Washing Filters ResMed

[diamaunt]

If you're getting some benefit from your CPAP filter you may get even more from one of these. Plus they make a nice white noise generator that drowns out the sound of the CPAP machine.

I've used 'em in the past...

normally I use earplugs because little noises, like the ac popping on and off are enough to wake me at least part of the night. my vpap auto is so quiet, I don't hear it, though I do have some computers in the next room so the house is only really quiet when the power goes out.

[Sleepster]

My VPAP Auto is much quieter than my PRS1 BiPAP. At first it had a bit of whistle on exhale but that appears to have been part of breaking it in.

[diamaunt]

My VPAP Auto is much quieter than my PRS1 BiPAP. At first it had a bit of whistle on exhale but that appears to have been part of breaking it in.

I just swapped out my bedmates PRS160 auto (560) for a vpap auto I picked up a couple of days ago, because the (admittedly very mild) rising and falling whine of the 560 annoyed me when I was awake and they were still snoozing late into the day.

the vpap auto, I can't even hear. (it's currently pretending it's an autoset, vauto mode, ps=0)

[vsheline]

BTW -- if you're really worried about bacteria, put the bacteria filter on the output of the S9 H5i. You have to set a parameter in the menu that says you are using the filter so it can approximate pressure drop versus flow for the filter.

One should not use a generic antibacterial filter, though, because the common antibacterial filters sold everywhere may restrict the airflow too much if used longer than just a few nights.

One can google "Pall Bacterial Filter SKU AFP100" to see what a long lasting low-restriction antibacterial filter looks like. This is the type which can be used (for several months, I think) without degrading the accuracy of the pressure reaching the mask.

[archangle]

BTW -- if you're really worried about bacteria, put the bacteria filter on the output of the S9 H5i. You have to set a parameter in the menu that says you are using the filter so it can approximate pressure drop versus flow for the filter.

One should not use a generic antibacterial filter, though, because the common antibacterial filters sold everywhere may restrict the airflow too much if used longer than just a few nights.

One can google "Pall Bacterial Filter SKU AFP100" to see what a long lasting low-restriction antibacterial filter looks like. This is the type which can be used (for several months, I think) without degrading the accuracy of the pressure reaching the mask.

From the manufacturer's web site: (shows up in the google search results above.)

"48-hour maximum use life (< 24 hours if exposed to nebulized medication)"

[vsheline]

From the manufacturer's web site: (shows up in the google search results above.)

"48-hour maximum use life (< 24 hours if exposed to nebulized medication)"

By golly, you're right. And that is for a premium antibacterial filter. The more common round style antibacterial filters are meant for just a single night use.

Here is what ResMed says about air filters:

The following filters are available for use with S9 devices:
Filter . . . . . . . . . . Efficiency
Standard . . . . . . . 88% at 7 micron
Hypo-allergenic. . . 89.8% at 0.5 micron, bacterial efficiency of 99.54%.

Antibacterial filter:
Antibacterial filters increase resistance in the air circuit and may affect accuracy of displayed and delivered pressure, particularly at high flows. ResMed recommends using a filter with a low impedance (e.g., less than 2 cm H2O at 60 L/min).

[Sleepster]

From Wikipedia:

To qualify as HEPA by US government standards, an air filter must remove (from the air that passes through) 99.97% of 0.3 µm particles.[2] This size constitutes the Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS), which is the most difficult size of particle to filter. Smaller and larger particles are filtered at even greater efficiency.[3]

The footnotes are references to the sources used.

Note that even if you have a good sized HEPA filter machine in your bedroom these CPAP filters are a good idea because new particles are constantly becoming airborne. Your bedding is good source of these particles and without a CPAP machine your nose is just a centimeter or two away, whereas with a CPAP machine the air inlet is tens of centimeters from your bedding. Plus, after passing through the CPAP filter the air has a much lowered chance of picking up particles as it passes through the machine and hose on its way to you.

This is about the only advantage I can think of for a CPAP-user over a person without sleep apnea.

[archangle]

The more common round style antibacterial filters are meant for just a single night use.

I've always gotten that impression on the small round ones like the Respironics antibacterial filters, but I've never been able to find an actual manufacturer's spec. Someone said supplier 1 said something like a month on their web site, but nothing direct from the manufacturer.

My concern is germs growing on the wet sponge like material sitting around between CPAP usage. If it's after the humidifier, it's going to be wet.

[vicpete]

I don't think I would wash them. But, using a can of "dust off" to blow the dirt out in a reverse direction seems logical. It's an old trick we used on automobile air filters -- except with compressed air.

The filters have dust on them. If you wash them, you now have dust and water on them. Dust is made from many things that might feed germ growth. Mix dust with water, let the germs grow, put it on a nice spongy matrix to grow and shed germs. That's the reason you might think it's a bad idea. There might even be some sort of stickiness on the filter material to catch dust. Or washing the filters might remove some of the fibers.

That's reasons to think of why to not wash the filter.

However, Respironics gets away with washable foam filters.

The manufacturer only recommends washing the filters every 6 months anyway. They're not that expensive if you buy them online, especially if you get the after market "compatible" filters.

I believe the filters are there to protect the machine, not your health anyway. Normal people breathe unfiltered air 24/7 and us apneacs breathe it 16 hours a day. The filters keep dust from building up in the machine. If the filters get dirty, they actually filter dust better, but they block airflow and make the machine work harder and overheat.

I saw a posting warning not to use caned air as it may have an additive that makes it taste bad to keep people from blowing into their mouth. blowing this into your machine may not be a good idea, as well there are so may crevices and corners this would be a poor way to clean the inside of a machine. if you need to clean the inside of the blower unit take it to an electronics shop and have them disassemble he unit and soak the blower and internal air chambers with isopropyl alcohol for 24 to 48 hours.blowing air may damage sensitive pressure transducers , dont do it!

[justMongo]

I saw a posting warning not to use caned air as it may have an additive that makes it taste bad to keep people from blowing into their mouth. blowing this into your machine may not be a good idea, as well there are so may crevices and corners this would be a poor way to clean the inside of a machine. if you need to clean the inside of the blower unit take it to an electronics shop and have them disassemble he unit and soak the blower and internal air chambers with isopropyl alcohol for 24 to 48 hours.blowing air may damage sensitive pressure transducers , dont do it!

I was only suggesting that one might back flush a used filter while removed from the machine. Dust off is Tetrafluoroethane.

As long as one is not using automobile air conditioning refrigerant, R134A, it should be free of the PAG oil used in cars.

Tetrafluoroethane is used as the propellant gas in inhalers.

Neither should one use Tetrafluoroethane intended for paintball guns; it has a silicone lubricant.