P10 reporting leaks even when there are no real leaks

[GuyScharf]

Having a small leak rate with the P10 is common.  For example, see

• http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-p10-leak-rate
  

• http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...k-rate-off
  
  

I can't find when I used a P10 in my OSCAR charts, but I recall that I often had a small leak rate. I didn't explore the leak rate and just ignored it as it was too small to matter.

It may be that the P10 is venting slightly more than the CPAP expects a mask to vent. Without an air flow meter, that would be difficult to confirm.

A waking test -- not sleeping -- would be to plug some of the vent holes and see if the report changes. If it does, then just accept that the leak is being reported incorrectly. Do NOT plug part of the vent for sleeping use!

More often I see complaints about the P10 not venting enough.

[cathyf]

I've basically given up on the P30i/N30i because I can't control the leaks. A related issue -- I'm really suspicious about how my machine reports flow rate and flow limits and minute vent & tidal volume when the leaks are up around the 5-10 range. Is it possible that the machine is scoring expiration volume as leaks and is just somehow totally confused?

Another thing that confuses me is that sometimes when I'm awake I can feel my mouth filling up with air and inflating my cheeks. And then I deflate my cheeks (by pushing on the muscles) a few breaths later and all of the air that got lost during the chipmunk cheeks phase heads back out in later breaths. I know that the machine detects the "lost" air through the pressure drop, and that if my mouth were open and/or mask was leaking at the seals then that air is simply gone from the system. But in this case the air isn't really leaking, and there will be later breaths where all of that missing air returns to the system. What does the machine make of the "extra" air?

[Michaely6]

Having a small leak rate with the P10 is common.  For example, see

• http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-p10-leak-rate
  

• http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...k-rate-off
  
  

I can't find when I used a P10 in my OSCAR charts, but I recall that I often had a small leak rate. I didn't explore the leak rate and just ignored it as it was too small to matter.

It may be that the P10 is venting slightly more than the CPAP expects a mask to vent. Without an air flow meter, that would be difficult to confirm.

A waking test -- not sleeping -- would be to plug some of the vent holes and see if the report changes. If it does, then just accept that the leak is being reported incorrectly. Do NOT plug part of the vent for sleeping use!

More often I see complaints about the P10 not venting enough.

This is exactly what happened when I covered the vent holes in both p10 that I own. The leak rate immediately went to 0. Are my p10s defective then if this doesn't happen to everyone who owns the p10? I see alot of people say that they get 0 leak rate with the p10 so will this make my p10 defective? It showed this leak brand new right out the box from day one for both p10's

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I just clicked the link provided by GuyScharf and it does seem to be a built issue with the p10 based on what others have said on that other thread.

[nightgagger]

My P30i, and I have two that I have switched between, give me a leak rate between 6 and 8 where there's no leak. Wonder if an offset needs to be added? Nevertheless, it's how you feel in the morning that's the main determinant for therapy effectiveness.

[JasonR]

Hi Michaely6,

Did you ever figure this out? I've recently come into possession of a used vauto and am experiencing the same thing with an N20 mask. Exact same mask and tube used on my airsense 10 do not show a leak but connected to the vauto it's reporting a leak around 16-18l at 16cmh2o. If I block the mask vents, the leak drops to zero.

Thanks,

Jason