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[Equipment] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - Printable Version

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ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - OutandBack - 01-26-2021

Hello fellow apnea suffers,
I have only used my ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto for about 6 days. I have a couple of questions about the humidifier.
If have the machine set to auto-start is the humidifier always on 24/7?
Even with a humidity setting of 2, I seem to go thru a lot of distilled water?
I have to add to the res every evening due to the level being too low for one night's sleep.

Thank mods for such a great forum I have learned so much just killing time and reading posts. I can't wait to learn how to use the Oscar software.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - Sleeprider - 01-26-2021

The humidifier turns on with the machine and has about a 20 minute cool-down after it is off. Your water consumption will vary with ambient temperature and humidity, with more water being consumed when relative humidity is lower in the room. I use tap water, and dump the chamber each morning, and refill after it dries. Remember, you must still remove and clean that humidifier chamber regularly as it can be colonized by airborne bacteria and spores. Distilled water is mainly a way to avoid minerals from depositing if the water fully evaporates. Using distilled water and not dumping and cleaning regularly will catch up with you.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - OutandBack - 01-27-2021

Thank you sleeprider,
I have been using an ionizer on my hose and mask daily and was planning to soak my water tank with antibacterial soap once a week.
Once a month I had planned to soak my mask and tube also using a tube brush with antibacterial soap. Do you feel that would be enough?

I did buy HEPA filters and was planning on changing monthly unless I notice no visible signs of dust.

Is there any reason to hose up the Aircurve and run the ionized air thru the machine?


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - Sleeprider - 01-27-2021

Don't run ozone through the machine, it will void the warranty. For me your sanitation protocols are over-kill, but everyone has their level of comfort. The ionizer is most effective on a cleaned surface, and will not penetrate a biofilm. Simple washing with soap and water is sufficient, and all soap or detergent is essentially anti-bacterial, and specifically antibacterial soaps are not needed.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - verysincere - 02-11-2021

(01-26-2021, 08:42 PM)OutandBack Wrote: Even with a humidity setting of 2, I seem to go thru a lot of distilled water?
I have to add to the res every evening due to the level being too low for one night's sleep.

I keep a second water reservoir on standby for a quick swap if my humidity runs out in the middle of the night.

To save money on distilled water (because one will often throw away leftover water in a reservoir the next morning), I bought a distiller unit from China on eBay for $40.  It works great. The resulting distilled water costs me about 35cents per gallon and I've used that same distiller for years now.   I fill the distiller with reverse-osmosis water so that there is very little mineral residue after the water is boiled off.  (Otherwise, you can develop a very grungy distiller that is a lot of work to clean, especially if you have iron in your water.)

For cleaning the reservoirs, I have used hydrogen peroxide for years now. (I can't believe that the documentation recommends vinegar. I don't want the foul smell.) I rinse with fresh distilled water because I recycle the hydrogen peroxide for a while (to use repeatedly.) Yes, I know that is a cutting of corners but I make sure it is quite clean and its main purpose is the oxygenation disinfection, not the physical cleaning.  

I went with the hydrogen peroxide after being dissatisfied with the other methods.  

Yes, never use ozone units on your CPAP/BIPAP equipment. It is amazing how quickly ozone can damage gaskets and seals.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - SarcasticDave94 - 02-11-2021

To save money, use tap water, assuming it's drinkable. Rinse every day or so, use fresh tap daily. Soak it for a few minutes in hot soapy water while on coffee break.

Ionizer not needed and as was mentioned it'll void machine warranty if ionized air sent through it.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - OutandBack - 02-11-2021

Thanks, everyone for your excellent suggestions and advice.
I found a source of distilled water for 99 cents a gallon so I will still use distilled water
we have a lot of calcium in our water out here I have to use limeaway a lot on my bathroom fixtures.

I am only in week 3 and still having trouble using the BiPAP for more than 4 hours.
My issue is, I always wakeup at 2AM to pee (suffer from BPH) and I am too awake to just fall back to sleep.
My machine is dead quiet but I can hear every breath thew the tube that runs along my face next to my ears and it is very loud.
I have switched to a Dreamwear nose only. The full face was just not needed. I am having no trouble keeping my mouth closed during sleep.
I have not tried earplugs yet that will be next.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - Sleeprider - 02-11-2021

The Airfit P10 is the quietest, lightest mask on the market, and no tubes by your ears. Give it a shot, you may never look back.
Get a fleece tube cover. I use a Snugglehose from Amazon and it makes the tube soft, warm and quiet.
Suspending the tube with a lanyard or other tie from a hook on the wall or headboard will give you freedom to move and fewer tugs on your face.


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - bdavid01 - 02-11-2021

In cold weather i use the heating option of my res and it burns through a tank.  i use tap water and clean with vinegar every 2 weeks, 50/50 solution for about 2 hours and wipe with a paper towel and never had a cleaner tank with no scratches!  if you let it dry out you will wake to a smell of FIRE and SMOKE so always remember to add new water.  the vinegar is the key but remember to rinse it alot otherwise you'll smell vinegar all night!  lol.  Best of luck


RE: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto water usage? - verysincere - 02-12-2021

(02-11-2021, 07:21 PM)bdavid01 Wrote: In cold weather i use the heating option of my res and it burns through a tank.

When indoor humidity is relatively low, I run a humidifier in my bedroom.  If outdoor temperatures are extremely low during a cold wave---and indoor air is even drier--- I run a second humidifier in the hallway just outside my open bedroom door. These measures allow my BILEVEL machine to keep the humidity up all night without depleting the water reservoir.

When I lived in an RV I had even more extreme dry air in the winter. I solved my humidity problem (which meant that my CPAP machine went completely dry after about four hours) by using one of my OLD CPAP machines as a "pre-humidifier."  That is, I would let the old CPAP machine blow humidified air into the air-intake of my current BILEVEL. That solved the problem of having to refill or swap water-reservoir tanks in the middle of the night.