02-01-2019, 04:15 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2019, 04:18 PM by Sleeprider.)
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
For the MacGyver types out there, I have seen humidifier chambers modified with a refill bottle. A bottle with a stopper and 1/4" outlet tube is filled and inverted, and the other end of the 1/4" tube is sealed between the minimum and maximum fill lines in the humidifier chamber. Vacuum holds water in the refill chamber as long as the tube in the humidifier chamber is under water. When the water level drops in the humidifier chamber, an air bubble will enter the tube and displace a small volume of water in the refill container. This keeps the humidifier filled above the refill tube as long as water remains in the refill bottle. It's simple and works kind of like the watering tube for a pet or a hummingbird feeder. Very simple design. A common source for parts is brewery supplies. The silicone or rubber stoppers with a hole are used for fermentation locks. Just insert a 1/4 inch tubing connector, flexible tubing, and be sure everything is sealed air-tight. Remember a rigid glass bottle works better than flexible plastic. If your refill container can collapse, you will have a mess and potential damage.
02-01-2019, 04:32 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2019, 04:33 PM by ardenum.)
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
(02-01-2019, 04:15 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: For the MacGyver types out there, I have seen humidifier chambers modified with a refill bottle. A bottle with a stopper and 1/4" outlet tube is filled and inverted, and the other end of the 1/4" tube is sealed between the minimum and maximum fill lines in the humidifier chamber. Vacuum holds water in the refill chamber as long as the tube in the humidifier chamber is under water. When the water level drops in the humidifier chamber, an air bubble will enter the tube and displace a small volume of water in the refill container. This keeps the humidifier filled above the refill tube as long as water remains in the refill bottle. It's simple and works kind of like the watering tube for a pet or a hummingbird feeder. Very simple design. A common source for parts is brewery supplies. The silicone or rubber stoppers with a hole are used for fermentation locks. Just insert a 1/4 inch tubing connector, flexible tubing, and be sure everything is sealed air-tight. Remember a rigid glass bottle works better than flexible plastic. If your refill container can collapse, you will have a mess and potential damage.
Have you got any links to such a setup? I'm having a hard time visualizing such a system. The one problem I see is when you turn off the pressure, the water from the refill bottle will pour inside the cpap, to normalize the water level.
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
I don't need it, but I'm tempted to make one just to show you.
If you have a glass or rigid plastic bottle and equip it with a stopper and tube, you can invert it and water will flow out of the tube as long as air can enter the tube. Stick that tube under water, and water will not flow because a vacuum forms in the bottle. You now have a reserve reservoir. As soon as a bubble of air enters the tube, it will displace an equal volume of water.
Try this...take a bottle and fill it with water. Now get another container with water in it. Invert the bottle over the container of water and let the top of the bottle be submerged. The water flow will completely stop when air cannot enter the bottle. Lift the bottle away and the water will chug out of the bottle unless you stop that airflow by submerging it.
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
That's an interesting setup for those MacGyver types, of which I'm no longer in that club, having lost my Swiss Army knife and ran out of duct tape. Regardless, this "IV bottle" setup as I'll call it, should do the trick for those needing extended humidifier capacity.
OK, someone try it and report back.
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RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
(02-01-2019, 04:47 PM)SarcasticDave94 Wrote: That's an interesting setup for those MacGyver types, of which I'm no longer in that club, having lost my Swiss Army knife and ran out of duct tape. Regardless, this "IV bottle" setup as I'll call it, should do the trick for those needing extended humidifier capacity.
OK, someone try it and report back.
An IV bottle is an interesting comparison. Modern IV is in plastic which collapses as the liquid is dispensed. Back in the old days with glass bottles, they had to use a vacuum breaker. IV solution dripped into an intermediate vile where oxygen would feed back to the IV bottle, and the dripped solution moved by gravity to the patient.
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
02-01-2019, 06:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2019, 06:36 PM by Fats Drywaller.)
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
The DIY projects are impressive, but there are one or two off-the-shelf solutions. Those just happen not to be the simple and inexpensive thing, which would be larger tanks for the existing humidifiers. The more general thing is a standalone heated humidifier that can be connected in-line with any machine. One example is the F&P HC150. The downside is the cost: $160 for that model.
https://www.fphcare.com/us/homecare/slee...ces/hc150/
Edit: Slightly lower price ($148) at Supplier #3.
02-02-2019, 04:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-02-2019, 04:51 AM by ardenum.)
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
(02-01-2019, 06:24 PM)Fats Drywaller Wrote: The DIY projects are impressive, but there are one or two off-the-shelf solutions. Those just happen not to be the simple and inexpensive thing, which would be larger tanks for the existing humidifiers. The more general thing is a standalone heated humidifier that can be connected in-line with any machine. One example is the F&P HC150. The downside is the cost: $160 for that model.
https://www.fphcare.com/us/homecare/slee...ces/hc150/
Edit: Slightly lower price ($148) at Supplier #3.
Thanks for the link, i like this alot. Unfortunatelly it seems it has 400ml capacity compared to S10 chamber's 380ml. Can anyone coonfirm this?
02-02-2019, 07:03 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-02-2019, 07:11 AM by Fats Drywaller.)
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
Another disadvantage is that you can't use a heated hose between standalone humidifier and mask. Presumably you use a short hose (maybe F&P-supplied?) between machine and humidifier, then a standard 6-foot unheated hose between humidifier and mask.
As for the water-capacity problem, I wonder how it would work if you used both humidifiers in series. But maybe more rainout?
There are also standalone passive (or "passover" if you're Jewish) humidifiers, unheated and less expensive, to be used in series, but I haven't searched for them.
As always, it'd be nice if there were more standardization and modularity of components. For instance, F&P has a CPAP machine called HC600, and it takes a humidifier tank called HC365 that holds 600 ml. But I suspect that the tank won't fit the HC150.
02-02-2019, 11:45 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-02-2019, 11:48 AM by Fats Drywaller.)
RE: Sleeping longer--how do I reduce humidity within my humidifier?
More tidbits from some casual searching:
The capacity of the F&P HC325 water chamber is 480 ml. I don't know of any larger model available (but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one).
F&P also has a passover (cold) humidifier, model HC105, called "Humidification Starter Kit", retailing for around $75, or half the price of the heated HC150.
The HC325 water chamber fits both the HC105 and the HC150.
One vendor's site mentions that the HC325 can't be opened for cleaning. A new one is about $15.
The HC300 "extended life humidifier chamber", same 480 ml capacity, about $40, lasts longer and can be disassembled for cleaning.
Short hoses, 18 or 24 inches, are available from various mfrs to connect the machine to the standalone humidifier of either type. The F&P humidifier kit also includes one of those.
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