humidifier

[fireleg]

I have now been using my Resmed Airsense 10 for almost 1 week. I have the humidifier set on auto. Still getting a very dry mouth however the water tank runs out about 5 hours into my night of sleep!!!! I'm afraid if i turn it up its going to run out even quicker..... Any suggestion would be great....

[farnsy]

Typically when your water runs out very quickly, it's caused by leaks, which means your CPAP has to push too much air through in order to maintain the pressure.  This is the first thing to check.

I like to keep my humidity at level 8 and will often run out of water, so I modded my machine by adding a secondary reservoir. If you are comfortable modifying your water tank (might need a new one if you break it, but they are only $20 on Amazon), then you can drill 1/4 in holes in it and in a water tank (I used a Rubbermaid Brilliance 4.7 cup but you can use anything airtight...like an old distilled water jug) and connect them with some 1/4 inch flexible PVC tubing. The fit was tight so I don't have to use any connectors or glue/sealant. The tubing cost me $3.92 at home depot with a LOT left over and the Tupperware was $7 on amazon.

At the moment the tubes are excessively long (for testing). I'm going to cut them down in for the final fitting. They can be pulled out and inserted into the holes at will but never leak and are not affected by the pressure.

   
   
   

[ardenum]

I've designed a semi-professional DIY solution to extend the humidifier, I'm currently testing it to make sure the mechanical parts are adequate. The total cost for all the metal and 3d printed parts ranges $120-$200, with options for 500ml and 1000ml.

If you're interested, pin my profile page and check in the next month or two for the next thread I create. I'll post the full list of parts you need to get and what to do with them.

Or you can do what farnsy did above for much less. An alternative is to get a SO clean adapter for Airsense 10 humidifier if you don't want to drill any holes. It already has a hole.

[unidee]

I want to hear more about these. I use humidification level 2. Every night sleeping takes half of water amount. But I think better if you need add water only one time per week or so.

[ardenum]

I want to hear more about these. I use humidification level 2. Every night sleeping takes half of water amount. But I think better if you need add water only one time per week or so.

Water should be changed daily.

[mesenteria]

I want to hear more about these. I use humidification level 2. Every night sleeping takes half of water amount. But I think better if you need add water only one time per week or so.

Water should be changed daily.

It's a bit off topic, but I disagree.  I leave mine in until it needs to be refilled which, in my case with a low setting, takes three or four days.  Treated municipal water supplies make water safe for storage for extended periods in clean vessels.  Only in severe hard water cases would it be advisable to empty and to refill the reservoir each day, but the dissolved minerals would eventually mean having to demineralize the interior of the vessel regularly anyway.

[mesenteria]

I have now been using my Resmed Airsense 10 for almost 1 week. I have the humidifier set on auto. Still getting a very dry mouth however the water tank runs out about 5 hours into my night of sleep!!!! I'm afraid if i turn it up its going to run out even quicker..... Any suggestion would be great....

It would seem that you either have a leak, whether in the air delivery system or in the reservoir, or the volume of air delivered is so great that it literally dries up your supply.  If you awaken with a dry mouth, it would only be after the supply has dried and you've gone 15-60 minutes without humidification.

If you routinely get up at least once to void, but even if you only have to sit up to replenish the supply, it would be worth doing that.  It might cost you 30 seconds in all, plus another hopefully short interval to fall back asleep, but think the of the level of comfort you'd have going for you when you awaken two or three hours later.

[Big Guy]

We have very hard water here. Lots of calcium. It can start to accumulate in as little as one day. If I don't empty the reservoir and wipe it dry each & every morning, it can real bad, real fast.

[farnsy]

Requiring yourself to change water daily is excessive. I use distilled and there is never any evidence of the water going bad at all, ever. Every once in a while I dump out a little bit and let the container dry completely out of an abundance of caution, but it doesn't need to happen often. Not much grows in distilled water, even when it is warmed, especially if you aren't dirtying up the container by using cleaning products on it.

The main reason for the reservoir is so you don't get dry, burned-smelling air because your tank ran out, but if you use a large reservoir it can also save you the hassle of filling it so frequently.

[Big Guy]

I started out using distilled water, but grew tired of the hassle of keeping it on hand and the expense. Even at only $0.99 per gallon, that adds up over several months leading into years. I'd rather have that money available for gas for my m/c. 

The only thing other than water that goes into my machine's reservoir, is white vinegar, every now & then. It does a fabulous job of ridding the calcium build-up that accumulates once in a while, if the water level gets too low in the reservoir. 

For me, dumping the water in the reservoir from the night before is no big deal. It's about a 20-30 second chore. That includes wiping it dry with some tissue. 

If there's one thing I won't scrimp on, when it comes to my SA treatment, it's keeping the water fresh and the reservoir clean as a shiny new whistle.