12-31-2021, 09:57 PM
In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
Hi Everyone,
The past few days/week-ish I have been coughing pretty much as soon as I put my CPAP mask on and start up my machine. I thought it might be that the humidifier wasn't working but that wasn't the case.
I contacted my provider and they let me know I should be changing the filter every two weeks or so. Unfortunately, I won't be able to receive one until Tuesday or Wednesday because of the holiday weekend. 
I really don't know what I would do if I couldn't use my machine until then. (Right now it's almost unusable because it's triggering my asthma).
Would it be okay to wash this one just as a temporary fix? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers!
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
These are basic filter materials, you can flick the dust out of it and give it a rinse/dry and that will help but won't be as good as a new filter. If needed you can also run the machine without a filter as I assume you live in a fairly clean house and don't have a massive dust etc issue.
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
I'm guessing it's similar to the ResMed 10 series filter, a white super secret material, something like recycled pillow ticking looking thing. Go ahead, wash it off and see if it helps.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
(12-31-2021, 10:04 PM)Geer1 Wrote: These are basic filter materials, you can flick the dust out of it and give it a rinse/dry and that will help but won't be as good as a new filter. If needed you can also run the machine without a filter as I assume you live in a fairly clean house and don't have a massive dust etc issue.
Thanks so much. I think I will give it a gentle rinse. Actually I had my machine closer to the floor for a short while before I got my heated tubing. Maybe being near the carpet made things worse more quickly.
This will do until I get the new filter methinks. 
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
Filters actually retain more particulates as they get dirty. They don't let more through unless they get torn. It's air flow that's restricted by a dirty filter, not particulate removal.
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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
(12-31-2021, 11:06 PM)Melman Wrote: Filters actually retain more particulates as they get dirty. They don't let more through unless they get torn. It's air flow that's restricted by a dirty filter, not particulate removal.
I don't think I understand what you mean.
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
The more a filter gets clogged, the better at trapping more particulates. But then airflow is diminished.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
Filters work by getting in the way of dust, which gets stuck on the filter material when it can't fit through the 'gaps'. As the filter gathers said dust, those gaps get smaller, thus the dust finds it even harder to fit through. As a consequence, as filters get dirtier, they should let less and less dust get through. The downside is that the diminishing gaps reduce the airflow through the filter, like the inlet hole is getting smaller. This might result in less air reaching the user if the filter got really clogged.
It might also be that, if the filter is really old, it could start to fall apart. If that happened, filter material and the accumulated dust would pass through the machine and get pumped into you, plus those gaps are now opened up again letting more particulates through. Cue sneezes, irritation and goodness knows what else.
If it was me, I would remove the filter till you get a new one. Unless your bedroom is particularly dusty and/or there is an airborne irritant in there, you should be fine running your machine without it for a few days.
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
I watched a video on youtube. It showed an absolutely filthy fan that had been taken out of a ResMed cpap.
That inspired me to change the filter more regularly. I appreciate the post of low cost filters.
Question: is there a better grade filter that can be purchased cheaply by allergy sufferers?
01-02-2022, 07:21 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-02-2022, 07:27 AM by CorruptAlligator.)
RE: In a Bind with a Dirty Filter
More I read about filters, it just sounds just like a building ventilation system filter. Like the MERV values for them. The higher the MERV, more stuff it filters out (which means more restricted air inlets), but it gets clogged quicker due to smaller opening for airflow. If the air flow is getting more and more restricted, harder on the motor that sucks the air. So, the filter has to get replaced more often or at less intervals.
Simply, more stuff gets on the filters, it's clogging the filter, so the air gets restricted. Think of it like a kitchen sink strainer, more stuff it filters, it eventually gets clogged.
As long as it's a fibery kind, it should be washable (so cheap, simpler to replace). The thin paper kind filters (like the n95 masks) would not be washable, and would make it worse.
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