Life of a CPAP machine

[seeker01]

I have had my machine for about 5 years, I love it and use it every night. What is the life expectancy of the average machine ?

[RogerSC]

I think most insurance companies go with a 5-year life. If you get more out of yours, all to the good.

[HoseCrusher]

I seem to remember that they are designed for something in the range of 15000 to 30000 hours. 5 years sleeping for 8 hours a night comes in a little less than 15000 hours.

[Wulfman...]

I have had my machine for about 5 years, I love it and use it every night. What is the life expectancy of the average machine ?

The way you worded that, it doesn't sound like you have a spare or backup machine. You might be pushing your luck.
I'd strongly recommend looking into getting another one. I've read too many horror stories on the forum about people whose machines died in the middle of the night, got pulled off the nightstand or whatever.
"Murphy's Laws" definitely apply to this therapy.
If your insurance provider can help you out, so much the better.


Den

.

[seeker01]

Your right, I do not have a back up and have been very sleepy the last couple of weeks, with headaches and problems concentrating. My wife is taking my machine in for a check up today so hopefully I will know something to night. With my NEW insurance I will have to pay out of pocket for the machine so I have been putting it off as well as buying supplies just making due with what I have.

[seeker01]

They say my machine will not calibrate properly I'm suppose to be at 17cm machine was pushing 12 cm. They had to set at 19cm to get it to 17cm whatever all that means. I guess the new question is what is a good machine?

[BlackSpinner]

They say my machine will not calibrate properly I'm suppose to be at 17cm machine was pushing 12 cm. They had to set at 19cm to get it to 17cm whatever all that means. I guess the new question is what is a good machine?

Our host is a lot cheaper then the bricks and mortar DME. Even cheaper is secondwind.com

[Pugsy]

If your prescribed pressure is 17 cm....I would be looking at a bilevel pressure machine if it were me.
I don't see where you mentioned what machine you are using and nothing about the machine is showing up in your profile (probably broke link to a discontinued model).

Respironics and ResMed are still the 2 main players in the machine market.

If you can tell us the model number off your old machine we would have a better idea what to suggest to you for a new machine.
Are you going to be using the DME to purchase (even if out of pocket now) so that the money paid would go towards the annual deductible....or do you want to go a different way and potentially save some money?
Or does your insurance plan simply not cover cpap stuff at all and thus the costs wouldn't even go towards any deductible?

At your pressure of 17 cm...I would be looking at a bilevel machine and these two would be my targets
Respironics PR System One BiPap Auto model 760
or
ResMed S9 VPAP Auto...or it's newest line just released in Dec the AirCurve 10 VAuto.

[seeker01]

Philips Respironics System One
RemStar Pro with C-Flex+Model 450P - P005423827E1E
PAP Mode: CPAP
Fixed 19 (cmH2O)

I have a doctor visit scheduled Monday to get a new prescription so I was looking for input on the different types of machines. Thanks for your input I was also looking for a model with good data collection.

[Pugsy]

For Respironics machines...if you remember model 450 or higher...those models all offer full efficacy data.
The newest model that is essentially the latest version of your 450 is the 60 series..model 460.
In addition to the added heated hose option it also as some other features that your 450 doesn't have most notably the addition of limited APAP mode trial.
The next step up in the single pressure Respironics machines would be the model 560 (again the 60 series with heated hose option) which has 2 modes of operation...cpap mode and apap (auto adjusting pressure) mode.

If you could get someone to prescribe a bilevel machine...maximum pressure 25...in Respironics those are the PR S1 660 (BiPap Pro) and the 760 BiPap Auto which of course has auto adjusting mode available.
At your pressure of 17 cm....this would be so much more comfortable.

If you want to look at the ResMed line..
The latest models are the AirSense and AirCurve models.

For cpap/apap
Avoid the AirSense 10 CPAP (fixed cpap machine but extremely limited data)

Full data..
AirSense 10 Elite...cpap mode only
AirSense 10 AutoSet...has cpap mode and apap mode
AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her...has cpap mode, regular apap mode like the above AutoSet, and a special apap mode that is supposed to be "gentler" and targeted towards women but there's no reason to think that only women would benefit from this new mode

In the bilevel ResMed department...all are full data and maximum pressure is 25 instead of 20

AirCurve 10 S...has cpap mode and a bilevel fixed mode
AirCurve 10 VAuto...has cpap mode, fixed bilevel mode and auto adjusting bilevel mode.

If you can't get anyone to get behind you for a bilevel device I would suggest that you look at the ResMed AirSense machines because the exhale relief (EPR) is much more dramatic with the way the ResMed machines work and you can get a full 3 cm exhale relief which effectively makes the machine work like a bilevel and very possibly could be more comfortable.
With Respironics machines their exhale relief is done differently and is flow based and the most you can ever get is 2 cm relief at Flex setting of 2 and you might not get that if you don't breathe forcefully.

I have used both brands...for higher pressure needs and when a person can't get a bilevel device I think that the ResMed machines with the way they do the EPR exhale relief is more like a bilevel device and thus might be a better choice for people with pressures in those upper teens.
The Respironics machines aren't crap but in this situation I think ResMed might be a slightly better choice if a choice is possible.

[seeker01]

Wow...thanks I will check them out. What is your thoughts on ordering online verse buying from a locl shop? If I have problems my wife likes the idea of taking it in to get checked but I know I can get it cheaper online so I would like to orde mine.

[Pugsy]

If you are paying out of pocket without being involved (either no insurance or a really high deductible that hasn't been met yet and it's unlikely to be met) then saving money by buying online makes more sense economically.

You have to decide just how much the convenience of having a DME run interference for you or checking you machine is worth to you vs saving however much you will save by buying it online.

[Too tall]

Just make sure if you are dealing with a DME that you get a new machine from the beginning. My DME tried to pass on a used machine to me. Thanks to sleepyhead, I caught them and their excuse was "you should have gotten a new one, we'll get one for you right away". They have so many people that can tolerate them that start people out with a loaner (so to speak) which according to them is temporary. They are hoping you don't catch it. It took me about 4 months to find this out but they were so nervous about me turing them into medicare or insurance company that they jumped through hoops to get me the new one.

[DeadlySleep]

Life of a CPAP machine

My days are very boring. I just sit here in the bedroom all by my lonesome self. Sometimes that damn cat comes in and props his ass down on me and just sits there silently.

Other days my master forgets to open the curtains before he rushes off to work. Then I am left in the dark all alone all day.

Evenings things liven up a bit for a short while. My master comes up and takes his clothes off and looks in the mirror and smiles at his fat body. Gross. Then he puts on a smelly T-shirt that he sleeps in and seldom washes.

He yanks out my bladder and fills it with damn cold water and then slams it back into my crotch. This always pisses me off. Literally.

Then he puts on my sister, the mask, and connects the hose to my blowhole. Damn, his breath reeks. To make it worse, he will usually belch into my blowhole a few times.

He lies in the bed and I began pumping air into his face and trying to keep up with his erratic breathing.

Some nights he buffs the banana before he falls asleep and it becomes nearly impossible to keep up with his stupid breathing and grunting. Some nights I think, if he grunts "Judy" one more time, I am going to take my pressure up to 20 and blow his damn brains out.

Then he falls asleep quickly and his breathing becomes low and steady and my work is easy until he hits REM. Then I have to be alert to bump up the pressure so the jerk doesn't wake up and start belching again.

In the wee hours of the morning he awakens and begins stretching in the bed and passing gas. Sometimes he fills the room and I suck it in and almost pass out. Finally he reaches over and hits my stop button and I can rest again.

Then my master gets up, pulls that smelly T-shirt off and smiles at his fat ass in the mirror again. Some mornings he will pass gas again as he goes by the nightstand I sit on. Then it just settles on me and seems to stay forever. Much better for my fan to be blowing, take it in all at once and blow it out quickly.

Then another lonely day starts.

The life of a CPAP is not fun. So appreciate what we do for you.

[palerider]

Life of a CPAP machine

My days are very boring. I just sit here in the bedroom all by my lonesome self. Sometimes that damn cat comes in and props his ass down on me and just sits there silently.

+billions