Do you change settings much on Humidifier?

[snoreslikeatrain]

I mean do you adjust it from time to time, according to your needs or the weather?

I only ask because mine has a scale of 1-5 and I was getting rainout periodically back in March , so reduced it to 2. This gave me enough moisture and reduced water condensing in the tube.

Many people have said that this is more of a problem in winter (colder air triggering more condensation). However I've also been getting it again over the last few weeks when the air has been muggy and humid. This isn't as bad as winter (where I actually had to drain the water back into the resovoir during the night because of the gurgling noise when I breathed!). However I've reduced mine to 1 because of this - without this, water accumulates in the tube and my face is often very moist when I take the mask off in the morning.

Just wondered what other people's experince has been?

[ElleCee]

Hi Snores,
I change mine all the time. Often starting with it on 0 so that I get the coldest air when first going to bed, then turning it up to 3 - 5 during the night depending on how dry I feel.

Hope that helps
Lorraine

[Tigers Fan]

Compression

Hi slat

Two sources of water in CPAP - the one and only, usually in winter, rain-out from a cold bedroom (or cold enough to be below the due point at ambient pressure and humidity) and the sting in the tail rain-out caused by the water content of the air being 'squeezed' out during the compression in the CPAP. The compression increasesthe temperature of the air slightly and reduces its ability to hold moisture - thus on humid nights (lots of air moisture) you get rain-out even though the room is not cold.

Same solutions - CPAP below level of mask or a HoseLift; a hose sheath; an Aussi heated hose. Summer rain-out forms immediately after the CPAP machine so its easily arranged that it drains back to the humidifier.

Humidifer setting should depend on your need for most air and not the need to control rainout. Solve the rainout problem ansd set the humidifer to whatever suits you.

TF

[snoreslikeatrain]

Thanks to both of you for your replies.

Same solutions - CPAP below level of mask or a HoseLift; a hose sheath; an Aussi heated hose. Summer rain-out forms immediately after the CPAP machine so its easily arranged that it drains back to the humidifier.

Ok, my CPAP is already below my mask. Small amounts of water in the hose don't bother me and I drain them back into the reservoir in the morning. However on the few nights when a larger amount of water has accumulated, it actually starts to block the passage of air through the hose and generates a very noisy gurgling (in time with my breathing, naturally). This has to be drained back into the reservoir there & then - not fatal but enough to wake me up and almost as noisy as my snoring -> wife not amused .

Out of the suggestions above, it would appear that the only thing that would prevent this is the heated hose.


ElleCee, sorry to hear you wake so much in the night that you can fine tune your settings like this. Since getting my CPAP, I now manage a much longer period without waking. However I do sometimes get the irresistible urge to take my mask off part way through the night. Not sure why, as I'm not completely awake at the time....

[Tigers Fan]

Topography

Hi slat

As the CPAP is already below the mask and you nevertheless get water collecting in the hose, you must have - not surprisingly - dips in the hose. The way round this is to put the hose over your headboard, use a HoseLift, use a hook and a scrungee/rubber band or whatever - you need a steep rise straight after the CPAP so water has no choice about going anywhere except straightback to the humidifier. The rise needs to be long enough to ensure this happens.

A hose dangling down to your mask alleviates any problems with getting tangled with arms and duvets during the night.

A heated hose was £80 last time I looked and still good value for money in terms of not having rain-out during the winter. I have never tried mine without a steep rise straight after the CPAP - they deal with rain-out from cold air rather than from compression (though that would be minimal in winter, anyway).

TF

[snoreslikeatrain]

Thanks TF. As usual, you have done your homework and this all makes perfect sense.

Sadly we don't have a headboard, so maybe I'll look at the Hoselift option.

I realise now that letting condensation drain straight back into the humidifier is the best option, because it will also reduce any residual moisture in the pipe during the day. I'd previously wondered how often I ought to flush the hose out in case of mould etc developing there - guess your approach will help considerably in this respect.

With the various answers you've given across different threads on this forum TF, I reckon you could write an invaluable and very comprehensive book or website FAQ on the treatment of OSA!

[Tigers Fan]

Confusion

Thank you for your kind words, slat - but please don't confuse me with James, who is very knowledgable about ALL things CPAP, BiPAP, etc whereas I know bits about this and that and nothing at all about the rest.

When I started CPAP and this forum, I whinged that the 'old timers' all disappeared once they got sorted. I resolved to hang around and try to be helpful to newbies - and now it's become a habit to log on.

James' return to the forum would benefit us all no end!

TF

ps a weekly wash with warm, soapy water is good for hose hygene. A place to drip-dry is then required, of course!