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Number of uses of a mask liner
#11
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
(11-22-2012, 11:57 PM)archangle Wrote:
(11-22-2012, 01:24 AM)bryank1 Wrote: I just received 3 new mask liners and replaced the old one (for the Quattro FX).

Do you have a brand and model for your mask liner?

I'm using a Quattro FX.
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#12
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
(11-22-2012, 11:57 PM)archangle Wrote:
(11-22-2012, 01:24 AM)bryank1 Wrote: I just received 3 new mask liners and replaced the old one (for the Quattro FX).

Do you have a brand and model for your mask liner?

Well Arch, my mask is a Quattro FX. I thought the mask liner was the silicone part of the mask that makes contact with the face. Can you set me straight here. Is there some other accessory to use with the mask (called a mask liner) or is the mask liner the silicone seal that contacts the face? I haven't come across any such accessory out there yet.
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#13
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
(11-23-2012, 11:39 AM)bryank1 Wrote:
(11-22-2012, 11:57 PM)archangle Wrote:
(11-22-2012, 01:24 AM)bryank1 Wrote: I just received 3 new mask liners and replaced the old one (for the Quattro FX).

Do you have a brand and model for your mask liner?

Well Arch, my mask is a Quattro FX. I thought the mask liner was the silicone part of the mask that makes contact with the face. Can you set me straight here. Is there some other accessory to use with the mask (called a mask liner) or is the mask liner the silicone seal that contacts the face? I haven't come across any such accessory out there yet.

I believe that's already been covered in the prior posts. The silicone part of the mask is usually referred to as a face cushion or mask cushion. A mask liner is a piece of fabric that goes between your face and the face cushion. Two of the more popular brands are Padacheek and Remzzz. Just Google them and you'll find information on them. One other suggestion I would make with the Quattro FX is that it is designed to fit "mid-bridge" on your nose, lower on your nose than most other full face masks. If you're getting leaks at the top of the mask, chances are you're setting the mask too high up on the bridge of your nose. It should go mid-bridge near the bony part and when you turn the machine on, the top portion inflates and kind of bubbles up and forms a seal over the bridge of your nose. If you have it too high, it won't seal right. If the leaks are from the sides or the bottom, then you probably don't have the strap tension set right. Or, like I said before, the Quattro FX just may not be the mask for you. Good luck!
We're all family here...you can call me B36 if you'd like!Cool
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#14
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
(11-22-2012, 09:36 AM)b360155 Wrote: I agree with everything Zonk says. I've been using a Quattro FX for about a year now and I'm still on only my 2nd silicone face cushion and getting zero to very little leaks each night. I wash my face each night just before masking up and I wash my mask cushion every morning in the sink in warm water with a squirt of liquid Ivory soap, then rinse it very well and that helps to retain the tackiness. The cushion will get a bit translucent over time but that doesn't really reduce the effectiveness of it at all. If you want it to be clear, there's threads out there that will describe a process where you can boil the cushion with a teaspoon of baking soda. I've done that a couple of times but don't feel it's really necessary, it just makes the cushion clear again for a night or two. The Quattro FX does use a fairly unique "swing and seal" technique and there's videos on Resmed's website or on YouTube if you haven't already seen how it works. The Quattro FX should not be over-tightened, it should "float" on your face after the CPAP machine is turned on. I have tried some mask liners before. When I first started therapy, I thought they made the mask more comfortable to wear. But I'm used to the feeling of the silicone on my face now and in my experience, I get significantly less leaks without a mask liner than with one.

It's also possible that the Quattro FX just isn't the right mask for you as no mask fits different people's faces the same. I tried 4 other masks before settling on the Quattro FX as the best one for me.
Ok, I shaved and washed my face before bed and found out that the mask fit much better through the night. No question about it. Still going be manufacturers recommendations it appears the silicone should be replaced after the 1st night of use; however, it can be reused of course just not recommended. This is interesting as I was recently on a business trip and needed to use an alternate supplier. I found out that my insurance has no restrictions on dme or cpap supplies. The stipulation is as long is it is medically necessary. The local suppliers use a common standard billing code that goes along the guidelines of medicare even though your particular insurance will pay. Bottom line is that they usually need (but not always) a prescription note of medical necessity. It's getting expensive going through this stuff trying to find the right form fit and function of equip.
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#15
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
I still think we have a misunderstanding somewhere. The silicone portion of your mask should not be replaced after the 1st night of use. You'd go broke replacing the face cushions if that were the case. I believe Remzzz mask liners do recommend replacing after one night of use but I've never used that brand of mask liner. Padacheek mask liners and silicone mask cushions should last several months without needing to be replaced.
We're all family here...you can call me B36 if you'd like!Cool
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#16
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
I use a Quatro FX and I too need the cushion to be "tacky" for it to work properly.

I'm almost always on the road for work and have found that the local tap water has a lot of effect on the way I have to clean the cushion.

I use dishwashing liquid and warm tap water to wash the cushion. If the mask still feels slick after I've rinsed it well (I think this is caused by chemically softened water), then I'll shake it dry and give it a good rub down with a wet mask wipe or give it a second rinse with some of the distilled water I have for my humidifier. Sometimes the cushion will cloud up (I think this is from minerals in some water); when this happens a wet mask wipe or distilled water rinse doesn't seem to do a very good job of clearing it up and making it tacky (they do help a little) so I usually give it a quick rinse in a 3/1 water/white vinegar solution. This will clear it right up and make it tacky again, but it will smell like vinegar (doesn't really bother me) because you can't rinse the solution off with the tap water or you'll be right back to where you started and I usually don't have the quantity of distilled water it would take to get the vinegar smell off.
A word of caution; I think the vinegar solution, with repeated treatments, softens the cushion. Many people here say they can use a cushion for several months. Mine blow out after 6 -7 weeks. By "blow out", I mean that the silicone that lays against my face stretches out so far that the cushion can't stay inflated. This could just be because my average pressure is so high...I don't know.
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#17
RE: Number of uses of a mask liner
(11-23-2012, 11:59 AM)bryank1 Wrote: Still going be manufacturers recommendations it appears the silicone should be replaced after the 1st night of use; however, it can be reused of course just not recommended.

You've got to be reading something wrong. What exactly does it say, and what document are you reading?

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