Another New Machine
I had been using ResMed S9 Escape with a humidifier set at 10 since January 2014 - AHI 27.7. In March of the same year I had a displaced tibial plateau fractures of my left but that's a different story however I have gained weight as a result of the inactivity.
As I had to travel quite a long way to the hospital I thought I would transfer to a local hospital . They found that my AHI had gone up to 30.9 - probably caused by the weight gain.
I collected my new machine yesterday, it is a Respironics REMstar Auto A-Flex with a humidifier what a difference it made last night I slept for 9:28 hrs and felt great when I woke up. I had a sneaky look using Sleepyhead and pressure was Min 4.0 Max 14.1 and an average of 12.5 and AHI was 2.64. It shows the difference between a fixed and an auto machine, I am glad I changed.
I told them at the hospital I had been using boiled water in the ResMed but I was told I MUST use sterile irrigation water in the REMstar because the humidifier's tank is made of plastic and could be porous unlike the ResMed's stainless steel one.
I was given two one litre bottles of water which I was told would last six day approx using 330ml per night. Luckily my Dr has given me a repeat prescription for 20 bottles every two months, this type of water is quite expensive over here.
By the way I am in the UK
RE: Another New Machine
You might check with a local DME about the water. I know at the local hospitals here, they use sterile irrigation water for patients while they are in the hospital, but most people, not in the hospital, use distilled water. I don't see how distilled water could be any different in the UK than in the US.
05-12-2015, 12:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-12-2015, 01:41 PM by Crimson Nape.)
RE: Another New Machine
(05-12-2015, 12:06 PM)Sabre1.8Ti Wrote: . . . I was told I MUST use sterile irrigation water in the REMstar because the humidifier's tank is made of plastic and could be porous unlike the ResMed's stainless steel one.
First, Welcome to the forum!
I think I throw the BS flag on this one. If it is porous then it wouldn't make any difference which water you used, it would still leak. If you're worried; What about using distilled water? The air is just passing over the water to pickup additional humidity, it's not like you have an IV. Anyway, has anybody checked to see how clean the humidity is in the air that we normally breathe?
(05-12-2015, 12:06 PM)Sabre1.8Ti Wrote: By the way I am in the UK
We have several members from the UK. We don't hold it against them. It's just that we can't type with an accent. 
Good Luck!
RE: Another New Machine
(05-12-2015, 12:06 PM)Sabre1.8Ti Wrote: I told them at the hospital I had been using boiled water in the ResMed but I was told I MUST use sterile irrigation water in the REMstar because the humidifier's tank is made of plastic and could be porous unlike the ResMed's stainless steel one. Funny. So "sterile" water is supposed to be molecularly larger than boiled water so it doesn't escape a more porous container?
Your boiled water should be just fine. Worse case, you get build up on the bottom of the tank... you clean it or if it really bothers you, replace in a year. It is just used to provide humidity to you.
[size=x-small]Current Settings PS 4.0 over 10.6-18.0 (cmH2O) BiLevel Auto
RE: Another New Machine
I think the porous argument is taken from the standpoint of if there are any bacteria left in the boiled water that it could live in the plastic and cause infection problems. It' slide the plastic cutting board thing with the knife grooves. It's a long shot of that ever happening, but I get the docs argument. Anywho, welcome to the board, and good luck with your therapy!!
RE: Another New Machine
When I stop and think what I used to do, it horrifies me. Remember I need some boiled water, ah, some in the kettle (not sure when it was boiled, kettle is cold), pour into jug, leave jug on kitchen window sill (could be there all day) take up stairs when going to bed (could be many hours) then fill humidifier, yuk!!!
I think what he was saying was plastic is / can be porous, not such that it leaks, so if you fill with unclean water i.e. potentially, what I was using, you can introduce things you certainly don't want in your lungs.
I don't need a source of sterile water as I said in my original post I have a repeat prescription for 20 bottles every two months and as I don't pay for them my water is free.
RE: Another New Machine
If you clean your tank on a regular basis this should make no difference. You are not drinking the water out of the humidity tank. The reason why mfg's recommend distilled water is so you don't get build up in the tanks from minerals and they stay cleaner. Other than that, it makes no difference.
When used in a CPAP machine, water is heated in the tank (not boiled) and the air that passes over the tank collects water due to the air being warmer (it can hold more moisture) and transports it to you in the form of water molecules much too small to pass contaminates. Any contaminates are left in the tank.
Any clean drinkable water should be fine, better with with no minerals in it.
In the US, getting a gallon of distilled water is trivial and inexpensive.
[size=x-small]Current Settings PS 4.0 over 10.6-18.0 (cmH2O) BiLevel Auto
RE: Another New Machine
Hi Sabre1.8Ti,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
It's great to hear that you are having better results with your mew machine.
I use distilled water in my humidifier chamber and it works well for me.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and much success to you with your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
05-12-2015, 03:17 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-12-2015, 03:19 PM by OMyMyOHellYes.)
RE: Another New Machine
Nah. They are full of basura.
The plastics don't absorb bad stuff from the water. At least not from clean drinking water in locations with reliably safe drinking water. I generally do not worry about drinking water in the US or the UK. I think it's up to western standards. And if you don't get sick from drinking it, you are not going to get sick from smelling it.
Note also that Respironics says the water chambers are dishwasher safe and the dishwashers use straight tap water.
Worst case, the water may have minerals that would cause an accretion in the tank over time. And if so, a new tank can be had for around $20-25 (15 pounds sterling?) I used straight tap water in my S-8 and would get some cloudy deposits on the plastic, but like I said that was mineral accretion. I use distilled water in my Respironics 560 and did so in my S-9 and the water chambers were virtually maintenance free.
But if it's free and you are comfortable with that, cool. Just don't let them blow nonsense up your skirt (or kilt to my Scot family members).
OMMOHY
RE: Another New Machine
(05-12-2015, 02:18 PM)krelvin Wrote: Any clean drinkable water should be fine, better with with no minerals in it.
In the US, getting a gallon of distilled water is trivial and inexpensive.
I agree. If you can drink it, you can use it in the humidifier. If it is high mineral content you may end up with mineral build up in the bottom of the tank which could make your humidifier less effective or you could just clean the tank out periodically. I am really not sure what "irrigation water" is. In the U.S., irrigation water would not be classified as drinkable except by plants.
Best Regards,
PaytonA
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