How often do you replace gear?

[Dave W]

So I use the resumed 10 and the F&P Simplus....

 Was wondering how long one should go before changing gears

1. mask

2. face baffle

3. head stretch harness

4. tank

5. hose

6.fittings on either end of hose


7. filter

[Dave W]

1. mask....................I go like 2 months BUT I rotate masks using one every other day

2. face baffle.............On Simplus there is an unusual baffle in there 

3. head stretch harness...........Seems to last a long time

4. tank.......................Last one I changed a 4 months

5. hose.......................Every 3 months....HOSES DO CRACK/ROT on inside

6.fittings on either end of hose........Seem to never wear out


7. filter........................every two to four weeks

[Dog Slobber]

When they wear out or break. No sooner, no later. Why put more plastics in landfills and artificially increase demand and prices?

1. When eligible get spare of [mask, cushion, hose, tank,...]. Leave in packaging as a spare.
   
2. Continue using original.
   
3. [optional] When eligible get a second spare set of [mask, cushion, hose, tank,...]. Leave in packaging as a spare.
   
4. Continue using original.
   
5. When a part actually does wear out, replace it
   
6. Reorder the part you just replaced.
   
7. Consider saving sub-parts of part that just wore out (magnet clips, elbows, etc)
   

The DMEs and CPAP companies have convinced the CPAP general population, the minimum timeframes that they will pay for replacements are replacement schedules. They're not.

[DaveCar]

Mask and headgear - a new F30 kit every 6-9 months
Tank - I dont see a need to.. use distilled water and clean it now and then
Hose - I tend to get a new non-heated each spring, and a new heated each fall
Fittings - ?  The F30 comes with the hose end adapter, the other end plugs into the machine, so I guess.. every 6 mo
Filter - I have the AS10 set up to remind me, but I forget now what period.. lets say "regularly"

[mesenteria]

I am nearing five years into therapy.  In that time:

I changed head gear about six months ago.  The old one was pretty stretched out;

I'm on my second nasal N20, which swapped out only three months ago;

I just changed my Climateline hose last night.  The main joint where the small mask hose goes into the heated one was getting weak.  I had already had separations a couple of years ago, at which I drilled a tiny hole through the side of the collar and inserted a small screw; and

My reservoir still looks like new.  I use tap water, which is of very high quality coming off a local glacier and sits in a deep mountain lake until the city lets it over a hydro dam or into the water intake for the treatment plants. There is never any scaling.

[Homerec130]

I basically change out the parts when needed. I use a longer hose so I have to pay for that myself. My DME bugs be every 3 months to get supplies and seeing as my insurance pays for all of it, I usually order something just to keep the process moving. I do put a date on the mask cushion (F20) when I replace it. Getting ready to replace my current mask after 2 months as the foam is starting to split at the top.

Don't remember the last time I swapped out the humdifier tank. I look at it this way, if ain't broke, don't mess with it, but keep a spare of everything.

BTW, I do change filters at least monthly.

[Cpapian]

I change filter monthly; mask twice a year; hose and humidifier annually. Sometimes I change the cushion in between.
I wash the mask head gear weekly and have a pile of old t-shirt mask liners that I change daily.

It's a pretty individual thing. A toss up between the water, environment, risk and $$$$s

The water reservoir usually serving my area is under construction for a few years. In the meantime, a more distant reservoir is standing in. Water quality is lower because the water is traveling farther. My humidifier gets dumped and rinsed daily, nevertheless I am getting a scummy texture in my humidifier after a couple of days. Unit needs a good scrub down then. Never happened before the reservoir construction.

[2SleepBetta]

My practice and experience is much like that of homerec130 and mesenteria.

I'll hit 7 years of therapy next month (using distilled water all that time). I may have replaced the water tank twice, my first P10 headgear twice, heated hose once. I disconnect mask hose and leave mask on for breaks during night--connector leaks have not been a problem. Nasal cushions? Last maybe 4 months or longer.

When headgear is too slack after wash and dry. I do one of two things: either staple an inelastic strip 2 to 3 inches long at each end to overlay the unstretched high band to prevent its central stretching or make either a takeup overlap/pleat or cut and overlap the cut ends of that upper strip and staple them together securely. I do have a heavy duty packet-stapler and do make sure staple ends point outward from scalp and are smooth.

I cutoff DME resupply almost 2 years ago. They were pestering me to get a new CPAP machine at the 5 year mark. I continue with a good supply of spares. What an abusive racket some/all? DME's have. Lincare. Because of flow limitations I bought a used VAuto about 3 years ago and then a new one, as backup, nearly 2 years ago. (Just a few 1/10's more pressure support of the VAuto make all the difference vs. the fine Airsense Autoset with EPR, which was originally prescribed by my CPAP-using PCP.)

[Homerec130]

Know what you mean about the DME's pestering us. I am at our renewal cycle and have been getting calls and emails about new supplies. My wife and I both have ResMed AirSense/Curve machines so the supplies are the same. Also use the same masks. She just had a sleep study and tried a new mask and really liked it so she will be shifting to that one when our doc writes the new script. So, as a result, I have plenty of parts to work through. I still have parts for my old SystemOne which is my backup.