Humidifier water chamber

[David Clark]

Do you empty your water chamber every day?
I'm just curious because if you're using distilled water nothing goes back into the chamber and the chamber is sealed nothing is getting into it from the air so it seems like it's basically just storing distilled water until you fill it back up again the next night. 
Maybe there's something I'm missing.

[StratCat48]

Once a week if I remember I empty it and wash it with Dawn liquid soap and hot water. Otherwise daily just top it off from the previous night.

[mesenteria]

My reservoir runs dry after three days.  At that, I rinse, and refill.  

I have used tap water since Day One.  You needn't use distilled water, except when local water might be heavily mineralized.  Mine is not.

Some local water is heavily mineralized.  If you let the tank run dry, you'll get scale.  If you let it get close to dry, and don't rinse it thoroughly each day, you'll get scale.  The scale can be cleaned with CLR or equivalent, even vinegar.  Doesn't take much.

The way the humidifying function works it so pass ROOM AIR over your water surface.  So, you will indeed get stuff drawn past the filter, over the water, and on down the tube into your pharynges and alveoli.  The good part is that it is minute stuff, whatever gets past the filter, that hasn't found a way to kill pretty much any PAP user yet.

There is such a thing as a HEPA filter for PAP machines, and some have felt the need to use them.  Maybe just for their security and comfort.  I use the regular ones.  Still kickin'.

[sunsaffron]

I personally forget to empty mine *every* single day, so occasionally I run it off the existing distilled water until it's empty. My machine seems no worse for wear.

[Homerec130]

I refill mine on an as needed basis and clean it when it looks like it needs to be cleaned. Fill it with tap water and never had any problems. Every so often my wife will clean mine when she cleans hers. Been doing that since day one.

[Big Guy]

I started out using distilled water, but gave that up after a few months, and the okay from this forum. 

I empty mine every morning and then wipe it dry with a paper towel. I leave the lid up to insure complete air drying.

But, I haven't had to do that for a while now. I stopped using my CPAP and all is going fine. No adverse problems or issues of any kind. Not sure yet as to how long I'll be off it. Time will tell.................

[RayBee]

I've used distilled water for 3+ years.
I fill it each night. Dump the leftover back into the gallon jug in the morning and shake out the remaining droplets from the chamber and let it dry. It still looks like new. No shmutz in it ever.

I clean it with Dawn dish soap maybe every other month.

You would probably get some mineral buildup over time if you run tap water, run it 'till it's dry, and never clean it. Depending on your water hardness of course.

We have a humidifier with a hot pot inside and it gets pretty crusty. Of course it's boiling off almost 2 gallons of tap water each night in a 2" diameter hot pot. It's processing a lot of water and it is a nightmare to clean the minerals off everything.

If you want to use tap water, do what Big Guy does and that should suffice.

[YipeekiOH]

I use distilled only (make my own). Top off daily. Clean water chamber with liquid Ivory dish soap or Purdoux and refill weekly. This was what the respiratory therapist suggested when picking up my AS10 last year. It has worked flawlessly.

[Big Guy]

If you use tap water and get mineral scale or build-up, some white vinegar will work wonders. 

Only takes a few minutes of soaking. Dump it out, rinse well and then wipe dry with a paper towel. Every once in a while, I'll pour in enough so that I can shake it all over, and up into the lid. Just gotta use your fingers to plug the holes first. 

[Deborah K.]

I have very hard water but I use tap water anyway.  I never empty the tank unless I am going to clean it, which I do probably once every two or three weeks.  Then I put in a teaspoon or two of citric acid powder and fill with warm water to soak for a while.  That works nicely for me and cleans out the tank very well. Vinegar also works, but I don't like the smell it leaves behind, thus the citric acid powder - no smell.