Hose length change

[MitchS]

Hello Steve.

I think the larger diameter hose would give you better results. Think of the difference in water pressure when using a small diameter water hose versus a larger diameter. It has been my experience that the larger diameter is better able to maintain pressure.

I had no noticeable differences in performance when I switched from the 6' hose to the 10' hose with my DreamStation. The PR AirFit P10 I use has a short 15mm hose attached so I have switched back to a 6' hose.

I like the 15mm hoses better than the 22mm. The 15mm is lighter and more flexible. If I was going to hook two hoses together I would probably use a 22mm coming off of the machine connected to a 15mm going to the mask.

Regards,

[stephennic]

Hello Steve.

I think the larger diameter hose would give you better results. Think of the difference in water pressure when using a small diameter water hose versus a larger diameter. It has been my experience that the larger diameter is better able to maintain pressure.

I had no noticeable differences in performance when I switched from the 6' hose to the 10' hose with my DreamStation. The PR AirFit P10 I use has a short 15mm hose attached so I have switched back to a 6' hose.

I like the 15mm hoses better than the 22mm. The 15mm is lighter and more flexible. If I was going to hook two hoses together I would probably use a 22mm coming off of the machine connected to a 15mm going to the mask.

Regards,

Thanks, the machine has a 15mm heated tube and so bought another 15mm. I went to the a Philips CPAP store this afternoon and they said they only sell 1.8m tubes and never used longer tubes and they didnt 't recommend longer and were concerned the machine may not give accurate results however they will email tech support and get back to me.
Maybe I should of bought the 22mm, however the engineer friend thought that it means the machine with 22mm may respond more slowly to my breathing due to the larger volume of air needed with the 22mm.
Cheers
Steve

[PaytonA]

Longer hose gives more pressure drop so for the same pressure setting at the machine you will get less pressure at the mask. With an auto machine, the machine will adjust to give you the pressure that you need at the mask. If you have a non auto machine but you watch your results and adjust for the best results, the same argument applies. The only potential problem is that you might run out of available pressure if you need a high pressure to begin with.

The only other potential problem that I can see is that it will take slightly longer for changes in your breathing to reach the machine. That might (!) cause the machine to not sync well with your breathing if you are using bilevel or EPR.

Just my thoughts.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[surferdude2]

If you only consider the pressure drop as the issue, you can use any reasonable length of 22 mm. hose (up to approx 21 M.) and still be equivalent to an 15 mm. hose at 3 M. length. Since a 22 mm. hose has roughly twice the cross section as a 15 mm. hose, using the larger hose would seem prudent for extending runs beyond the normal.

Unfortunately there are some other factors that can affect the outcome of such trials. Wave shape and rise time are two important factors that can cause the machine to interpret your response to therapy differently, depending on the algorithm in use by the particular machine. The increased volume of the longer and larger hose may have a buffering effect on those two items and could cause a the machine to be less responsive due to the lower instantaneous peaks. You may also detect a delayed pressure response as you inhale, which could be bothersome to some.

I wouldn't hesitate to extend the hose to 6 M. but would be inclined to use a 22 mm. hose (or perhaps one of each) when doing so. I also would be alert for any changes in results that were reported. In the final analysis, what may work well for one may not for another. Not only does the sensitivity of the machine come into play but the sensitivity of the user is also a factor. I'd say, try it and see if it works for you. That presumes that you have enough previous data to detect any untoward change that may immediately occur.

Dude

[Homerec130]

I have PR machine and I have been using a 10 foot hose for several years without any apparent issues. My DME no longer stocks the 10 footer, so I am down to one spare. I got it from one of the suppliers on the list (can't remember which one). I have a boatload of 6 footers as it is more effort (and costs more) to remove the hose from my supply order so I just have them send it to me. I do keep one for travel as my 10 footer is routed up and over. One advantage to the 10 footer is you have plenty of hose to wrap around your neck before you pull the machine off the table.

Homer