temperature" down to "1/5" last night and it was just the same dryness as all the other nights when set at '5/5'. I suppose the obvious answer is just turn it completely off (set at "0") which I'll try tonight, but I'm not looking forward to that blast of cool air all night (especially with a cold). With all this technology, it's crazy that someone can't get warm moist air like a vaporizer when needed.
Just wondering if anyone has any advice on their experience with a heated hose. Strangely, rainout with my new 760 hasn't been seen, even though my machine is higher than the bed level.
What's worse than CPAP? Being sick and using CPAP. It makes all those other solutions sound a lot better (even though they might be less effective when healthy).
RE: Heating Tubing settings for PR System One
heating up moist air does not dry it out, think about it, where would the moisture go? heating up air increases it's ability to hold moisture, which is why when you have warm moist air coming out of the humidifier, and it hits a cold hose, it loses it's ability to hold moisture, and that moisture condenses on the hose, and you get water in the hose, and in your nose, if you have the machine higher than your face. if the machine is lower than your face, then the water runs back down the colder tube and into the humidifier, to start the cycle over.
heating the hose, or putting a snuggie on it, keeps the hose from being colder, and condensing out the water, so more moisture actually gets to you.
if cool warm moist air enough, the moisture starts condensing out of it without even touching anything, that's called fog.
them's the facts.
05-17-2014, 03:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-17-2014, 04:18 PM by WakeUpTime.)
RE: Heating Tubing settings for PR System One
Many thanks for that. But now I'm even more confused with my settings! I've got the humidity controls all on MAX (Hose Humidity 3/3 and Tube Temperature 5/5). My humidifier setting is set to 5/5 on the manual dial.
So why is my air coming out dry-as-a-bone?
(Humidifier reservoir almost completely evaporates each night.)
Maybe it's due to mask leakage, though I've never had any kind of moist air on either of my masks on any day. Maybe the mask seal has to be absolutely perfect with absolutely no leakage before any kind of sizable humidity levels can be seen entering the lungs. Maybe the room is too dry with an air cleaner on all night.
To get more humidity, you say I should get higher heat. Maybe my heated hose isn't heating up properly, especially since the "tube temperature" is set to 5/5. Maybe I should try one of those hose socks. (05-17-2014, 03:08 PM)diamaunt Wrote: heating up moist air does not dry it out, think about it, where would the moisture go? heating up air increases it's ability to hold moisture, which is why when you have warm moist air coming out of the humidifier, and it hits a cold hose, it loses it's ability to hold moisture, and that moisture condenses on the hose, and you get water in the hose, and in your nose, if you have the machine higher than your face. if the machine is lower than your face, then the water runs back down the colder tube and into the humidifier, to start the cycle over.
heating the hose, or putting a snuggie on it, keeps the hose from being colder, and condensing out the water, so more moisture actually gets to you.
if cool warm moist air enough, the moisture starts condensing out of it without even touching anything, that's called fog.
05-18-2014, 10:13 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-18-2014, 11:29 AM by WakeUpTime.)
RE: Heating Tubing settings for PR System One
Experimented with TRAZODONE to help with CPAP sleep a couple of days ago. One of Trazodone's biggest side effects? "DRY MOUTH"
I guess I shouldn't blame everything on CPAP therapy ;-)
Sure, the humidifier isn't putting out the humidity that I'd ideally like at the moment, but it wasn't so bad if there's no Trazodone involved.
Trazodone + Sick-with-cold (nose clogged) + CPAP High Pressure
= Dreadful sleep due to extreme dry mouth for mouth-breathers
Lesson learned: With the new CPAP lifestyle (and having Sleep Apnea), one has to be careful with lots of other stuff that could further affect the quality of sleep (meds, alcohol, foods, night-time schedules, etc. etc.).
RE: Heating Tubing settings for PR System One
The way the heated hose option works is,
Humidity level sets the level of humidity; 1=70%, 2=80%, & 3=90%.
Tube temperature just sets how hot the tubing gets but doesn't affect the amount of humidity the machine produces.
Since this is a closed system the water isn't getting dried out of the air. Some of it is going out the vent but you're breathing most of it. If your tank is empty in the morning it's supplying all the moisture it can.
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