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[CPAP] Life of CPAP machine
#1
Life of CPAP machine
Hi, I just joined this forum today and I haven't yet read many threads, but a search did not help me find the answer to my question so I hope I'm not asking something that has already been addressed a million times.

I have had my CPAP for about four years now, since I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea. When it was sold to me, the tech told me it should be replaced every two years, but since I didn't have insurance to cover it, he added that it would likely last a lot longer than that. Now it's been four years and since then I have moved to a different part of the country with different health care and also in a remote northern location. Since last summer I have been on a waiting list to have another sleep study done so I can get another prescription for a new machine.

I am worried that one day my machine will just stop working before I can get a new one. I leave my machine plugged in all the time, but I am wondering if I should be unplugging it during the day to help prolong it's life?

Any advice or thoughts on how long you can expect a machine to last or proper care/maintenance would be appreciated. (I should add that I have a Fisher & Paykel SleepStyle 200)
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#2
RE: Life of CPAP machine
2 years is not normal (A DME would love that business though). Typically 4 years or more. Medicare is 5 years or more. My last machine was used for 6yrs and is currently my backup machine.

Don't know much about your machine. Is it having problems? or are you just wanting to get something newer.

For something you depend on daily to let you sleep, many consider getting a backup machine or using their previous machine as a backup when they get a new machine.

I would not recommend that you unplug your machine since it is not designed to be used that way. I'd just leave it plugged in as you have for the past 4 years.




[size=x-small]Current Settings PS 4.0 over 10.6-18.0 (cmH2O) BiLevel Auto
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#3
RE: Life of CPAP machine
I'm not having problems with my machine. I am just worried that it's going to stop working for me before I can get a new one. I am also wondering if machines typically show signs that they are at the end of their life?

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#4
RE: Life of CPAP machine
Hi northern girl,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I think insurance will replace machines every 5 years but a lot of times, they will last longer than that.
I leave my machine plugged in all the time, it shouldn't hurt for you to do that either.
Hang in there for more answers to your question and much success to you as you continue your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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#5
RE: Life of CPAP machine
Thank you krelvin and trish for your replies. Smile I have just realized that I have been using the cpap for four years and I know practically nothing about apnea therapy. So much information on this forum, it's a bit overwhelming.
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#6
RE: Life of CPAP machine
Years don't necessarily mean that much in and of themselves. Most of the estimates of 5-6 year life are based on every night use, probably between 6 and 8 hours a night. Most insurance will replace machines older than 5 years. Many go a lot longer than that. I would expect most machines to go between 15,000 and 20,000 hours. So hours on the blower are probably more telling. IN any case, I would guess you probably have a couple years to go.

If it is still running fine, I would keep going, but maybe start putting aside $20 or 30 a month for a new one if you don't have insurance. Also, contact where you got it or the doctor and get a copy of your original Rx if you don't already have that. Probably not going to get a new Rx unless you've seen your Dr. in the last year. They may balk if it has been that long since your last study - especially if you don't have a data capable machine and you could show you current results and pressures. I don't know anything about the F&P line so you may have that data already.

A data capable auto like the Resmed S-9 or A-10, the Respironics System One model 560, of maybe the DeVillbiss Intellipap Auto would be good to have so you could provide that data to the Dr. if you don't currently have data. Buying one of those used could run less than a sleep study if you have insurance with deductible and co-pays. I know the INtellipap is less than $500 new in box and it is a hell of a tough machine. Even has a 5 year warranty - that's the best warranty in the business. And it will run directly off a 12 v battery if you are up at the North Pole and the power sometimes falters. So will the Respironics machines. Resmed requires a new power brick to run off batteries which runs another $100... Again, I bet F&P has a comparable unit, and you may be more comfortable with F&P since that's what you have run all this time

Go check out supplier numero dos if any of those options hold any interest. They're up by the North Pole too.

Oh - I don't think unplugging current machine would have any positive impact on its longevity.

OMMOHY
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#7
RE: Life of CPAP machine
(05-25-2015, 05:27 PM)northern girl Wrote: I am just worried that it's going to stop working for me before I can get a new one. I am also wondering if machines typically show signs that they are at the end of their life?
They are electronic devices and taking care of them, in a clean environment, with plenty of room for air etc.. helps. They are designed to last for a long time.

My first machine just stopped, Dead about 3 months after the warranty expired.. Nobody wanted to look at it, touch it etc.. Now days there are at least some options, but that is not the time to be looking for a new machine.

Some people report that some functions stop working properly which is a sign of something changing. My current spare would recycle itself in the middle of the night. never did that before, but it did it a couple times and was the reason for looking at getting a new machine. It had around 17k hours on it when the new machine arrived.

When you get your next machine, clean up your currently, package it good with information on how to use it and then you will have a spare machine for the times you can never really plan for.
[size=x-small]Current Settings PS 4.0 over 10.6-18.0 (cmH2O) BiLevel Auto
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#8
RE: Life of CPAP machine
If you should elect to buy your own machine in spite of insurance all you would need to do is go to your friendly downtown north pole Doc, and say "Yo doc, I want to replace my cpap machine. Would you please give me a prescription that says "Northern Girl gets to have a full auto reporting machine and supplies per her requests." He'll say "sure, Girl, why the heck not."

Then you can order whatever you decide to order from wherever you decide to order it and do just fine. Get the script, we'll help you with the picking and choosing.

By the way, whether you know much about the details of sleep apnea or not, it's clear you've done a great job using the therapy. Good job that.
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#9
RE: Life of CPAP machine
(05-25-2015, 05:37 PM)OMyMyOHellYes Wrote: Years don't necessarily mean that much in and of themselves. Most of the estimates of 5-6 year life are based on every night use, probably between 6 and 8 hours a night. Most insurance will replace machines older than 5 years. Many go a lot longer than that. I would expect most machines to go between 15,000 and 20,000 hours. So hours on the blower are probably more telling. IN any case, I would guess you probably have a couple years to go.

If it is still running fine, I would keep going, but maybe start putting aside $20 or 30 a month for a new one if you don't have insurance. Also, contact where you got it or the doctor and get a copy of your original Rx if you don't already have that. Probably not going to get a new Rx unless you've seen your Dr. in the last year. They may balk if it has been that long since your last study - especially if you don't have a data capable machine and you could show you current results and pressures. I don't know anything about the F&P line so you may have that data already.

A data capable auto like the Resmed S-9 or A-10, the Respironics System One model 560, of maybe the DeVillbiss Intellipap Auto would be good to have so you could provide that data to the Dr. if you don't currently have data. Buying one of those used could run less than a sleep study if you have insurance with deductible and co-pays. I know the INtellipap is less than $500 new in box and it is a hell of a tough machine. Even has a 5 year warranty - that's the best warranty in the business. And it will run directly off a 12 v battery if you are up at the North Pole and the power sometimes falters. So will the Respironics machines. Resmed requires a new power brick to run off batteries which runs another $100... Again, I bet F&P has a comparable unit, and you may be more comfortable with F&P since that's what you have run all this time

Go check out supplier numero dos if any of those options hold any interest. They're up by the North Pole too.

Oh - I don't think unplugging current machine would have any positive impact on its longevity.

OMMOHY

Thank you for your helpful reply. I will look into getting a cpap with battery back up because power outages do happen quite often here.

(05-25-2015, 05:41 PM)krelvin Wrote:
(05-25-2015, 05:27 PM)northern girl Wrote: I am just worried that it's going to stop working for me before I can get a new one. I am also wondering if machines typically show signs that they are at the end of their life?
They are electronic devices and taking care of them, in a clean environment, with plenty of room for air etc.. helps. They are designed to last for a long time.

My first machine just stopped, Dead about 3 months after the warranty expired.. Nobody wanted to look at it, touch it etc.. Now days there are at least some options, but that is not the time to be looking for a new machine.

Some people report that some functions stop working properly which is a sign of something changing. My current spare would recycle itself in the middle of the night. never did that before, but it did it a couple times and was the reason for looking at getting a new machine. It had around 17k hours on it when the new machine arrived.

When you get your next machine, clean up your currently, package it good with information on how to use it and then you will have a spare machine for the times you can never really plan for.

Thank you. I haven't had any issues with my machine except last night I woke up and it was off, but there was now power outage. but I'm not sure if maybe when I got up for the bathroom in the middle of the night I put the mask on, but didn't turn the machine back on, or if it turned off on it's own. I turned it back on and it seemed to work fine the rest of the night so hopefully it was only my own sleepy error.

(05-25-2015, 06:05 PM)retired_guy Wrote: If you should elect to buy your own machine in spite of insurance all you would need to do is go to your friendly downtown north pole Doc, and say "Yo doc, I want to replace my cpap machine. Would you please give me a prescription that says "Northern Girl gets to have a full auto reporting machine and supplies per her requests." He'll say "sure, Girl, why the heck not."

Then you can order whatever you decide to order from wherever you decide to order it and do just fine. Get the script, we'll help you with the picking and choosing.

By the way, whether you know much about the details of sleep apnea or not, it's clear you've done a great job using the therapy. Good job that.

Thank you for your reply. I have seen a doc and he told me I would have to get another sleep study done. Yesterday I got a call from a nurse at my local health centre with a number to call to get a sleep study set up. So hopefully I am on the way to getting a script for a new machine. Smile
Also I love how every one is referencing that I live at the North Pole LOL, I'm not quite at the north pole but almost there in a tiny community on the shores of the Beaufort Sea. Smile
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#10
RE: Life of CPAP machine
Northern Girl,
I have 10k deductible insurance so nothing is for free . My mother in law gave me her old machine probably a bout 4 years old , the thing screamed figured it was on it's way out.I bought a s9 machine with 260 hrs. on the online classified (can't name it here) . The new machines are amazing . Don't worry you have options
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