(03-08-2014, 01:44 PM)zonk Wrote: Hi winky, welcome aboard

(03-08-2014, 01:44 PM)zonk Wrote: I doubt you can buy CPAP machines on ebay these days.

(03-08-2014, 01:44 PM)zonk Wrote: You can get a good deal from Supplier #2 for used and new machines (both comes with a warranty).

(03-18-2014, 09:36 PM)thartley Wrote: If you are up to it, you might want to try looking inside your machine if you can get a copy of the service manual. This may not be for everyone, but in my case we didn't have much to lose since it wouldn't turn on consistently and was well beyond the warranty period.

My wife's REMstar plus with C-Flex 250P was having trouble turning on. Nine times out of ten, instead of turning on, it would give her an error beep (no error code) and the screen would say that it needed service. She had it visually inspected by the local supplier and they said she needed a new one. Unfortunately, it was only about 4 years into our 5 year health care replacement cycle. (This machine has the SD card slot, but no card is being used.)

Thanks to the Apnea Board Forums, I found the pdf file of the service manual in the "LINKS to Members-Only Files" area. Armed with a couple of Torx screwdriver tips and the guidance of the pdf file, I was able to carefully disassemble the machine. The REMstar manual has lots of images with all the key items pointed out so it was really straight forward. The hardest part for that model was prying off the knob on the top of the machine. Everything else came apart easily with the Torx screwdriver. I discovered that the insides were pretty dusty. There was even a spider web on the pc board. I used some compressed air to blow off all the dust, disassembled it a little more and blew the dust out of the rest of the insides. Assembly was the reverse of disassembly. I made sure that all the seals were sealing against whatever they needed to.

All the screws screw into plastic, so it's a good idea to start each screw into its hole by first slowly turning it counter-clockwise until you feel it raise up a little and then drop down into the existing thread grooves. Then you can start turning it clockwise to tighten it down. This helps to ensure you don't accidentally cross-thread the screw, which would weaken the hole.

Anyway, for my wife's machine, that's all it took to get it to fire up the first time she turns it on now.

Thanks again to the forum for putting together the manuals section.

(03-08-2014, 01:32 PM)winky Wrote: Hello!

I think my machine is sort of ancient. I bought it used on eBay back when you could do that, maybe ten years ago, or more. It's a Respironics Remstar Plus LX.

(I do have a prescription, but medical equipment is not a covered benefit with my health insurance. When I found out the prices from the medical supply company, I just bought my own.)

It's starting to make a high-pitched whining noise that it didn't make before. Does that mean it's going to fail soon? I'm wondering if I could do something to fix it, or make it last a little longer. I'm handy with mechanical things.

If it's failing, I suppose I ought to get a new one while it still works.

Suggestions and ideas, please?