New to forum have a question

[Teddysjam]

I'm 44 male been using cpap for 3 months at least 6hrs a night usually 7 my AHI at sleep clinic was 33. I use the following equipment Resmed Airsense 10, Resmed Airfit 20 full mask, my pressure is 9. First 2 months noticed I had a bad sore throats my humidity level was on 4. Then about a month ago I turned humidity to 6 and would warm up machine before I went to bed seemed to do the trick. Then I got fancy and got a heated climate line air kept everything on auto climate control and tube temp woke up 2 straight days sore throat not as bad as before but noticeable then I adjusted tube temp like to 81 I think and had rainout last 2 nights.  My question is what should climate control and tube temp be set at. Shouldn't heated tube be  better then original tube

[rpenguin]

I'm a new to cpap as well.  Just got a ResMed Airsense 10 for Her at end of June and use a Dreamsense Nasal mask.  My AHI was 66.  My husband also has OSA (dx over 7 yrs ago) and uses a Respironics bipap machine but he started with a Fisher & Paykel cpap machine.  While I was waiting on insurance authorization for my machine, he was able to set his old cpap machine to my rx 7cm pressure and get me started mid June.  I had read up on the importance of moisture and I certainly didn't want to get dried out nasal passages as I was already prone to occasional nose bleeds, so like you, I bumped the heat setting up to get more moisture. Result...rain out.  Now that of course was with an older system without a heated tube.  But with any system, i'ts live and learn.  You have to think of the dynamics of temperature differences between your system and the air around you.  Right now, being summer we are running A.C. and so air temp is probably lower than the 81 degrees your system is running so that cooler air condenses some of your moistened air in your tubing. Once I lowered the heat & balanced things out, no more problems with condensation and I don't feel like I'm getting too dry either (either with hubby's old cpap while I used it, or with new Air Sense 10 for Her which does have heated tube as well).  I have also seen you can get a  "snuggy" like blanket for your tubing as another way to insulate the tube from the temperature differences and help prevent condensation if you really need the higher heat/moisture level.  Good luck to you!!

[Sleeprider]

When you changed to manual settings using a humidity level of 6 and tube temperature of 81, you cancelled the automatic controls that prevent condensation, and incidentally you also greatly increased the humidity level that it was suppressing in automatic mode. I think in most cases, you can use a manual setting at 5 for humidity with your 81 tube temperature and experience a very high level of humidity. At 6 you might need a higher tube temperature if your room is cool. As humidity levels drop, so can the tube temperatures. I tend to run lower humidity and tube temperatures in summer, but it's a matter of personal choice, and some trial and error. Keep in mind manual mode produces higher humidity than similar settings in auto. I am currently using manual at 3 and tube at 72F. I find excess humidity results in congestion.

I use a fleece cover (Snugglehose) over the Climateline hose. This not only prevents condensation, but it makes contact with the hose much more comfortable and less disruptive. It's a great investment in comfort for under $20.

[silversnore]

Rainout is a product of physics when cool air and warm air intermingle.  When warm air encounters cooler air, the warmer air cannot carry the humidity and it falls out like rain.  Warm air can carry more humidity than cool air.  To keep your moisture up where you are having rain out, you can add a hose cover for extra insulation and keep the temp differences insulated, drop the level of humidity or make sure you machine is lower than your mask (then rainout will drain back to the humidifier).  You can also make your room warmer to compensate.  Climate control hoses are much better than non heated, but sometimes you can still get rainout.

[Teddysjam]

Thanks for the feedback. 1 question about the climate hose I can wash that like the regular hose right? Even though it's got that thing that plugs into back of machine is that alright to get wet?

[silversnore]

yes, you can. just try not to get the electrical connection wet.

[quiescence at last]

made to get wet, so go for it. also, made to be used dry, so dry the water droplets off it (the electric conductors) before plugging it back in.

QAL

[trish6hundred]

Hi Teddysjam,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
It doesn’t hurt to get the connector on the end of your hose wet, jus dry it before you put it back on your machine and it’ll be ok.
Good luck to you with CPAP therapy.

[sonicboom]

I submerge my entire climate line hose in water when I wash it. I've never had any problems with it. Like the other posters I use a hose cover which, along with setting to Auto, does tame the rainout issue.