+- Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Public Area (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Public-Area)
+--- Forum: Main Apnea Board Forum (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum)
+--- Thread: [CPAP] Electricity related horrible CPAP smell (/Thread-CPAP-Electricity-related-horrible-CPAP-smell)
Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - carlrtx - 08-13-2018
This is quite possibly the weirdest thing I have ever tried to figure out but if anyone has any ideas, I am all ears as I really need to be able to use a CPAP device. Sorry this is a bit long but again, it's just bizarre and takes some explaining of everything I have tried already. First off, I am not new to CPAPs and have used various models for over 10 years, so my problem is not running out of water in the humidifier, clean hoses or machines, filters, etc...
Bottom line, there seems to be some sort of an electrical issue in my house and occasionally at other locations (hotels or homes), which cause my CPAP to emit the most God awful foul smells, normally after at least 2 hours of usage. The smells are so foul they wake me up, give me headaches, nausea and the stench can stay in my nostrils for hours. I have to just shut the machine off and go without. I don't have the issue every night, but probably 70% of my nights I have to give up and just deal with the impact to my sleep. The smell has got to be toxic though.
Why do I think this is an electrical issue (at least maybe)? I am on my 5th machine in less than two years and the same issue has happened with every one and with 2 different manufacturers (Resmed AirSense 10 and Respironics S9, both auto adjusting). The same sequence happened every time. I started with a Respironics. It would work great for at least a couple of weeks and up to about 6 weeks with no issues. The machine would then start to smell horribly. My provider swapped out 3 Respironics. When the 3rd did the same thing, I asked to switch to Resmed. Same thing happened. Both of those worked fine for several weeks and then the stink kicked in.
On the 5th machine, a light switch went off in my head. "You know...when I travel to that last hotel, I don't think that I got the nasty burning smell." Sure enough, I paid more attention next time I traveled and I didn't have the smell. So I then had an electrician and the power company come to my house and check my electricity. No issues were seen of course. I do get the same horrid smell on occasion from hotels as well but maybe 10% or fewer times.
When I switched and plugged in to different electrical outlets in my house, the CPAP would work for anywhere from 1-6 days before the CPAP would seem to "figure out" the new outlet and would start to stink. I made the rounds through all my outlets before they none of them would work without the stink starting at some point in the night. If I added a surge protector, I could sometimes get another night or two from a location. I then bought a fairly expensive power conditioner for medical equipment to protect against any surges or fluctuations. Same thing!!! Worked fine for a couple weeks. But wait, it gets weirder.
Next up...the neighbor's house. Different builder than mine. CPAP worked great for about 4 weeks. The little demons in my CPAP finally figured out his house as well and the stink came on yet again, so I thanked them profusely for the great nights of sleep and took my extension cord back out of their yard. P.S. The first time I ever experienced this issue was maybe 8 years ago at a completely different house and neighborhood on a Resmed I had been using for about 5 years with no issues. It was the exact same horrid smell but I chalked it up to the machine being old. Due to financial issues I had to do without a CPAP for over a year.
I am just at a complete loss of what to do now. Two different manufacturers, 3 different houses, about 10 different outlets, works at least for 1 or 2 nights. 90% of the time at hotels or other houses but if I try anything too long, the same problem seems to come back. I am going to have the power company attach a monitor to my house but I can't say that I am hopeful.
Has anyone else ever experienced something like this before? If you made it all the way through this, thank you very much for hanging in there.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - Sleeprider - 08-13-2018
Welcome to Apnea board. Hope you find an answer, but this is a new one on me, and I have seen thousands.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - Stom - 08-13-2018
Well, one thing you can do is use a voltage tester on all of the outlets you use at home.
My house once had a problem with the neutral wire to the house supply come loose, which depending on the load, can cause some of the circuits to get up to the full 240 volts. It's one of the quirks of the center-tapped neutral 120/240 volt system. It's kind of a long shot whether or not you could be experiencing overvoltage of some kind or another, but it is possible.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - sheepless - 08-13-2018
this is half (but only half) in jest and I apologize in advance for the unpleasant inference. we're all friends trying to help one another, right?
I'm probably going to regret this post. I'm honestly not trying to be rude but the way you describe it, it sounds like the only common element is... well, you. it'll probably turn out to be something else but you know, just sayin'.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - SarcasticDave94 - 08-14-2018
I can't explain how this can be happening at multiple houses, hotels, etc., but it almost does seem like over-voltage in some way. Related or otherwise, it seems like the power brick maybe is getting hot.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - mesenteria - 08-14-2018
Even low voltage can be a problem. Low voltage circumstances where the amperage draw is elevated due to requirement (large leaks?) will result in the motor running hotter. A hot motor smells. A hot motor that smells is a sign that something that shouldn't is changing chemical properties.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - jaswilliams - 08-14-2018
There have been discussions on the location of the power brick and its proximity to the cpap machine air intake. Resmed suggest that the pier brick should be placed on the floor with the cpap machine placed on the bedside cabinet or similar. A number of users reported a burning or electrical smell that was eliminated by placing the power brick on the floor.
The cpap machines have an uncanny habit of concentrating any odors near the air intake
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - silentsnore - 08-14-2018
Now, what made you suspect the electrical problems?
As you said, the common thing is the location (your home), and there could be many other issues in a home.
So far, you've changed the machines, the power outlets, and the same thing happens even with the neighbor's power, so, I'd rather say, it's not an electrical issue.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - Walla Walla - 08-14-2018
That makes three who think it might be the power brick.
RE: Electricity related horrible CPAP smell - silentsnore - 08-14-2018
The OP didn't have smell at the hotel... using the same power brick, I assume.