buying parts online

[funkymann1]

wondering how important it is to replace your parts & opinions on this?. are companies just trying to screw you into buying?. i wear a p10 mask & have a resmed air10 machine, now i know it says to replace from 1 month to 6 depending on parts but i only see the pillows getting uncomfortable & need to be replaced every couple months. & the strap looses elastic too . other the that whats the point if you can deal with the piss smell & still sleep thru the night? my filter still looks very clean. & i wash the tank almost every day/
also i have found that bonanza has the cheapest prices on the mask & tubing anyone agree?
opinions?

[SewTired]

The schedule is WHEN Medicare will pay. Most insurance companies use the same schedule. DMEs use that to push product, whether you need it or not because they only make money when you accept product. They imply that you MUST replace it or that bacteria laden stuff will make you sick. Nonsense.

There are plenty of threads that discuss when to ACTUALLY replace your supplies. Have a couple of backups. Be sure to check that DME isn't going to drop you if you aren't ordering (has happened to a couple of people on here and a real hassle to fix).

[palerider]

Be sure to check that DME isn't going to drop you if you aren't ordering (has happened to a couple of people on here and a real hassle to fix).

No, no it's not.

[palerider]

wondering how important it is to replace your parts & opinions on this?. are companies just trying to screw you into buying?. i wear a p10 mask & have a resmed air10 machine, now i know it says to replace from 1 month to 6 depending on parts but i only see the pillows getting uncomfortable & need to be replaced every couple months. & the strap looses elastic too . other the that whats the point if you can deal with the piss smell & still sleep thru the night? my filter still looks very clean. & i wash the tank almost every day/
also i have found that bonanza has the cheapest prices on the mask & tubing anyone agree?
opinions?

Medicare has published a schedule that says "we're not going to pay for x any more often than y"... thus limiting expense, many insurance companies go along with that same schedule.

Greedy DMEs have seized on that and said "let's lie to people and tell them that they need to buy new stuff and throw away their perfectly good stuff as often as we can milk money out of the insurance companies".

And that's where your 'schedule' of replacements comes from.

Get replacement bits, (I prefer eBay and Amazon) and put them in the closet, when something breaks, or quits working, take one out of the closet, replace the broken bit, and then order another replacement.

"piss smell??"

[LSAT]

The schedule is WHEN Medicare will pay. Most insurance companies use the same schedule. DMEs use that to push product, whether you need it or not because they only make money when you accept product. They imply that you MUST replace it or that bacteria laden stuff will make you sick. Nonsense.

There are plenty of threads that discuss when to ACTUALLY replace your supplies. Have a couple of backups. Be sure to check that DME isn't going to drop you if you aren't ordering (has happened to a couple of people on here and a real hassle to fix).

Ridiculous statement....If you are buying on line and you already have a machine...why do you need the DME? Why would a vendor drop a paying customer?

[chunkyfrog]

I thought my p10 headgear were lasting longer than they really were.
I now realize that they do eventually wear out.
So I get to stick Medicare for a new mask.

[SewTired]

Ridiculous statement....If you are buying on line and you already have a machine...why do you need the DME? Why would a vendor drop a paying customer?

Not ridiculous. I am making the comment based on the fact that at least two people on this forum posted that they were dropped by their DME for not making regular purchases. I wasn't talking about an online vendor, I'm talking about a DME providing equipment via insurance. This is how most people get their stuff unless stated otherwise. The OP merely stated that he found cheaper prices, not that he bought from an online vendor.

To the OP regarding the 'piss smell'. My brother reported a piss odor from his machine at one time, but it remained a mystery as it went away. Did a thorough cleaning, used lemon juice and he could still smell it. A couple of weeks later, he didn't smell it. Since he does occasionally turn humidification off accidentally, I'm thinking it could have something temporarily to do with the heating element. Do you get it with the humidifier not heating? (in other words, passover humidification rather than heated?). Just not sure where else it would be, so a blind stab in the dark.

[Pugsy]

My brother reported a piss odor from his machine at one time, but it remained a mystery as it went away. Did a thorough cleaning, used lemon juice and he could still smell it. A couple of weeks later, he didn't smell it. Since he does occasionally turn humidification off accidentally, I'm thinking it could have something temporarily to do with the heating element.

Good to know it might not be a real pee smell.
I thought for a bit that Lily (the cat from hell) had snuck over and peed on the machine....she pees on everything else. Damn her.
Poops in the potty box but prefers to pee elsewhere and the potty box gets cleaned morning and night. No excuse.
And she's not sick...already had her checked out. She's just the crazy cat from hell.

[SewTired]

My brother reported a piss odor from his machine at one time, but it remained a mystery as it went away. Did a thorough cleaning, used lemon juice and he could still smell it. A couple of weeks later, he didn't smell it. Since he does occasionally turn humidification off accidentally, I'm thinking it could have something temporarily to do with the heating element.

Good to know it might not be a real pee smell.
I thought for a bit that Lily (the cat from hell) had snuck over and peed on the machine....she pees on everything else. Damn her.
Poops in the potty box but prefers to pee elsewhere and the potty box gets cleaned morning and night. No excuse.
And she's not sick...already had her checked out. She's just the crazy cat from hell.

Might not help in your instance, but Feliway Spray worked very well with our cat who pees in my chair when he's mad because something important to him has changed. Expensive, but successful (there is a cheaper off brand, but it doesn't work most of the time so a waste of money). The guy who does the show "Cat from Hell" has a couple of youtube videos on addressing cats who pee inappropriately. Might be helpful.

[Pugsy]

Might not help in your instance, but Feliway Spray worked very well with our cat who pees in my chair when he's mad because something important to him has changed.

Thanks...I will give it a try....sigh...wonder if I could tent the house and to it whole house like they do for bad insects.
She seems to move her "favorite" spot every so often. Right now it is the top of my kitchen counter by the sink. Annoys the hell out of me and it doesn't matter if I put something over there to block her....she'll pee right on top of it.
I see Amazon has it...I need to get a Christmas order together anyway....

I have thought of getting 2 potting boxes...one for pee and one for poop just to see if it helped or not.
Lily is a Bengal...they are crazy high strung anyway. You should hear her cuss me out if the food isn't the flavor she wants or her water dish needs fresh water. She literally screams what I am sure are some pretty nasty curse words at me.

Off to Amazon to do some shopping.

[palerider]

Ridiculous statement....If you are buying on line and you already have a machine...why do you need the DME? Why would a vendor drop a paying customer?

Not ridiculous. I am making the comment based on the fact that at least two people on this forum posted that they were dropped by their DME for not making regular purchases

So what? there are plenty of online places, and other 'brick and mortar' places who'd happily sell to anybody with a prescription, and plenty of places that won't even ask for that.

Ridiculous.

[Muse-Inc]

I have thought of getting 2 potting boxes...one for pee and one for poop just to see if it helped or not.
Lily is a Bengal...they are crazy high strung anyway. You should hear her cuss me out if the food isn't the flavor she wants or her water dish needs fresh water. She literally screams what I am sure are some pretty nasty curse words at me.

Off to Amazon to do some shopping.

She might object to peeing on the litter you are using, ok for poop, not for pee? Cats can be so finicky 2 boxes, try new litter in one.

[Pugsy]

She might object to peeing on the litter you are using, ok for poop, not for pee? Cats can be so finicky 2 boxes, try new litter in one.

Don't have 2 boxes...yet.
Teeny tiny house as it is...think a 600 sq ft apartment size. Have no idea where to put it so it wouldn't be in my face. Right now the box is in a corner of the tiny bathroom...figure what the hell...we can both do stuff in the bathroom that stinks and blame the cat.
I have seen her pee in the box...so I know she's not totally turned off by it....it's like she just wants to say "screw you...here's a mess to clean up". She's the bitch cat from hell...has been from day one. Not a loving bone in her body except maybe once a week or so when she wants her ears scratched and by damn you better scratch them to suit her.

Ordered the stuff off Amazon...will see how it does to stop her peeing on the counter (she did it last night again but this time I had a pee pad up there...I am sneaky too ) and if no joy with the spray stuff...will re consider a second litter box with different litter.

[Pugsy]

My apologies for derailing original poster's thread here.
It happens quite often here and no big deal as long as the original question has been answered sufficiently and in this case it has been.