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+--- Thread: How to you prevent water build up in your hose (/Thread-How-to-you-prevent-water-build-up-in-your-hose)
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How to you prevent water build up in your hose - mikael26288 - 10-02-2012
What are the guide lines for setting your CPAP humidifier so water doesn't build up in your mask hose?
My wife and I have had our CPAPs for a few months and never had that problem.
But my sister has only had her machine for a few weeks and she seems to get water in her hose pretty often. Even at her second sleep study, where they fitted her with a mask and she slept with a CPAP, she had water problems at first.
She has a PR REMstar Pro with a system one humidifier, and uses a Zest Q nasal mask.
I don't actually know what the rule of thumb is about the settings. I have heard it depends on your room temperature as to what the setting would be on the humidifier, if it is even being used.
Don't know how hot or cold her room gets, but I do know she must have a fan blowing on her when she sleeps. But we have a ceiling fan on most of the time in our room and still don't have the problem of water in the hoses.
Any ideas or advice will be a great help.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - zonk - 10-02-2012
if the room is cold, the warm humidified air hits the colder room temp and cools and when air cools causes 'rain out'.
there are several ways to deal with rainout
1- use heated hose (if machine 60 series)
2- turn down humidity level
3- raise room temp
4- run the hose under bed covers to keep warm
5- use hose cover
[the idea to keep the hose warm thru the night]
6- place machine lower than bed
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - trish6hundred - 10-02-2012
Hi mikael26288, Your sister could turn her humidity down a notch or two and maybe that would help, or, They also make tube covers that you put on the hose. Another variation on the tube covers, (and perhaps less expensive,) is if she has some old socks, she could cut the toe end out and sew a few of those together and make her own tube cover that way. Hang in there for more suggestions.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - archangle - 10-02-2012
The water tends to collect wherever there's a "U" in the hose. Some people tie their hose to the headboard or use a hose hanger so that any water will either drain back to the machine or to the mask.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - PaulaO2 - 10-02-2012
It isn't the temperature of the room that determines if you need to use the humidifier or not. It is the humidity in the air that determines it. If you live in, say, humid parts of the Southern US, then you probably won't need to have the humidifier on at all. But if you live in the dry climate of Phoenix, then you'll need to use it.
Water condenses on the inside of the hose because the warm moist air from the humidifier is chilled down by the cold air in the room. So if you keep the hose warm, it maintains its temp and the water stays in the air.
Other than keeping the hose warm, she can also put the machine lower than the bed so the water flows down, back into the humidifier. Some people put their machine in the lower drawer of a dresser, leaving it open when in use and shutting it during the day (to protect toes and ankles!).
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - jfmusil - 10-02-2012
I make certain that my CPAP Machine is about 12 inches below my head and that the hose goes up so that the water flows back into the machine. I also have a clip that I use to hold the hose up.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - big_dave - 10-02-2012
I've found that I need to adjust the humidifier any time the weather changes, using a setting anywhere between 2 and 4. I woke up feeling dried out this morning. I noticed that I only used half a tank, down from the usual 3/4 tank, so I upped the humidifier setting from 2 1/2 to 3. If I have trouble with rainout I turn it back down. I use a hose cover.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - SuperSleeper - 10-02-2012
I just don't use a humidifier. Problem solved.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - mikael26288 - 10-02-2012
I just talked to my sister and found out that she is not using her humidifier anymore, she has even removed it from her CPAP machine.
She is still getting water.
She thinks that her breathing is hot and causing water to build up in her mask. When she turns over, that is when the water ends up running into her nose.
Her machine is also below head level by about a foot or more.
RE: How to you prevent water build up in your hose - johns019 - 10-02-2012
I have the PR GoLife nasal pillow mask. I only get water in the nasal pillow itself and the elbow connector to the pillow.
When I inhale water sprays out the holes in the elbow onto my face - lovely.
Just ordered one of those "snuggle" covers for the hose on the auction site - hope it solves the problem.