Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

Distilled vs Tap water
#1
Distilled vs Tap water
Hi all. Just signed up and learning a lot from the threads. I started using my cpap 20 days ago and so far,so good. On my first visit, I met with a respiratory therapist and he also uses a cpap. I was told when first setting up to always use distilled water in the humidifier, be he said to just use tap water and distilled was unnecessary. Anyone else been told two different methods?
#2
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
Hi Airborne482!

Welcome

The manufacturers say to use distilled but most of us around here use tap water. I think it may be a lawyer thing.
Crimson Nape
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com
___________________________________
Useful Links -or- When All Else Fails:
The Guide to Understanding OSCAR
OSCAR Chart Organization
Attaching Images and Files on Apnea Board
Apnea Helpful Tips

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
#3
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
You will get all kinds of opinions. We have hard well well water. If I use that, the solids will settle out. It won't hurt anything but it will not look good. I only use distilled. At $1 per gallon, 128 oz per gal, that's 43 nights. Or <3cents a day. Not too expensive and my humidifier looks like new after 9 months.

I put 3 oz in each night and empty it each morning.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas. 
#4
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
You will get different opinions on this. I've never used anything but distilled water. Water chamber looks like new after two years. I do wash it with dawn dish soap every couple weeks and rinse well.



OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
#5
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
The main problem with tap water is if it is from a source with a lot of minerals, such as water on a long river or in a big lake that's fed by long rivers. This can cause minerals to build up in your humidifier.

Tap water will be pretty well sterile unless your water supplier is incompetent.

Distilling water removes the minerals but the result is not necessarily more sterile than tap water since city water is almost universally sterilized at the plant and will remain so at the tap.

If you live in Flint, Michigan definitely go with the distilled stuff!
Ed Seedhouse
VA7SDH

Part cow since February 2018.

Trust your mind less and your brain more.


#6
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
Hi Airborne482,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I use distilled water. I have tried tap water from a purifier, but I found that my tank was getting coated with deposits after a while.
trish6hundred
#7
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
Distilled water for me , also. My water chamber looks brand new after a years use.
Useful Links
Download OSCAR
Organize your OSCAR and SleepyHead charts
Attaching images and files to posts


Advisory Members serve as an "Advisory Committee" to help shape Apnea Board's rules & policies. Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
#8
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
Really depends on your tap water source. While I am a maniac about the air filters, I can get away with tap water as in NY City it is very low in any mineral content or particulates (verses the air that requires new disposable filters at a minimum every 2 weeks - 1 week in the winter). Wash the chamber every week, rinse daily.
#9
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
If you use tap water, be sure to dump the residual from the previous night, rinse or wash the chamber and re-fill. This will help slow the build-up of any mineral deposits. (This works for 'normal' tap water, but if your tap water is highly mineralised and you get build up in just a few days, best to use distilled water)
#10
RE: Distilled vs Tap water
I think everyone ought to use distilled water. Inhaling chlorine is unhealthy. We were taught that you need a filter in your shower as much, if not more than on your tap because it is more toxic to inhale chlorine than to ingest it since the chlorine gas we inhale enters directly into our blood stream. Research has demonstrated that the cancer risk that is associated with chlorinated water may actually be due to showering rather than drinking the disinfected water. Some water systems use chloramine. Which is chlorine plus ammonia. This is even more toxic.


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Not using water in AirSense 10 Elite Nishimark 2 93 03-21-2024, 12:47 AM
Last Post: Nishimark
Video [Equipment] Resmed AS10 Water Chamber Noise SOLUTION fixed it 0 88 03-18-2024, 12:36 PM
Last Post: fixed it
  Horrible chemically burned bacon smell in nose after water reservoir runs dey icashootnstar 13 1,807 03-18-2024, 09:39 AM
Last Post: Sleeprider
  CPAP toppled over/water issue Visitor 7 7,372 03-17-2024, 10:39 PM
Last Post: Willow85
  One-Piece Water Chamber Cleaning Davebr60 0 182 02-26-2024, 11:12 PM
Last Post: Davebr60
  Cannot get water chamber flush with machine, making awful sound like a vacuum kc90 2 210 02-07-2024, 06:29 PM
Last Post: kc90
  [Equipment] water chamber strong plastic odor twdc33 2 354 01-24-2024, 10:19 AM
Last Post: twdc33


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.