Swift FX tube breakage

[geoffleach]

My Swift FX tube has developed small cracks below the point where it attaches to the nasal pillows. This after 3 months of use, so as ResMed's guarantee is 30 days, I'm out of luck.

Two questions:

1. Is this a common occurence?

2. Any suggestions on repairing?

thanks.

[MAPnea]

Hi, geoffleach,

When I used the Swift FX nasal pillows, that never happened to me. Maybe you can find a spare part in the supplier's list or on eBay. Hang in there for more answers and - maybe - someone will come up with some ideas about repairing. Duck tape?

[robysue]

My Swift FX tube has developed small cracks below the point where it attaches to the nasal pillows. This after 3 months of use, so as ResMed's guarantee is 30 days, I'm out of luck.

Two questions:

1. Is this a common occurence?

Are the cracks in the hard plastic hose coupling? Or are they in the hose itself?

Never heard of this happening.

And it hasn't happened to me in the four years I've used the Swift FX, unless you're talking about cracks in the transparent plastic hose coupling rather than the hose. And in that case, yeah, it happened once to me, but I also had just thrown the hose and mask across the room at high velocity in a fit of anger towards all things PAP related in the middle of the night when Kaa was keeping me from getting to sleep. I always figured the damage was a high impact "injury" to the coupling.

2. Any suggestions on repairing?

If the problem is cracks in the hose (and not the coupling), duct tape may suffice. I had to use my first Resmed SlimLine hose for several weeks with duct tape around some tears close to the coupling. It worked fine until my insurance company was willing to replace the hose at 3 months.

If the cracks are in the transparent plastic hose coupling and are covered by either the main hose's rubber coupling or the end of the FX's short hose, then you might not really need any fix. I used my cracked hose coupling for quite a while until getting the next mask replacement. And there was no increase in my Total Leak rate as recorded on my PR System One BiPAP.

[geoffleach]

My Swift FX tube has developed small cracks below the point where it attaches to the nasal pillows. This after 3 months of use, so as ResMed's guarantee is 30 days, I'm out of luck.

Two questions:

1. Is this a common occurence?

Are the cracks in the hard plastic hose coupling? Or are they in the hose itself?

Never heard of this happening.

And it hasn't happened to me in the four years I've used the Swift FX, unless you're talking about cracks in the transparent plastic hose coupling rather than the hose. And in that case, yeah, it happened once to me, but I also had just thrown the hose and mask across the room at high velocity in a fit of anger towards all things PAP related in the middle of the night when Kaa was keeping me from getting to sleep. I always figured the damage was a high impact "injury" to the coupling.

2. Any suggestions on repairing?

If the problem is cracks in the hose (and not the coupling), duct tape may suffice. I had to use my first Resmed SlimLine hose for several weeks with duct tape around some tears close to the coupling. It worked fine until my insurance company was willing to replace the hose at 3 months.

If the cracks are in the transparent plastic hose coupling and are covered by either the main hose's rubber coupling or the end of the FX's short hose, then you might not really need any fix. I used my cracked hose coupling for quite a while until getting the next mask replacement. And there was no increase in my Total Leak rate as recorded on my PR System One BiPAP.

The first occurrence was after 9 months of use. I replaced the hose. The second after 3 months.

The cracks are in the hose itself, in the little valleys. They start at the hard end at the pillow end of the hose. Beginning close to the coupling, they progress down the hose.

Good news in the sense that the tube is not a piece of s***t.

[Doc J]

Mine held up ok, I think. $30 on fleabay or $50 to go with whole new airfit p10 That's what I did and love it.

[geoffleach]

I confess to being astounded. I expected a flood of "it happened to me too" posts. I can't think of anything that I might be doing that would cause cracks in the host. Well, that's as it is.

The solution to my problem is "Rescue Tape", a self-adhering, self-curing silicone tape. When wrapped around the hose, seals it permanently. Very satisfying. Rescue Tape has many imitators. Available at your local hardware store and, of course, amazon.

[ImaSurvivor]

I have been using Swift FX since November. I have gone over the 6 month time in which I was able to get a new mask. I haven't had trouble with my hose. I am hanging onto my old mask as backup.

I found it difficult to separate my mask hose from my climateline hose when I was a newbie and wanted to wash my equipment. I was afraid of breaking the hose by having to pull so hard trying to pull them apart by pulling them straight out. They fit very snug together. I discovered that if I gently tipped the end of the mask hose and created a little wedge while pulling it apart from the climateline hose I could easily get them apart.

I don't know if exerting pressure on the hose with your grip while trying to pull them apart could be the issue or not. Thought I would mention it anyway.

[surferdude2]

I've found that it's best to start squeezing the hose just ahead of where the nipple reaches into it and progressively moving toward the nipple while repeating the squeeze as you go along. It squirts the hose right off the end of the fitting without putting any lateral strain on the fitting.

edit: Wiggling the hose sideways back and forth is probably the worst thing you can do and pulling straight out on it is second worst.