How do you treat your humidifier?

[Hydrangea]

I can't be bothered to buy distilled water.  I have a whole house filter, and I'm happy with that in my tub.

I used to just top it off with more water before bed.  But after a year, I saw black mildew/mold growing on the silicone ring under my humidifier lid.  I also realized the humidifier tub would feel slimey inside.  So I realized I needed to let it all dry out during the daytime.

So now each morning when I wake up and remove my mask, I open the humidifier top and leave it open for the day.  I also take the humidifier tub to my bathroom, dump the water, rinse it, and leave it to sit (and dry) for the day.

My area has hard water, so deposits build up despite this new routine.  So periodically I soak the tub in vinegar, to release the hard water deposits.

My area is very arid, so I go through almost a whole tub of water each night.  

When I used to live in a humid area, I hardly went through any water each night.  When I lived there, I would just dump the humidifier tub a couple times a week (letting it dry out that day), and then refill when I went to bed.

[Big Guy]

I've yet to see or experience any kind of slime, mold, or whatever, in/on my water reservoir. Just a little mineral build-up once in a while. 

Of all my CPAP equipment, the water reservoir is the easiest to clean and maintain.

[mesenteria]

Our local water supply is first rate, low mineralization, low lignin, and no toxins. So, I use tap water exclusively. I let my reservoir run down to the last couple of tablespoons, usually four nights, rinse once to clear any salts, and refill. That is to say, my reservoir has a volume of tap water in it constantly. Already three years old, it looks brand new.

Apart from suitable therapy, each user must find strong ‘face validity’ in their instrument and in its service. If you can’t stomach the local water in a drinking glass, it probably is not suitable for your machine either...as a general rule. Do what gives you security and peace of mind.

Technically, and practically, one can use any water , even juices or beer, as a humidification donor medium as our machines are configured. All you want is for water to evaporate at its surface. Now, I would never suggest beer except as a last resort if one were heavily in need of one night’s humidification and were going to empty and wash the vessel next morning. But, if you get the gist of what you really need from an aqueous medium of any kind in a pinch, orange juice, or guava, would be just fine.

[Melman]

I generally use distilled water but only because our well water is extremely hard and when I use it I need to clean with vinegar every day. When traveling I use tap or bottled water. I just top it off daily. After about two weeks I may detect a little slime and I drain, wash with detergent, and air dry. I once saw a little mold. Rinsing with peroxide and scrubbing the site with a q tip took care of it.

[SarcasticDave94]

Funny, my humidifier tub says Mr. Coffee with white lines going up the side.

[Canuck 2]

I have always used distilled water because it has less impurities to deal with in your hoses and mask. I have never had any issues with slimmy water or bacteria growth using distilled water.
If a person can afford it buy distilled water in my opinion or bottled drinking water as 2nd alternative when travelling & clean gear when you get home.
With my hummidifier on setting 4 with my Resmed Airsense 10/ autoset I use about 2/3 a tank a evening or 160 ml (2/3 cup). I buy 4 liter container of distilled water that lasts 24-27 days depending on Atmospheric humidty & temperture for around $1.70 Canadian. Resmed has printed on their water reservoir tank "Distilled water only" they have gone to extra expensive to warn us.

[Big Guy]

I have always used distilled water because it has less impurities to deal with in your hoses and mask. I have never had any issues  with slimmy water or bacteria growth using distilled water.
If a person can afford it buy distilled water in my opinion or bottled drinking water as 2nd alternative when travelling & clean gear when you get home.
With my hummidifier on setting 4 with my Resmed Airsense 10/ autoset I use about 2/3  a tank a evening or 160 ml (2/3 cup). I buy 4 liter container of distilled water that lasts 24-27 days depending on Atmospheric humidty & temperture  for around $1.70 Canadian. Resmed has printed on their water reservoir tank "Distilled water only" they have gone to extra expensive to warn us.

That's cause most people if using tap water, won't go to the trouble to empty the reservoir each & every morning. 

[mesenteria]

I have always used distilled water because it has less impurities to deal with in your hoses and mask...

You breathe in more impurities passed through your filter than you would from the vapour of filthy water.

Water vapour cannot be impure, or made so, unless it is contaminated/mixed with particulate matter or radiation. That’s why I joked about beer or guava juice.

Therefore, whatever gets passed up into your hose that is deleterious will be airborne, will have come to you through the filter (ie., it’s in your room air anyway) and it will have nothing to do with the sweet smelling guava juice.

Much more concisely, if you think distilled water is pure, you should see the vapour lifting up out of the cranberry sauce you were forced to use. It’s pristine.

[Zorki1c]

Fill with distilled water. Wash it with soap and water once a week. We live in a low humidity area so don’t really have to worry about gunk forming between cleanings.
Our tap water has minerals and if we didn’t use distilled water we would eventually have problems

[becker44a]

Distilled, just top up for about a week.  Then empty, wash everything w/ baby shampoo, let air dry all day, and start over.  Here, distilled is cheap, about 75 cents / gallon.