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**Floatyboaty** · 20 August 2009, 18:40

Hi Tony
I am the same, I use the humidifier with water in it but it is not switched on. I discovered this worked for me as the humidifier will not work on 12v so i just attatched it and used it like that and use it that way all the time now. I like cold, my room is never heated and fan usedmost of the year.
I suggested ice cubes on the other thread, might be worth a try, also I have just thought, keep your water in the fridge beforehand, think i'll try that myself!

**tonybrentwood** · 20 August 2009, 19:48

Hi Floatyboaty,
Ice cubes sound a great idea, I've just put some in the freezer to try tonight.
Do you change the water every night or just top up if needed?
regards,
Tony

**Tigers Fan** · 21 August 2009, 10:39

Ahem!

Hi Tony

Methinks you are between a rock and a hard place!

Use of humidifier equals ambient air passing over heated water equals warm, moist air.

If you cool said warm, moist air, as in a bedroom in winter-time, you get rain-out.

If you pass summer-time ambient air (often/usually with fairly high relative humidity) over chilled water you again get rain-out though possibly before it gets to your mask. You'll get cooler air, but it will be dry - until the humidifier heats up either to ambient or working temperature if it is switched on.

How to get cool, moist air? Short of water injection, I'm not sure at all, at all!

TF

**Tigers Fan** · 21 August 2009, 10:45

PS

Please always rinse out your humidifier chamber each day.

With distilled water there won't be any increase in total dissolved solids and thus scale formation if you don't rinse each day - but I suspect you'd have a humidifer full of Bug Soup in no time - a bacterialogical breeding ground.

TF

**tonybrentwood** · 21 August 2009, 19:15

Hi TF,
Thanks for the advice, do you think I have to replace the water every single day to avoid the dreaded bacteria soup, or maybe every couple of days? The reason I'm asking is that I'm going to get through an awfull lot of distilled water every month if I change it daily.
I tried putting ice cubes in the chamber last night, using the cpap machine with the humidifer turned off. I can see what you say about the air not getting humidity with it off, but I have to say I had the best night for a while, the air was nice and cold, and I didn't have the dry mouth I usually have. Maybe it partially worked.
Anyway trying again tonight so fingers crossed!
Regards,
Tony.

**Tigers Fan** · 22 August 2009, 10:03

More simple arithmatic

Hi Tony

How often does your prescription repeat? 15 l a month isn't enough (for mine) let alone two months! My regime uses 22 l a month, summer time.

But my question is this: Why do you want to use distilled water at all? let alone purified water BP.

I reckon you'd be better off blagging a Brita filter instead of the purified water - get a good cup of tea as well as very little scaling of your humidifier.

As for how frequently to change the water completely - how many days would you leave a slightly warmed piece of meat in a cupboard before cooking it?

TF

**tonybrentwood** · 22 August 2009, 14:38

I'm a bit confused TF.
Are you saying that everyone using a Brita filter should empty it every day and refill it so it doesn't get bugs? I use a Brita, and just top it up every day, then empty it after maybe four days and refill. I've looked at the Brita instructions and itr says nothing about not drinking the water if not used after a few days.

I'm not questioning your thinking TF but I can't force myself to compare cooked meat with purified water in terms of use by dates. I buy one litre bottles of spring water and they sometimes last over a week, but taste and look fine after that time, doesn't say anything on the bottle about drinking times after opening.
I'm genuinely confused now, the Physio at the hospital told me clearly to top up the tank with purified water every day and change the water completely once a week, and she seems fairly competent in her knowledge of humidifiers.
Anybody else got any opinions on this subject before my head explodes? James, I value you're opinion, give us a clue!
By the way, I have no time limit on the prescription for water, I can get water when needed.
Blimey, that was a long post!
Best regards,
Tony

**Floatyboaty** · 22 August 2009, 16:38

Tony
The sleep clinic are the experts, James works for medical suppliers which run this forum and the rest of us can only offer you our opinion. This is not fact but is what works for us. If the hospital tell you you can top up daily then do that if it works best for you. I expect there are others who do not always change the water daily but do not admit it, same as not cleaning the whole caboodle every day!
Do what you feel is right for you as I do what I feel is right for me and it appears to be working!

**tonybrentwood** · 22 August 2009, 17:01

You talk a lot of sense Floatyboaty, I guess like you I'll make an informed decision on changing the water, I clean the kit every day as it's stuck up my nose every night, I have no problem with changing the water every day if that's the right thing to do. Trial and error will win through in the end I guess, if you read that I've died of water bug poisoning then I've not changed it often enough!
Regards,
Tony

**GrumpyBiker** · 22 August 2009, 17:26

An American based doctor acquaintance of mine was most emphatic about changing the water in the humidifier daily. There are a number of bugs that like warm, moist, aerated environments like the humidifier. One of the better known ones is Legionella (Legionaires disease), though there are many others including various viruses.

I think what TigersFan was trying to say is that the humidifier water is like slightly warmed meat. I tend to agree.

For the sake of a couple of minutes I am not willing to take the risk of incubating a colony of microbes to breath in.

Andy

**tonybrentwood** · 22 August 2009, 18:04

Hi Grumpybiker,
Thanks for that, I'm glad I asked now.
I think I'll ignore the hospital and change water daily to be on the safe side. I'm too good looking to die!
Thanks chaps,
Tony.

**Tigers Fan** · 22 August 2009, 18:54

One thing leads to another

Hi Tony

Sorry if I was obtuse about the piece of meat. Wet and warm - bugs love it!

Question arises! How much water do you have left in your humidifier in the morning? It sounds as if you have enough to make it worth 'saving'.

A while back I had a discussion with the manufacturer of a humidifier about whether it was working or not. If I woke in the night, it was not warm. When I got back to bed, it was warm. Overnight, the water level did not fall very much at all, whereas with my Remstar humidifier I'm lucky to get eight hours before it dries out.

So I wonder what sort of humidifier you have and what is its water consumption per night of how many hours.

TF

I'm interested to hear from other folk about make and water consumption.

**tonybrentwood** · 22 August 2009, 19:56

Hello again TF,
I've only used it switched on for one night so far, I hate breathing warm air, and obviously it comes out warm from the humidifier. I get about 6 hrs sleep, and I reckon there was still half of the water left in the morning. The humidifier clips straight on to my Remstar S8.
I've taken on board an idea given by someone on the Forum (sorry, can't remeber who) who suggested putting ice cubes in the humidifier and leaving it turned off. I'm doing that, and the air is lovely and cold, helps me sleep, and magically no dry mouth in the morning. I guess it's now a chiller rather than a humidifier.
I appreciate the advice TF, I get it about the meat now, I'm gonna play safe and change the water every day.
The reason for asking about when to change the water is for the winter, hopefully when the bedroom is nice and cold I'll be able to use the humidifer as it's meant to be used.
Regards,
Tonywithnicefreezyairtobreathwhichmakesmedropoffin notime.

**silvercarper** · 23 August 2009, 08:25

I use a Remstar M series APAP and the hospital told me just to use tap water.
I prefer to use filtered water which I change every day and I clean the chamber out every week.
What machine do you have Tony as "Remstar S8" sounds rather ambiguous

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