Purchasing a Used CPAP Machine Dangers?

[upsman]

I've seen quite a few mentions of CPAP machines for sale from private owners. Due to the worldwide shortage, this is a good thing.  
BUT, what are the actual sanitation issues, and what can be done to safely use a previously used machine? I wonder just how long any pathogens would remain active inside the machine. 

I realize professional resalers like secondwind have a sanitizing process they use before selling a machine, but how necessary is it and I wonder what they actually do. 
And obviously, I'm only talking about the machine itself and not hoses, masks, etc.

[Sleeprider]

I have purchased several used machines. There are no risks of encountering pathogens as the air-path is filtered and dry. I would change out the humidifier chamber and tubing, and never would consider a used mask. It is useful to discuss with the prior owner whether the machine was exposed in any way to smoke as that is very difficult to fix. The truth is, a used machine may have very few hours if the person who owned it before passed away or had to move to a different type of machine. Many machines just get shoved into a closet and used only a few times. Many used machines have sat unused for a long time. It doesn't bother me at all, and I don't consider a used machine to be a risk. Find a low-hour machine from a smoke-free home at a good price. You win. Someone I was working with recently bought an ASV from Dotmed, then sent the unit to have the blower replaced before using it. I think that is completely unnecessary, but he got a good deal and a fully reconditioned machine.

[Gideon]

The biggest risk is smoke, is it from a smoker's home. Personally I could never handle that as I am severly sensitive to cigarette smoke.
The general school of thought is to replace the mask, hose, chamber, filter with new.
The CPAP itself is only exposed to "room" air, never to the patients breathing, though the CPAP will aerosol Covid into the room air which can then settle on interior surfacees but that has a limited life.

The other risk is that you do not know what 'odd' settings the previous user tried or was using, so ALWAYS perform a Factory Reset to ensure all settings are default prior to entering your settings.

[upsman]

Thanks, guys.
This was pretty much my thoughts on the issue as well. This question was mainly to respond to someone who was considering purchasing a machine from a seller on Craig's list.
I also wanted others' thoughts on the subject to guide others who might be thinking about doing this. Overall, I think it's fairly safe and don't see any issues here.

[cathyf]

Well one thing that you won't know is whether the previous user used ozone on it, and how often. There could be internal damage that way.

[LindanHotAir]

Non-smoking environment, no ozone, and total run hours are the critical factors. Normal usage is approximately 3000 hours per year, and expected lifetime is somewhere around 20,000 hours but some have lasted much longer.

[YipeekiOH]

I picked up a “used” AS10 for Her as a backup. It had 39 hours and was more than half off the price of a new one. The person I bought it from included a brand new water chamber, package of filters, carrying case and new ClimateLine hose. It works perfectly and is used as a backup and travel machine.

[Woody4]

I have mixed opinions on this. I think I had had my hands on 5 used machines 3 of them were good but in 2 cases I had problems, Before I go furthe I have used an apap with a 90% presure of 18 and once after having a fall had to go to a bipap with a inhale presure of 24 and exhale of 20 and while I didn't find the the bipap presure of 24 - 20 fun I could live with it. But I bought a used Resmed S9 that evedently had a bad presure senser because although I set it for a presure of 15 I think it may have been delivering something like 40 yes 40 . I say that because just trying it on for about 5 minuets and my rib cage muscles hurt for several days. In another case I developed a reaction like an upper resperatory track infection but it may have been because I have a cat allergy and that machine had been used for years in a home with cat. Well only took me about 8 days to recover I tossed it in the garbage.

[desaturator]

I would guess that the risks involved in buying a second-hand CPAP are similar to those involved in buying a second-hand car. We likely don't know what the previous owner did with it, and whether it's really in good order. And, if it's full of the detritus of cigarette smoke, we're probably never going to get it really clean. There are trustworthy sellers and untrustworthy sellers, but it's not always easy to tell them apart.

But most of us are happy to buy second-hand cars and, for the most part, their wheels don't fall off when we're on the highway.

All my CPAP equipment is second-hand apart from the mask, and I've used a second-hand mask in the past, with no ill effects. Knowing what I know now, though, I think I would have cleaned and checked everything more thoroughly than I did.

BW, DS

[holden4th]

All of my machines have been used and with one exception, bought from Supplier #2. I've had no issues at all and would happily purchase this way again. That said, My current Aircurve V10Auto suddenly stopped working and I couldn't find a fix. I got another one from Supplier #2 and noticed that this made a bit of a noise despite having only 56 hours of use. I've been informed that this is due to the water chamber not seating properly. However, I haven't had a chance to look at correcting it as my original machine is working again and in the most bizarre of circumstances.

The new machine came with an SD card and worked fine. I took that SD card out and put the one from my original machine in and it stopped working. Power yes, display yes, blower NO!. On a hunch I reconnected the old machine, sans SD card, and voila - it worked. I put the newer SD card into the machine and yes it worked. Put the old card back and once again no blower. I can't understand how something non electrical like an SD card can cripple a machine.