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+--- Thread: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water (/Thread-Woke-up-to-burning-smell-ran-out-of-water)
Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - xfaith - 10-13-2019
So got a Resmed10, and woke up to a bad smell. Think it was going on for a few hours on sleep as I ember that smell in my sleep.
One I realized the smell I took off the mall and saw resevior was empty. So it was the getting element heating the resivior with no water.
How bad is that and should I worry?
Thanks
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - mesenteria - 10-13-2019
It's not great, generally, but I doubt you have fried the heating element. Just refill to the highest level, but maybe dial back your humidity some...mebbe quite a bit? The idea with PAP therapy is to constantly monitor for trends, but also to keep an eye on 'limits'. With seasonal changes, we sometimes need less of a thing, or more of it. It could be that you're using up the water needlessly fast. The only way to tell is to dial back the humidity by at least 20% and see how it unfolds for a couple of nights.
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - xfaith - 10-13-2019
I think it has to do w/ I slept longer then normal (avg is 5), slept 9. So I "verified" water level, but didnt take into account longer sleep.
Is there any bad for breathing in smell/vapors, cant find anything stating anything. Like I said not sure how long I was breathing, cause I know in the dream I could smell it, but it was assocated to something else in the dream (like a new rug/carpet).
Thanks
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - mckevin32 - 10-13-2019
No worries, been there more than a few times. I don't know WTH the smell is (it is hideous though!) but it seems to be only as the unit runs dry. Wife never puts water in her humidifier, literally runs it dry 100% of the time with no ill effects.
To answer the next question, she leaves the humidifier attached for her so-clean (I know, don't want to hear it, lol).
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - mesenteria - 10-13-2019
When plastic gets hot enough, it begins to emit volatiles and smells. It could be that the heating plate warmed the plastic vessel enough near it that there was some of that. It's not good for us. Our livers have to deal with it. However, you'd need a lot more exposure than just the odd night or three each year. I wouldn't be concerned about that risk so much as the continued arousals and interruptions of a decent night's sleep.
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - Sleeprider - 10-13-2019
In my experience when the reservoir goes dry, it simply does not smell fresh, but it is not burning hot. The humidifier has a controlled heat source that should not cause temperatures hot enough to burn or even to be hot enough to your touch to cause a burn. I don't think the bad smell is anything more than the few residues in the water, and it's certainly not vaporizing plastics or metal. If you use CPAP long enough, you will eventually run dry. A good cleaning of the reservoir is probably needed, and I recommend always having a spare humidifier tray just in case.
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - Big Guy - 10-13-2019
I think I've only run out of water in the reservoir once. Don't recall any odd smell at all.
Just a bit of dried up calcium / mineral deposit left behind.
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - PaulaO2 - 10-14-2019
For me, it smells like ammonia. Causes me to sneeze most of the day until my nostrils and nasal passages get over it. I've not experienced it with the A10 as much as I did the S9. Gah, just thinking about that smell makes my nose burn!
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - SarcasticDave94 - 10-14-2019
I think I'd go with a rinse and dry for the humidifier tub. You can also check for leakage, but it's probably OK. A humidifier setting adjustment might be a good idea to prevent this in the future. Alternate is if you don't trust the tub integrity is to swap in a new one.
RE: Woke up to burning smell, ran out of water - mckevin32 - 10-16-2019
Closest I could come descriptively is rotting meat. Not exactly, just reminiscent of. Consistent from my old Resmed S9 to the current Dreamstation. The smell will bring me out of a sound sleep. But it does go away, as I said above my wife always runs hers with no water. Dunno...