switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
Hi,
First post. My Resmed Elite II CPAP has worked pretty well for some years, except for one thing. The switches are going bad. I usually have to push pretty hard, wait a while (10 seconds?), and make several tries. This includes the start switch. I took them apart and cleaned them, but it didn't seem to help. Not sure if they are regular switches, capacitive, or what. When you push a button, a little black pad contacts tracks on the PC Board which are bare metal and kind of wrapped around each other so they are very close. Anyone know how to make switches like this work better?
I've attached some pictures to clarify things.
Thanks,
Lincoln
RE: switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
Hi lincolnr,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for suggestions and best of luck to you.
trish6hundred
RE: switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
I've found this product known as a keypad repair kit which appears to be specifically for keypads of this type, though the usual ones are on other kinds of products, like TV remotes. Have ordered and unless I hear of a better way first, will try it.
A search engine will dig up various examples of these. I ordered one made by MG chemicals. A bit under $30 with shipping. SciPlus has a low budget version, but I've heard of MG Chemicals before, and even used some of their stuff at work.
RE: switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
I don't know your insurance situation, but a new S9 Elite or AutoSet has some LARGE advantages over your S8 machine. It might be a good way to convince your insurance to buy a new one.
Or buy a new one online or watch your local craigslist. I just got an S9 AutoSet for $250 from a local seller, but I did have to watch the ads for 6 months or so to find a price that goo.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software
here.
Useful links.
Click
here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
RE: switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
(09-25-2013, 10:07 AM)archangle Wrote: I don't know your insurance situation, but a new S9 Elite or AutoSet has some LARGE advantages over your S8 machine. It might be a good way to convince your insurance to buy a new one.
snip
They'll probably allow a new one in a few months anyway, as this one's almost 5 years old. Then I'll have a backup. And I hate to waste a perfectly good machine just because of one small issue that is not a big part of the machine!
Other than being quieter, any other big advantages?
Thanks,
Lincoln
RE: switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
(09-26-2013, 03:31 PM)lincolnr Wrote: They'll probably allow a new one in a few months anyway, as this one's almost 5 years old. Then I'll have a backup. And I hate to waste a perfectly good machine just because of one small issue that is not a big part of the machine!
Other than being quieter, any other big advantages?
The biggest advantage of S9 vs. S8 is data collection.
More data, airflow waveforms show each breath all night long.
Tries to distinguish central apnea from obstructive apnea.
Easier to use and clean humidifier tank.
Heated Hose option.
Uses SD card for data, not a proprietary smart card that needs a special card reader.
Works with the free SleepyHead software for data analysis.
Other general improvments in the software.
Be sure to get the S9 AutoSet or S9 Elite. The Escape and Escape Auto do NOT collect much data.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software
here.
Useful links.
Click
here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
RE: switches going bad on Resmed Elite II
IT WORKED!
I used the kit yesterday, let it dry for a day, and now all the buttons work. Easily. It was fairly easy to do, though if you're not terribly nearsighted you might want some kind of magnifier. The swabs are kind of odd to work with, and I don't think that I was able to put on a really light coat of the stuff, as directed, but it seems to work fine. We'll see how long it lasts.
I didn't skip a night of CPAP, though. I got the machine into the on state some days ago, and I've been plugging and unplugging it to turn it on and off, so I didn't need the keyboard last night. I haven't skipped a night since I got the thing. I even use it for naps.
If I thought that a new CPAP would do for me what beer or a new car does for people in the commercials, it wouldn't be out of the question to go and buy one out of pocket. But I'm skeptical. For now, I'll settle for having only two yellow lines in the middle of the road when I'm driving and needing fewer naps.
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I don't really get into the data that much, though I do check the apnea index, etc. from time to time. Generally, the machine works fairly well for me and I don't worry about it. The easier to clean tank sounds nice. If the new ones are quieter, that would be important. I look forward to getting a new one in a few months.
