adding water detection to future cpap/bi-pap machines

[Goofproof]

OK. This thread is driving me crazy. LOL. The design is really straightforward and trivial. You put a reservoir of water (any height) next to the humidifier. Run a small hose with an in-line one way check valve and a tiny electric pump ( battery powered if you like) from your reservoir into the bottom of the humidifier. Then you put a tiny float sensor switch on the top of the humidifier. The switch is slaved to the inline pump. When the reservoir water falls below your predetermined threshold, the pump turns on forcing water through the one way check valve and refills your humidifier. When the humidifier is full the float switch shuts off the pump. There. We are done. By the way. I am an engineer.

I think we had a engineer here once, he got the heave ho! That seems like a lot work to go to for someone that can't fill a HH when it goes low. Why not just use your Robot to fill it for you. Jim

Put the water in a bag on a IV stand, no need for the pump, only thing to fail is the float valve and hoses. K.I.S.S.!

Haaaaaaaa. I like the IV bag !!! That would save the cost of a $2 pump. The funny thing is that I’m one of the few that actually does run out of water by early morning. I need maximum humidity for comfort and sometimes I sleep 9 or 10 hours. The damn Dreamstation HH has a small capacity. It’s a lousy design. My old Resmed S9 had a larger capacity HH and I never ran out. I would actually buy a system to auto fill for me if it were reasonably priced. I’m guessing the CPAP manufactures don’t sell them because the water would become unsanitary. If the reservoir held let’s say 1/2 gallon, then it might take a week, maybe more to run dry. By then you may have mold and or bacteria growing in the HH. The HH really should be emptied and dried out daily to prevent contamination.

+1 it is a lousy design.....the s9 vpap did not run dry either. I fixed my problem by turning down the HH to 3.

You cheated, SA people don't have any common sense left! Jim

You could use the IV Bag holder as a hose holder, Two for one.

[Goofproof]

OK. This thread is driving me crazy. LOL. The design is really straightforward and trivial. You put a reservoir of water (any height) next to the humidifier. Run a small hose with an in-line one way check valve and a tiny electric pump ( battery powered if you like) from your reservoir into the bottom of the humidifier. Then you put a tiny float sensor switch on the top of the humidifier. The switch is slaved to the inline pump. When the reservoir water falls below your predetermined threshold, the pump turns on forcing water through the one way check valve and refills your humidifier. When the humidifier is full the float switch shuts off the pump. There. We are done. By the way. I am an engineer.

I think we had a engineer here once, he got the heave ho! That seems like a lot work to go to for someone that can't fill a HH when it goes low. Why not just use your Robot to fill it for you. Jim

Put the water in a bag on a IV stand, no need for the pump, only thing to fail is the float valve and hoses. K.I.S.S.!

Haaaaaaaa. I like the IV bag !!! That would save the cost of a $2 pump. The funny thing is that I’m one of the few that actually does run out of water by early morning. I need maximum humidity for comfort and sometimes I sleep 9 or 10 hours. The damn Dreamstation HH has a small capacity. It’s a lousy design. My old Resmed S9 had a larger capacity HH and I never ran out. I would actually buy a system to auto fill for me if it were reasonably priced. I’m guessing the CPAP manufactures don’t sell them because the water would become unsanitary. If the reservoir held let’s say 1/2 gallon, then it might take a week, maybe more to run dry. By then you may have mold and or bacteria growing in the HH. The HH really should be emptied and dried out daily to prevent contamination.

I'd not worry but when mine runs out the Goldfish die and start to smell funny, not in a good way. Jim

[NucEng]

Then you put a tiny float sensor switch... We are done. By the way. I am an engineer.

Until the float valve gummed up due to hard to clean bacterial growth, or mineral deposits.

By then you may have mold and or bacteria growing in the HH. The HH really should be emptied and dried out daily to prevent contamination.

Eh, not really:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3716664/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16236866

Very interesting papers. I could only read the abstract of the pubmed paper. But the other one had the full text available. I don’t think I’m going to bother throwing out the residual water in the morning anymore. I may just empty out the HH once per week from now on. Will save on my distilled water refills. Thanks for those links!!!

[Goofproof]

Then you put a tiny float sensor switch... We are done. By the way. I am an engineer.

Until the float valve gummed up due to hard to clean bacterial growth, or mineral deposits.

By then you may have mold and or bacteria growing in the HH. The HH really should be emptied and dried out daily to prevent contamination.

Eh, not really:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3716664/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16236866

Very interesting papers. I could only read the abstract of the pubmed paper. But the other one had the full text available. I don’t think I’m going to bother throwing out the residual water in the morning anymore. I may just empty out the HH once per week from now on. Will save on my distilled water refills. Thanks for those links!!!

You are willing to trust someone writing papers in his Mom's Basement, with your health. They never even paid off their student loans yet, still trying to get the money for the second payment. Jim

[ChicagoGranny]

Wouldn't this - https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... ifier.html - be a hell of a lot simpler and not screw things up for the 99% who learned how to manage a humidifier?

[SewTired]

Yes, the Fisher and Paykel humidifier is great. Unfortunately, it does not work with Resmed Airsense machines but if you have a Respironics model, no problem. The disadvantage is that you need more table space, but it does provide a lot more humidification for those who run out during the night.

[SewTired]

Very interesting papers. I could only read the abstract of the pubmed paper. But the other one had the full text available. I don’t think I’m going to bother throwing out the residual water in the morning anymore. I may just empty out the HH once per week from now on. Will save on my distilled water refills. Thanks for those links!!!

I empty and rinse out the humidifier about once every 10 days to 2 weeks. My brother complains about an odor if I go any longer than that. Once a week would be better, but every time I try to assign a specific day to doing all the cpap cleaning, some calamity happens.

[Goofproof]

Very interesting papers. I could only read the abstract of the pubmed paper. But the other one had the full text available. I don’t think I’m going to bother throwing out the residual water in the morning anymore. I may just empty out the HH once per week from now on. Will save on my distilled water refills. Thanks for those links!!!

I empty and rinse out the humidifier about once every 10 days to 2 weeks. My brother complains about an odor if I go any longer than that. Once a week would be better, but every time I try to assign a specific day to doing all the cpap cleaning, some calamity happens.

I picked the 12th of never to clean mine, I keep it free just to clean my XPAP. Jim

[palerider]

Unfortunately, it does not work with Resmed Airsense machines but if you have a Respironics model, no problem.

As so often happens, this statement is wrong. It'll work just as well with an airsense as it will with a respironics, or any other brand. It just won't work with the heated hose, unless someone rigs up a custom adapter.

[ChicagoGranny]

It'll work just as well with an airsense as it will with a respironics, or any other brand. It just won't work with the heated hose, unless someone rigs up a custom adapter.

+1

[SewTired]

Granny, I quote from cpap.com's page on this humidifier addition:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... atures-tab

The HC150 can be used with most any CPAP or BiPAP machine as long as an integrated humidifier is not used and if the machine does NOT have a built in humidifier.

So, yes it can be used, but they don't mention that you need to buy the side panel for the Airsense in order to shut down the integrated humidifier. Of course, you wouldn't be using the heated hose since you are plugging your hose into the F&P humidifier unit, not your machine. I think someone somewhere had a post on how to use the Respironics humidifier in tandem with the F&P, but I don't know where that post is (I remember the photos). Maybe you remember it? The 400 mL capacity of the F&P is larger than the 325 ML of the Respironics Dream Station, but that may not be enough. You have to judge your needs on that.

[palerider]

Granny, I quote from cpap.com's page on this humidifier addition:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... atures-tab

The HC150 can be used with most any CPAP or BiPAP machine as long as an integrated humidifier is not used and if the machine does NOT have a built in humidifier.

So, yes it can be used, but they don't mention that you need to buy the side panel for the Airsense in order to shut down the integrated humidifier. Of course, you wouldn't be using the heated hose since you are plugging your hose into the F&P humidifier unit, not your machine. I think someone somewhere had a post on how to use the Respironics humidifier in tandem with the F&P, but I don't know where that post is (I remember the photos). Maybe you remember it? The 400 mL capacity of the F&P is larger than the 325 ML of the Respironics Dream Station, but that may not be enough. You have to judge your needs on that.

And yet, people use that as a *supplemental* humidifier, to add more moisture to the air, or, by turning down the built in humidifier, to extend the time before the built in runs out.

[ChicagoGranny]

Granny, I quote from cpap.com's page on this humidifier addition:

Oh, I wasn't specifically recommending that supplemental humidifier. I just meant it as a general concept for the small segment of CPAP users who have problems with their tank running dry.

I don't want to see a feature (water detection) added to basic CPAPs that everyone would have to pay for, whether they need it or not. Frankly, some of these users are mismanaging their CPAP process resulting in the tank running dry. That said, I have empathy for those responsible users who must use high pressure/high humidity settings in arid climates. Hopefully, a supplemental humidifier will solve their problems.

[Goofproof]

Oh, I wasn't specifically recommending that supplemental humidifier. I just meant it as a general concept for the small segment of CPAP users who have problems with their tank running dry.

I don't want to see a feature (water detection) added to basic CPAPs that everyone would have to pay for, whether they need it or not. Frankly, some of these users are mismanaging their CPAP process resulting in the tank running dry. That said, I have empathy for those responsible users who must use high pressure/high humidity settings in arid climates. Hopefully, a supplemental humidifier will solve their problems.

Exactly! We have two problems here. #1. The Amount of water is too small for the levels the machine can be set at. Problem #2 The a few people that buy their machines want "Waterboarding", and are not capable of turning a HH down.

One Resmed isn't going to correct problem, they don't care as long you keep buying the products, that's the only thing they care about! and they can't control how USERS use their machines.

You could use the HC150 hooked after the HH on the Main XPAP (Series, with a short hose 18 in), you could then turn down the XPAP HH, even add a generic heated hose, and resume "Waterboarding"! Steamed Rice anyone... Jim

[chunkyfrog]

I am awakened by the SMELL, even when it is ALMOST dry.
Generally, it is at 8+ hours, so it is time to rise and shine.
KISS. This is what it really looks like.