ResMed S9 AutoSet machine = noise

[GrammaBear]

I use the ResMed S9 AutoSet machine. My machine is almost 4 years old and up until now has worked fine with very little or no noise during running time. Last night the machine woke me making what is best described as a 'static' noise. The noise from the machine was loud enough to also wake my husband.

At first I thought maybe it was a leak from one of the hoses, either the long or the short hose. I got up and switched out both hoses and a new pair of pillows for my mask. About an hour later the noise from the machine returned and by that time I was wide awake - so I got up.

Does anyone have any idea about what could be wrong with my machine? What kind of noise does this machine make when it the operation of the machine is defective? Don't they last more than 3-4 years?

[justMongo]

Possibly the bearings on the blower motor shaft are excessively worn.

[GrammaBear]

Possibly the bearings on the blower motor shaft are excessively worn.

That was my thought as well. How does one determine that this could be the cause of the noise? And IF it is the cause, would it be cheaper to buy a new machine, out of pocket, rather than invest money to repair a machine that is almost 4 years old? I am in a quandry about knowing what to do.

[justMongo]

That was my thought as well. How does one determine that this could be the cause of the noise? And IF it is the cause, would it be cheaper to buy a new machine, out of pocket, rather than invest money to repair a machine that is almost 4 years old? I am in a quandry about knowing what to do.

Difficult to determine, short of tearing it apart.
If you cannot tolerate the noise, time to replace; and upgrade to the 10 series. Would not be cost effective to repair.

If paying out-of-pocket; and cost is an issue, then you could likely pick up a zero or low hour S9 replacement from Supplier #2.

[zonk]

The machine is 4 years old and out of warranty but I don't expect the machine to fall apart

Unplug the machine, remove the water tank and take everything apart
Put it back again and plug it, change the air filter too
Try and see what happen

If the annoying noise persists, talk to someone, doctor, DME, insurance
Don't they have have to repair the machine or get you a new one? no two way about it
Insurance replace the machine every 5 years but CPAP is medical necessity
Life depend on it, being in a good working order is essential

[DariaVader]

I believe most insurance companies will cover the cost of a machine before 5 years in case of out of warranty and broken. check, and if they say no, appeal.

[DariaVader]

from one of the supplier websites:

Tip 8 – Check Your Insurance Coverage

Insurance will typically cover a new CPAP every 5-6 years. If it has been less than 5 years you could still be covered. Some policies will cover a new CPAP as long as you can prove it is broken. The only downside is replacing your CPAP through insurance can take a long time. So if you feel like your CPAP isn’t working like it used to, you’ll want to get a head start and check your coverage ASAP.

[trish6hundred]

Hi GrammaBear,
I wish you good luck on your machine decision, Hopefully you can get the one you have now working.