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+--- Thread: distilled water (/Thread-distilled-water)
distilled water - roym - 04-25-2014
Hi all,
In my manual it says put distilled water in humidifier. I have been using tap water. Is that an issue?
Likewise do you guys actually follow the schedule for cleaning (daily mask, weekly tube etc). The only thing I do is the mask once in a while.
Thanks for your inputs,
roy
RE: distilled water - Sleepster - 04-25-2014
This article sums up our opinions on the issue of humidifier water:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=CPAP_humidifier_water
The short answer about tap water is that if you're not afraid of it, and it's not hard enough to cause a mineral build up that has to be removed, then use it. I do.
As to the issue of cleaning, well, many of us feel that the professional recommendations are over the top. They do this to avoid loosing money over lawsuits. Many others, though, clean their gear daily. Do whatever suits you. I clean mine at least twice per month, usually more.
One thing I do religiously, though, is empty the water tank every morning, rinse it out and let it dry. Then I fill it each evening before going beddie-bye.
I do this because of the odor. The odor also prompts me to clean the hose with a brush. I'm the only one I know of though, that's bothered by CPAP odor. I start noticing it if the hose hasn't been cleaned in two days or so, and I only notice it when I first go to bed.
The other strange thing is that I don't notice it when I travel, and again I don't notice it after returning home. Sometimes for a couple of weeks! Weird.
RE: distilled water - trish6hundred - 04-25-2014
Hi roym,
There are quite a few threads about distilled versis tap water here on the board; interesting reading, for sure.
As far as cleaning my mask,hose and water chamber,
I soak them in a sink of warm, mild soapy water, (I use Ivory Liquid,) once a week and I try to remember to wipe the mask down when I get up in the morning with a mask wipe in between times.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.
RE: distilled water - JimZZZ - 04-25-2014
I use a mild solution of warm water and baby shampoo to wash my mask every morning. The rest of the equipment gets the same treatment once a week. I empty the humidifier daily and refill from a gallon of distilled water I keep in the fridge. The entire process is easy and inexpensive and gives me confidence that I'm doing my best to avoid problems. I like the idea that I'm the only creature using my equipment.
RE: distilled water - zonk - 04-25-2014
(04-25-2014, 10:21 AM)roym Wrote: Hi all,Distilled water is not readily available in my local shops
In my manual it says put distilled water in humidifier. I have been using tap water. Is that an issue?
Likewise do you guys actually follow the schedule for cleaning (daily mask, weekly tube etc). The only thing I do is the mask once in a while.
Thanks for your inputs,
roy
I use pre-boiled tap water
As for cleaning, I use plain old liquid soap and hot water
Washing mask cushions each morning in the shower is a must for good mask seal, don,t have any longer a set cleaning schedule for the rest, whenever I,m in the mood but over time have accumulated few spares
RE: distilled water - PaytonA - 04-25-2014
Like Sleepster said.
I use distilled water myself but would not feel bad about using tap water. I do not want to clean deposits out of the tank (lazy) and distilled water is readily available, cheap, and works well for me. You will find that some people dump and refill their tank each day and some clean the tank daily. I clean my humidifier tank every now and then and that is when it gets dumped. A lot of this is personal preference. Reducing the mineral content of the water (by distillation) keeps down mineral build up in the tank. Distillation also acts to sterilize the water pretty well. Well I have rambled enough.
Best Regards,
PaytonA
RE: distilled water - glfredrick - 04-29-2014
I have used distilled water since starting to use my device. I (we) also use distilled water for the Neilmed sinus rinse that we use. Tap water tends to burn in the nose and it CAN have any number of issues that if forcefully blown into the sinus cavities or lungs could cause problems up to and including parasites. While a gallon of distilled water resting on a shelf between uses may pick up slight environmental things from dust in the air, handling of the jug, etc., it is by and large the most purified version of water that one can get unless one distills his or her own on the spot directly into the machine.
I clean my mask daily, but do so by washing it assembled using an all natural soap product called "Planet" dish soap. It is a VERY mild soap made from coconut oil and I have found it very good for washing mask parts as it does not impart any perfumes or chemicals that cause my face to burn from contact (which can be a real problem when a mask is work for hours each night for years!).
(Google Planet Utra Dishwashing Liquid)
I take apart everything that I can take apart and clean about once per week including brushing out the hose. All the tank seals, mask parts, etc., are soaked in a sink with Planet and peroxide whitening mouthwash (don't really measure just a "glug" of each) then rinsed in cool water with about half a cup of white vinegar, which sanitizes and helps to remove any deposits that form on the parts. My mask cusions generally last for as long as 6 months, my hoses a year or more, and I've only replaced one water tank in 8 years on my M-type. I use well water that is not otherwise treated (except a water softener) and has no flouride, hypochloride, etc.
This regimen has helped keep ME healthy and also helped keep my machine running and parts cost to a minimum over the years.
RE: distilled water - ImaSurvivor - 04-29-2014
I use distilled water at home because it is easy and cheap to buy. I top off my humidifier tub each night and just clean it on weekends with my other equipment. We have well water and I am not a fan of the build up in my tub from the hard water. When traveling, I use tap water. There is also build up after a few days but I know it is only a temporary period of time. When I get home I am ready to get everything clean and tidy.
I wash my mask, hoses, humidifier tub weekly. My respiratory therapist told me instructions say to do it every day. Then he followed up with saying not many have that much time in their lives and once a week is fine. I use mild dish detergent and a little white vinegar. Therapist recommended Dawn dish soap (original unscented, not anti-bacterial). I let them soak for about an hour, rinse thoroughly, then hang up to dry during the day. I bought a dish pan that I soak my equipment in rather than directly in the sink where bacteria may be lurking. The dish pan is reserved for only for cleaning my CPAP equipment.
RE: distilled water - Sleepster - 04-29-2014
When I travel I just use bottled drinking water. Mostly because it's readily available everywhere I go, and I don't trust hotel tap water, or even the tap water in a friend or relative's home.
RE: distilled water - ImaSurvivor - 04-29-2014
I have used bottled water too. But I have gone to some vending machines in smaller motels where it was empty or they wanted 2.00/bottle. Recently when we were gone for an extended period of time and had a rental car, I did go get distilled water.