Desparately seeking a chamber!

[Tigers Fan]

As part of an anti-rainout design, I want a water chamber with two CPAP hose stubs. I think of a humidifier chamber - either a pass-over humidifier or the water tank from a heated humidifier. The two stubs need to be at the top of the chamber.

Does anyone have an old water chamber from a humidifier, or an old or unwanted humidifier for sale?

The chamber for a Fisher & Paykel HC100/150 would do nicely, costs USD 20 in the States. How much do you sell them for, James?

A Sullivan Passover Humidifier would do nicely but they are USD 104 new.

A Puritan Bennett Replacement Water Chamber at USD 33 would fit the bill.

Does anyone have such a chamber available? Please let me know if you do or know of one.

Tigers Fan

[James @ Intus]

A 2 pack of those chambers (can't split it, sorry) - HC325S - would be £29, can make that delivered for you.

You'll need to set it up so the chambers becomes the lowest point in the system so gravity takes the condensation there and traps it. We tested a water trap system specifically for this once but didn't have a good enough situation to test this. I can see whether we still have some of those.

Remember though that the longer the whole route from CPAP to Mask becomes, the higher the chance rain-out happens. So you have to find a balance between length and routing it low, via the floor, so gravity can do its thing.

[Tigers Fan]

I fail to understand

Many thanks for that, James.

I'm very interested in the water trap you mentioned. Do you still have one? Can you describe it? add a photo to the Intus site?

The HC325S chambers are also of interest, especially if I can find someone (Les?) interested in draining rainout.

But please tell me - why are they sold in pairs? The trims on the front bumper of my car are sold only in pairs - but I've only scraped the LH one. I would guess as many people need to replace the LH one as need only to replace the RH one - but you can only buy them in pairs - at £69! But two humidifier chambers? What for?

The plan is a short hose from APAP humidifier to the drain chamber, all snuggled in a thermal sock or similar, and then a heated hose from drain chamber to mask. This is in anticipation of condensation problems in the cold, cold winter - currently outwith my experience. A heated hose directly between humidifier and mask may do the trick - but I like having contingencies in place!

The heated hoses are on their way from Oz, by the by - thanks for the tip.

Tigers Fan

[James @ Intus]

I'll see what I can do on the purpose built system, it was from an Irish firm who supply hospitals predominantly. It had a clever one-way valve to really trap the water.

Fisher & Paykel sends the chambers to us in 2-packs, breaking them up causes packaging issues and may have some hygiene consequences. Having a spare seems in their experience be a good idea. Though it might have stemmed more from hospital experience than from homecare feedback. But that's how it is.

Your proposed system, especially with the heated hose, sounds like a nice setup that should do the job. Maybe when it's all up and running you can do a little write-up of all the parts, perhaps even pics!

[Tigers Fan]

Nothing forthcoming?

Hi James

Nothing on the Irish solution as yet?

I give in on the pairs of chambers - I'll place an order now.

FOR SALE

I 0ff Fisher & Paykel humidifier chamber. Brand new, unused. Half of an opened package of two.
Availability: soon as I receive it from Intus

What with holidyas and such, its taken a fair amount of time, but this morning I received the hose-and-sleeve support spring for my rig. It dangles the hose just nicely, fits the support guide (a bit of chrome stair handrail from B&Q) in a sexy glide (engineers will understand) so its all systems go and I'm a very happy bunny.

When I'm up and running, I'll post as you requested, James - in the meantime, I want to thank David Rooke and Airedale Springs Ltd of West Yorkshire for their free of charge support in developing this project. I imagine they will be happy to sell springs to anyone wants to build a similar rig after you've seen the photos. Don't hold your breath, my woodworkers are very busy - and thus slow in delivering.

Tigers Fan

[James @ Intus]

The chambers can now be ordered here.

Good to hear your hose suspension is coming along nicely.

The water catch mechanism I outlined before is not something we'll be pursueing for the time being. It's much more geared towards hospital setting ventilators. We'll keep an eye on their developments though.

[Tigers Fan]

Laugh or cry?

A 2 pack of those chambers (can't split it, sorry) - HC325S

Hi James

The pair of chambers arrived today - and left me feeling a tad miffed! They came direct from F&P so I checked with them - they had no idea why these chambers are only sold in pairs to home retail.

They agreed with me that it would seem reasonable to sell them singly as that is the way they are packed. Not in a bag or box with two chambers in it - but in a box each, quite separate, individual, on their own, by themselves. One box containing an HC325S - it said so on the outside. And another identical box, containing another identical HC325S. Two boxes, each containing an HC325S - of which I want one. But I have to buy two - because they come in pairs!!!!!!

For Sale - 1 off F&P HC325S humidifier chamber for an HC100/150 humidifier. All on its own, in it's own box, hygenically sealed, just as it left the factory. Except - it won't have a mate!

Tigers Fan

[James @ Intus]

That must have changed then or their catalogues are outdated. We would have happily sent you just one if that was the way they were presented to us. We certainly don't mean to clog people's cupboards with stuff they don't need so I do apologise for selling you more than you needed when after all, as it turns out, they could have been split. E-mail me if you want to send one back to us. We'll work something out for you.

[Tigers Fan]

Stuck thinking

They came direct from F&P so I checked with them - they had no idea why these chambers are only sold in pairs to home retail.

Hi James

Thanks for your response. I do not hold Intus responsible for this - unlike my first sentence above, it is clear that F&P are guilty of stuck thinking.

That sentence would have better read as, " - they had no idea why these chambers are only sold in pairs to home retail, but insisted that they could only sell them in pairs."

I tried and failed to persuade them (a young woman in Customer Services) to take one back from me. She put it down to some historical reason, unknown to her, and was adamant - the chambers come in pairs to home retail.

On behalf of all your future customers for these spare chambers, would you have a go at getting F&P to update their thinking, catalogue and whatever it takes to have them sell single items singly, not in pairs.

As I chucked the outer box/wrapping and I'm feeling idle this morning, let's leave this saga to rest here - except you talking to F&P about it! Thanks for the offer of return, though.

Tigers Fan

[incitatus]

This all does make me think that the prblem is the lack of valving in the hose/mask unit. a simple flap or duckbill valve onthe hose inlet would sort this out surely?

[taswulf]

My new HC608 in Oz came with two humidifier chambers also.
Disposable !!! they are sealed so you can't clean them internally just drain the water out.
I reckon by using distilled water, cleaning weekly and draining as much water out as possible I may never need the other chamber.
Funnily enough you can get a chamber from the States for this machine which can be cleaned and re-used indefinitely.
I may have to get one of my work mates to pick on up when he's there later this year.

Paul