Humidifiers not safe - seriously?

[FrankNichols]

I have seen numerous comments now about knocking the machine over and spilling the humidifier water into it and causing problems.

Seriously?

Here we have a machine that plugs into a wall socket (Mains for you brits) and it has a water tank integrated into it. This machine is designed to be set on a table next to our bed and hooked up to us with a flexible hose.

Who are us? Us are people that frequently stop breathing at night and toss and turn and jerk around as a result. While we are connected to this machine.

Seriously? I mean, seriously, these are not designed with water barriers between the electronics and the water and yet are intended for use by people that flop around while connected to them?

And they cost between $500 and $5000. I mean it's not like they have a tight engineering budget.

Has anyone taken one of these apart and looked to see if inside the electronics are actually exposed to the water?

[PoolQ]

First they use a brick to poser them this brick outputs 12-24 VDC so zero danger to anyone. Second the humidifier is removable, has to be, and if water can it will find a way. Water is heavier than air so what seals air may not seal water. There is a trade off water tight verses the consumer is able to take it apart to add water. The problem is that you have an air path that requires a motor shaft to breach the pathway and you have to have the air pass over water so the water if spilled has access to the motor shaft. It will leak. I suppose the could have used a magnetic coupling, and maybe they did. now you get to the gaskets for the entry and exit airway to the humidifier chamber and everything has to stay sealed when dropped.

What happens if it is dropped with the humidifier chamber on top and it bounces lose with the water pouring out directly into the air pathway or maybe not into the airway but around the plastic frame that is not sealed at all.

It seems like a simple thing right until you are assigned to do it and start running tests

[palerider]

I have seen numerous comments now about knocking the machine over and spilling the humidifier water into it and causing problems.

Seriously?

yes. seriously.

Here we have a machine that plugs into a wall socket (Mains for you brits) and it has a water tank integrated into it. This machine is designed to be set on a table next to our bed and hooked up to us with a flexible hose.

a machine that runs on 12 volts, unless it's a resmed, in which case it runs on 24volts dc.

Seriously? I mean, seriously, these are not designed with water barriers between the electronics and the water and yet are intended for use by people that flop around while connected to them? ..

there's an air path between the filter, sensors, fan, more sensors and output. the electronics, except the flow and pressure sensors, and motor (in the case of resmed) are outside this path.

Has anyone taken one of these apart and looked to see if inside the electronics are actually exposed to the water?

why yes, yes I have. but when you dump the thing on the floor, and water starts sloshing around, the unit itself is not a sealed container, and water can get in the vents, and onto the board, and do what it does.

I haven't had the chance to dissect an air10 yet, but here's a trip into a S9 series to give my comments a bit of cred: http://imgur.com/a/S0ojG#0

[vsheline]

The biggest problem is usually if the blower gets any water in it.

No fail safe way to keep water out of the blower if water spills, because there has to be an open passageway for the air to travel to the water tank.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

You guys give them too much credit for the power brick. It is a bug - not a feature. Used to be, they put the power converter inside the unit. That was a good thing because bricks are just laziness on the part of manufacturers. The reduce the perceived foot print (they don't really because you still have to have one and that adds a separate footprint to the tabletop or somewhere else), and make it easier to assemble the unit because they don't have to physically put that power supply in the unit. But in the end, it is the consumer that has to deal with two separate boxes. In eight or nine years of using the machine, I have pulled the unit off the table top zero times. If I did it tonight, it would be an occurrence rate of 00.03% of the time. I understand some people have. But from a designer's standpoint, i expect it is a nearly non-occurrence, statistically. Any design is a series of compromises and preparing for every eventuality would result in higHer (probably prohibitive) costs or a hugely bulky macine the size of a small mini-van.

If someone is a person that does tend to pull the machine off onto the floor a lot, then about the only solutions available are (1) forgo using humidity or (2) buy a separate humidifier that is NOT part of the A/C/BiPAP and connect it with a second full length hose and get it a long way away from the unit...

OMMOHY

[FrankNichols]

I understand the power supply is outside the unit and is 12v, so should be safe for me, that was not my point, my point was was the unit damaging itself.

The only thing in the blower that can be damaged by distilled water would be the bearing and sealed bearings are available.

I don't know anything about the sensors so, possibly that is the problem. As far as the computer/system goes, it certainly can be make water proof to 50 feet (exaggeration) at little or no cost. (At least water resistant.)

Connections from the computer to the blower are also easy enough to make water proof.

So, other than the sensors it should not be easy to damage a unit with a splash of distilled water.

[FrankNichols]

I guess I just find it a little ironic that a product that is designed to stop me from flopping around in my sleep warns me to be careful while flopping around in my sleep, so I don't damage it.

[OpalRose]

I personally do not want to find out how much damage spilled water will do to my machine.
I like my machine and don't relish the thought of replacing it anytime soon.

I've been on APAP for aprox. 18 months now, and have never pulled my machine off the nightstand, and I turn a lot during the night. (Now that doesn't count the time I masked up and deceided to walk across the room because I forgot something.).

Even doing something like that, the machine hardly moved. It also helps that I place a rubberized shelf liner under my machine, which keeps it very stable.

[Rick_V]

I have always just put mine on the floor. Problem solved.

[FrankNichols]

Even doing something like that, the machine hardly moved. It also helps that I place a rubberized shelf liner under my machine, which keeps it very stable.

Great idea! I will put one in myself tonight.

This thread is not so much about it being a "big deal" or common problem, it is just I have a sick sense of humor and when I see posts or comments in other threads about the "danger" of the humidifier, it just strikes me as ironic...