cpap servicing

[ashley]

how often does a cpap machine need servicing... i was`nt told any of these details when the hospital gave me my machine.....

[Joe McManus]

There's a few different angles to this.

1. In terms of general maintenance, you should keep an eye on the state of the removable filters and wash or replace them when necessary. This will depend on the air quality in and around your home. Once a year would be a reasonable rule of thumb.
2. Mask and tubing can last a bit longer than the filters. Depending on the level of care they receive, they generally need replacing after around a year and a half or so.
3. The machine itself doesn't need anything done itself. A humidifier could sometimes do with a cleanse but the CPAP machine itself is built to last. Only when it starts playing up should there be reason to seek technical assistance.
4. The machine might need re-programming if your condition changes. Especially if you loose weight quickly could your OSA be affected and pressure setting needs changed. It's generally recommended to do a follow-up consultation or lab test every other year, depending on the amount of bodily or symptomatic change you experience.
5. Some manufacturers or hospitals can keep an eye on the performance of your machine and the progress of your therapy remotely, by means of the data-card in the machine. You can bring it with you on a follow-up and they can do a read-out and see if the therapy needs adjusting or the machine is reporting any errors.

I tend to bring my machine with me every time I visit the sleep clinic, whether they ask for it or not. That way they can always quickly check over the LCD read-out and confirm it's in a good state. Such a pro-active approach seems to have done me well over the years as I've never had any faults with the machines I've had.

[MoutheBreather]

I found that not every mask as as good as the next one. I had one that broke after a few months and another that lsted 2 and a half years, only replacing one part, the head cushion.