+- 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: Silican mask can be fixed in an emergency (/Thread-Silican-mask-can-be-fixed-in-an-emergency)
Silican mask can be fixed in an emergency - Sleep2Snore - 12-24-2020
I have nasal Pillows. One night, well, over a few nights I was feeling a draft going towards one of my eyes.
Putting my finger to the Nasal Pillow appeared to fix it, but as soon as I took my finger away the draft started again.
This happened over a few nights, the machine was also saying I had a leak.
I checked the pillows a few times but I couldn't see any hole in them.
In the end I tried stretching the pillows to see if there was a hole but it didn't show up, so I stuck them on the machine, held my hand over the end of the pillows and had a good look.
There was a hold when the pillows expanded with air pressure, though you couldn't see it when I stretched them.
Anyway, I was surprised I couldn't see it as it was at the edge of the pillow where it left the main shell of the pillow.
Now this was Friday afternoon and all you get when you phone the hospital here is an answering machine, you are not allowed to go in due to Covid. I either had to fix it or put up with the leak for a few days.
The split was about 3mm long, how could I not see that?
I went out to the shed and got some "Clear£ silicone, not expecting it to work, I know white will just come off.
I injected some inside the pillow and made sure it went through the split, then applied it on the outside, spread it a little and left it an hour to start to cure and hopefully bond to the silicone pillows.
After an hour I got hold of the wife's hairdryer and put a bit of heat onto the silicone repair, then a blast of cooler air, then hot and then cold. I did this until the silicone had set, gave it a push around gently, it appeared to have set enough, but it was still slightly soft right in the centre, so I heated and cooled it until it was solid.
I didn't really expect this to hold very long, but I hoped it would last till the clinic opened in Monday Morning.
This was a month ago and so far it is still holding and has become part of the pillow mask.
I was surprised it had stuck, but with it being inside and out and contacting to itself it has become part of the mask.
It has to be good quality clear silicone, you do get small tubes of it, well you do here anyway.
White will not work as it has extra things in it like color that makes it less sticky, though when working with it you wouldn't think so!
But anyway, if you find yourself with a small tare in the fold of a mask or something it is worth trying a simple repair, heating and cooling appeared to help.
It is over a month and the repair is still holding.
It is just clear silicone for sealing windows and it was not even expensive.
Make sure it contacts itself through any hole etc as this will help it to hold when being moved around.
I didn't expect the silicone would stick to this type of silicone, but it did.
RE: Silican mask can be fixed in an emergency - Sleep2Snore - 12-24-2020
It will not fix silicone straps etc found on some masks, but where there is a small tare it will patch a small hole etc.
I am amazed at the pressure it can take.
RE: Silican mask can be fixed in an emergency - Sleep2Snore - 12-24-2020
I also repaired the strap on ResMed Swift Nasal Pillows.
On this mask it has a silicone loop that the strap that goes round the back of the head goes.
This loop of silicone snapped one night, so what I did was to take the loop of strap and instead of looping it through the loop, put it right over the top and used the loop as an anchor point but sewing thread from the centre of the loop by sewing through the centre to the outside all round where the broken loop of silicone was to the outside and back through the strap again. This has been like this for two months at least, it was to be a temporary repair, but it worked better than the original, so I did it on the other side before it also broke.
I also made a chin strap from material that went from the chin going over the head, then cut a big triangle for the ears, than took a strap round the back of the head. Tow bit join, above the head and behind the head. This was done using two inch/25mm Velcro, but better than the stuff you can buy in a shop, I got mine from Ebay, $6/£6 a metre. This stuff is so strong you could almost use it on its own.
After I did this I made a bit for the chin by cutting a bit of material 4 inches/10cm wide, then sewed it in, then put a strong thread through the top and bottom and pulled from each end, this made it kink to form a cup shape for the chin. I have no problems with leaks now what so ever and it is four times better than anything you can buy. Holds the chin in place and the material used does not stretch hardly at all. Best thing since sliced bread and I am going to make another improved version. Only thing I have added to the chin strap I made was a bit of material that goes from the top of the head towards the back, I put material across to make ridges on it so that the head gear stays in place and does not slip to the back of the head or slide forward. Huge improvement. The only thing is the Velcro is very strong and because it is almost 2"/5cm wide, it is a bit noise to remove to fit the head gear, so I fit it before going to bed if she is asleep. When fitting, if you get it to fit properly on top of the head, it can be hooked under the chin, then pulled on, then the rear straps at the rear of the head can be pulled tight. These are all you need to remove the head gear as well, as it is quite strong, put a loop so you can get a grip to pull it open.
RE: Silican mask can be fixed in an emergency - jaswilliams - 12-24-2020
Well done in your repair