Here is another place for some advice on fixing leaks on full face masks. Click on
Mask Fit to follow the link.
Here is one that I put together a while back. I will post changes and additions a little later.
My Take On Taming The Mirage Quattro
Fear of suffocation
For those new to the full face Mask (FFM). I would like to say a few words about what happens if your CPAP goes off in the middle of the night. The Mirage Quattro like all full face masks has a safety valve that opens to the atmosphere when there is no air coming from the CPAP. It is in the elbow. In addition the vents are open all of the time so there is no danger of suffocation if the power goes out. It may feel a little difficult to breathe immediately if you shut your machine off with your mask still on. This is only because it has been so easy to breathe with the pressure boost the machine gives.
Preparation
If your CPAP has a mask fitting feature you can use that. If not, set the ramp to 0 and disable the bi-level if you are able. If you can not disable the bi-level then only make adjustments during the inhale phase. With my Resmed S8 Auto, I just change to uni-level mode and turn off the ramp. This gives me all of the time that I need to make adjustments. I do this during the day so that there is no time pressure to get to bed. Adjust the mask forehead pads so the adjustment is all the way out – 24. Attach the hose to your CPAP,
Donning the Mask
Attach the top straps of the head gear to the mask. Flip the headgear over the front of the mask. While seated tilt the mask slightly towards your nose and put on the bridge of your nose. Pivot the chin portion of the mask onto your face so that the bottom of the mask rests in the crease between your lower lip and your chin. Holding the mask in the proper position on your face with one hand, use the other hand to flip the headgear over your head and pull it down over the top of your head until you have the lower straps close enough that they can be fastened to the mask. Fasten the lower straps to the mask. Loosen the hook and loop on the lower straps and adjust both at the same time and the same amount until the mask is snug at the bottom but not tight. Repeat for the top straps. With both hands pull the straps away from the head and move side to side to ensure that they and the mask are centered. Do the bottom straps and then the top straps.
Fitting The Mask
Connect tube from CPAP. Start CPAP with settings as described in “Preparation”. There will probably be a lot of leakage. Do not let it bother you. You will make it go away. Loosen the hook and loop on the bottom straps again and adjust both straps together until the leaks at the chin just go away. Fasten the bottom straps. Use the knob on the forehead pad assembly to adjust the nose bridge portion of the mask in (turn knob clockwise) until the leakage just stops.
Lie down on your back in a normal sleeping position adjust bottom straps and forehead knob as necessary to eliminate any leakage. Lay on one side and then the other to check for leaks and adjust as necessary. You should be good to go. Turn off machine. Take off mask.
Here comes the good part! Check the two lower straps and make sure that the hook and loop is the same distance from the end of the loop around the fastener. If they are not, adjust the shorter one to be the same length as the longer one. Repeat for the top straps. The reason for this is to maintain even tension on both sides otherwise leaks can develop more easily.
When you put the mask on to go to bed, get the mask on with the head straps all fastened and then grasp the lower strap behind your head, pull it slightly away from your head and move it side to side slightly to center the headgear and the mask. Do the same for the top strap. Fastening one side at a time puts a little more tension on one side than the other and gets the mask slightly off center. The aforementioned procedure equalizes the tension on both sides and centers the mask and headgear to reduce the tendency to leak.
One last thing, move the headgear up so that the bottom straps are as close under the ears as possible. If you can stand it, it would not be a bad idea to run the bottom strap across the ears. The further up on the skull and away from the neck the bottom straps are, the less effect the tilt of the head has on the strap tension. If your bottom straps are well down your neck from your ear, the strap tension will increase as your head tilts back and decrease as it tilts forward. Of course if it decreases enough the mask will leak.
Happy PAPping,
PaytonA