How often to change cpap parts

[Blocksom]

So I know what the manufacturers recommendations are but how often do y’all change out the following?
Cushion?
Frame?
Hose?
Water basin/humidifier tank?
Air filter ?
Headgear?

[Julie]

When they need it - some last a very long time depending on how you take care of them... frame, hose, tank, gear... and even filters depending on conditions. Cushions can last long too, just depends how you treat them = scouring etc. will wreck them fast (if you can get away with baby wipes 1-2 wkly plus Dawn ?? less often, but hoses, tanks and frames last forever.

[LSAT]

So I know what the manufacturers recommendations are but how often do y’all change out the following?
Cushion?..........6-8 months
Frame?............never
Hose?.............never
Water basin/humidifier tank?....never.(unless it leaks)
Air filter ?.......when it's dirty
Headgear?.......never

[zonker]

So I know what the manufacturers recommendations are but how often do y’all change out the following?
Cushion?
Frame?
Hose?
Water basin/humidifier tank?
Air filter ?
Headgear?

i am both cheap and lazy, which is a wicked combination!

pretty much what julie says in her reply. i probably take the longest between filters. i really don't think of it until someone here mentions it.

which is pretty much the way i go for most of it. i just washed my humidifier tank this morning because it was getting gross.

hose, never.

my mask is a p10 so it's just basically the pillows and the headband. i wipe the pillows every morning with baby wipes. wash them in dish soap whenever. the "frame" is a stretchy headband. i wash it when it gets too loose to fit properly.

mainly, you can work to your own schedule, whatever makes you comfortable. the bulk of us here are proponents of the notion that the less cleaning, the better, to a certain point.

[chunkyfrog]

Since we should all have backup supplies, it is good to get a basic assortment
of what you might need when insurance (or your finances) permit.
Normal (but not excessive) cleaning of most equipment should help with longevity.
Some parts may last as long as LSAT says, but be prepared--not everyone has the same results.
Not all equipment is as durable; and cr@p happens--usually not your fault.
Just be ready, and establish your schedule according to your own observations.

[palerider]

So I know what the manufacturers recommendations are but how often do y’all change out the following?
Cushion?
Frame?
Hose?
Water basin/humidifier tank?
Air filter ?
Headgear?

"when needed", whenever something doesn't function properly anymore.

Don't change *anything* on an artificial schedule. the "recommendations" are purely a reaction to the minimum time that Medicare said they would replace something, it has nothing to do with need.

[springman946]

you should change your c-pap parts as follows I hope this helps you

1 mask cushion every month

2 disposable filter if you have one whenever you see it getting dirty i"d say change it every 3 -6 months

3 the headgear every 6 months to once a year. of course you can keep washing it

4 c-pap tubing every every 3-6 months or when worn.

5. mask frame every 3 to 6 months or when worn

6 water chamber every six months or when it gets slimy

[palerider]

you should change your c-pap parts as follows I hope this helps you

1 mask cushion every month

2 disposable filter if you have one whenever you see it getting dirty i"d say change it every 3 -6 months

3 the headgear every 6 months to once a year. of course you can keep washing it

4 c-pap tubing every every 3-6 months or when worn.

5. mask frame every 3 to 6 months or when worn

6 water chamber every six months or when it gets slimy

This is completely *WRONG* There is no need to replace *ANYTHING* on a schedule.

This LIE is made up by greed DMEs who looked at the Medicare mimimum payment guide and said "Ya know, if we tell people to throw away *PERFECTLY GOOD STUFF*, we'll make MORE MONEY!

Hoses can last for years, mask frames can last for *years* if not abused. water chambers don't quit working after six months, and if they're "slimy", then WASH IT.

Headgear is the most thing that needs to be replaced the most, since it stretches out.

Cushions can last for *months*, if not years, if they're treated well.

[Okie bipap]

We change items when we think they need to be changed. My hose is almost 5 years old, my current mask cushion is about 8 months old, the old one lasted over a year, my mask frame is at least two years old and my water reservoir is the one that came with my machine almost five years ago. I recently changed my head gear. The old one was over a year old when I changed it. I change the filters about every two months and once a month when pollen season hits around here.

[zonker]

you should change your c-pap parts as follows I hope this helps you

may i ask a question? it's something that's been on my mind recently and i should probably ask this question more often from now on.

did you read the other answers to the question before you answered?

or did you just see the original post and answer it straight away?

thank you.

[Blocksom]

You guys are awesome. That’s kinda what I was thinking. Replace on an as needed basis. I can’t see ever replacing a mask frame often as long as there is no damage. And I clean most of my stuff weekly and I use wipes for my cushion daily.

Thanks again everyone !

[LSAT]

you should change your c-pap parts as follows I hope this helps you

1 mask cushion every month

2 disposable filter if you have one whenever you see it getting dirty i"d say change it every 3 -6 months

3 the headgear every 6 months to once a year. of course you can keep washing it

4 c-pap tubing every every 3-6 months or when worn.

5. mask frame every 3 to 6 months or when worn

6 water chamber every six months or when it gets slimy

Sounds like you own stock in a CPAP supply company........

[Dog Slobber]

I got my heated hose and humidifier on March 12, 2018.

As soon as I was eligible, I ordered replacements. I've been using my original s for over two years and have a backup set should they fail.

Order a backup sets of everything according to insurance schedule, but continue using original until it breaks or wears out.

[DreamDiver]

So I know what the manufacturers recommendations are but how often do y’all change out the following?
...

This is a great question because you're going to get a variety of answers. For most of us, regardless of the manufacturer's "recommendations", regardless of DME's pushing their marketing schedule, we're going to replace them as they wear out. Even when insurance and DME conspire to push/market their stuff on us, many of us end up just stockpiling stuff for emergencies or using those criteria as a chance to try a new mask, knowing we can go back to our prior mask if we don't like the new one.

• Cushion: These actually do wear out for some people faster than others. If I start getting a crappy leak rate or if the silicone tears, I'm swapping out the cushion, if I've got one.
• Frame: Not unless it breaks. They seldom do. I had one that got squeaky when the elbow swiveled against it. Chirps that wake me and my wife up... Yeah, that had to be replaced. Just bad design.
• Frame Elbow: I'm thinking of this as a separate thing. A lot of mask frames have detachable elbows. Some earlier designs have really flimsy elbows that broke easily. What frosts me about the American system is that you basically have to buy the whole mask or at least the frame with the elbow in order to buy just the elbow. Yet in Australia, if your mask's elbow is broken, you can actually buy the elbow separately. I suspect more elbows break before frames do, yet you end up buying more than you need because of the way it's marketed. Give me the kit when I need it, but let me buy constituent parts if I need them too.
• Hose: Not unless it breaks. I used one heated hose for six years for my S9. It developed a tear next to the mask connector, even though I have an 18" hose extender to the mask. I replaced that hose. I still have the second heated hose, still in good shape, probably because of some slight design change.
• Water basin/humidifier tank: Not unless it breaks. The S9 non-dishwasher-safe tanks could actually be pulled apart and washed in the dishwasher. Just turn the heated dry option off, so it doesn't bake and melt. I still have the original standard tank for that machine, pretty much like new.
• Air filter: It depends on the environment. In some cities, two days will make your filter as filthy as two months in other cities. I don't like waiting until it's totally gray.
• Headgear: Some headgear just doesn't last. Some stretch beyond usefulness in the first couple days -- (ZZZ FF.) Some stretch over the course of the first month, gradually getting to the point where the velcro tabs cross over each other -- (Simplus FF, Quattro FX FF.) I actually had one that disintegrated the neoprene layer into little black specks. Save the clips, and the straps go into the bin. (Mirage Quattro FF.) The latest frames seem much better designed and will hopefully be a lot more durable.
• Blower: When it breaks.

From my point of view, the worst star in the constellation of mask parts is headgear. Almost all of them end up gross and tattered in just months, even if you're not an aggressive sleeper. They get loose and sloppy. So far the F20 has the most superior design to any headgear I've tried before, yet still there are durability issues. I'd like to see replaceable sleeves for the frame's upper braces because they seem to pill and fray.

Chris

[Deborah K.]

My supplies are fully covered by insurance, so I order on the DME's schedule and get everything offered. I plan to use them till I think they're kind of beat up, and stockpile the extras for the future. My husband is approaching retirement, so it seems wise to have extras in case our retirement insurance doesn't cover as much.