VPAP Adapt SV reliability issues?

[WNJ]

My wife uses a ResMed VPAP Adapt SV. Twice the machine has died and ResMed (or the DME?) has replaced it under warranty. (But the two-year warranty period will soon be up. I doubt that her insurance will help with a new machine this soon if the current one dies after the warranty period ends.)

If you use a ResMed VPAP Adapt SV:

1) How long have you used it?

2) How many major repairs has it had?

3) How many times has it been replaced under warranty?

Our experience so far does not inspire confidence in the reliability of this machine, and I’m wondering if our experience is typical.

(At $7K each, I would think they could do better.)

Wayne

[JohnBFisher]

... My wife uses a ResMed VPAP Adapt SV. Twice the machine has died and ResMed (or the DME?) has replaced it under warranty. (But the two-year warranty period will soon be up. I doubt that her insurance will help with a new machine this soon if the current one dies after the warranty period ends.)

If you use a ResMed VPAP Adapt SV: ... Our experience so far does not inspire confidence in the reliability of this machine, and I’m wondering if our experience is typical.

(At $7K each, I would think they could do better.) ...

Yeouch! I can understand why you would not be very confident in the unit. I've not had my ASV unit long enough to be able to provide any input. However, I did search this forum and others before I received my unit. None of those forums mentioned any problems with reliability of the units. I can not say I was looking for it, but something like that would have stood out as I was researching them.

I hate to answer questions with questions, but perhaps it might help:

• Has ResMed indicated what the problem was with the units that failed?
• Does your wife turn the switch off on the back of the unit, or leave the fan running?
• Do you have the unit plugged straight into the wall or into a surge supressor?
• Do you have any flickering of power at your house? (a UPS unit might help with that)

I suspect you already thought of all of this, but who knows. I can only hope it helps.

[cpapqueen1]

each time time the unit malfunctioned was she given a brand new unit??? This is Resmed replacement policy so be sure she was given a new unit which would have had a full two year warranty on it.
The vpap adapt sv enhanced has had less issues. There is also nothing wrong with saying the unit doesn't feel correct and get another one from the DME!!

[WNJ]

JBF: In spite of my inquiry, I got no info from ResMed about why they failed.

We’re pretty obsessive-compulsive about following the user manual, except that each morning my wife turns off power to the machine with the switch on the back after turning it off the therapy pressure with the button on top. The DME told us to do this. Otherwise, it starts by itself during the day and starts sounding the alarm.

I have my own ideas about one likely cause of the problem, but I don’t want to hijack my own thread.

Queen: I cannot imagine that the new machines we’ve received would start the warranty period again. Based on our experience, I cannot imagine that one of these machines is capable of working for two years without failing. If each replacement machine had a new two-year warranty my wife would be set for life, with a brand new machine each year.

“The vpap adapt sv enhanced has had less issues.” What issues have there been?

Wayne

[dsm]

I have had mine just under 2 years, was used when I bought it. So I believe it is over 2 years old.

One special feature of the VPAP Adapt SV that you may not have appreciated is that the machine maintains a soft steady air flow through the blower assembly - this runs all the time the machine is plugged even whan not being used UNLESS someone turns off the power switch. I leave mine on *all the time*.

The blower assembly is a special arrangement where there is a fan at each end of the motor and the air goes into the fan at one end which further feeds the air (like a turbo charger) into the fan at the other end (dual impeller, dual stage). Around the the blower assembly is a flexible bag that inflates as the blower is turned on. It acts as a noise barrier as well as a path for the air from the 1st impeller to the 2nd. I am not sure if the continued airflow relates to keeping the blower inflated or to prevent moisture settling but it does either or both. Turning the machine off prevents the machine doing what was intended by that soft flow.

So, if your wife turns it off each morning & you keep getting machine failures, I'd be wondering if turning it off is the major contributing cause ?.

Good luck with this one

DSM

[cpapqueen1]

Yes, each unit has a 2 year warranty. It's not from when your wife was set-up. Those that received a new cpap when there 2005 was recalled, received a full 2 year warranty on the unit.

Most of the ASV failures that I have seen have been water damage. The pt overfills the chamber and the water goes into the unit. One guy stated that his "rhythm" was off; it was under warranty, I switched it out and he received a new unit with a full 2 year warranty; no questions asked.

The other thing, is that 9 times out of 10, the bipap st's stay a continued rental thru the insurance companies due to the necessity of the pt needing the unit. If this is the case with your insurance, then no need to worry about the warranty.

I currently have 17 pts on these units and have had to send 4 units back.

[dsm]

Yes, each unit has a 2 year warranty. It's not from when your wife was set-up. Those that received a new cpap when there 2005 was recalled, received a full 2 year warranty on the unit.

<snip>

Hi cpapqueen1

Was wondering what the above relates to ? - was there a recall in 2005 ? (am aware of an S8 recall in (IIRC) 2007).
Were any Vpap Adapt SV machines recalled at any time ? (just not aware of any ?)

Tks

DSM

[cpapquuen1]

It was a recall which uinvoilved all of the s8's in 05 plus a few 2006.

[dsm]

It was a recall which uinvoilved all of the s8's in 05 plus a few 2006.

Yup I'm with you re the S8s, your dates had me confused & I wondered if there was a Vpap Adapt SV recall.
Here is the 2007 Resmed S8 recall announcement.

http://www.resmed.com/us/s8program/euro ... elease.pdf

Cheers

DSM

[WNJ]

Queen: Yes, she received brand-new replacement machines each time. I’ll check with my wife’s DME on the warranty issue. I will be impressed if ResMed warrants the latest replacement for two full years. But I can’t help but wonder if the 2005-07 event wasn’t maybe a special case due to a product recall (as opposed to a single unit.)

I’m confident there were no water issues in our case.

The machine now belongs to my wife. It was a “rent-to-own” arrangement and after 12 payments it was paid up.

DSM: The first unit my wife had was continually starting by itself during the day, with an ear-piercing alarm. The DME was unable to diagnose the problem, and their instructions were to shut off the power (via the switch in back) during the day.

The idea of leaving the machine on to keep it clean makes no sense to me. How can constantly drawing poorly-filtered air through the machine help keep it clean? (IMO, the ResMed filters are an abomination.)

I can’t help but wonder whether the machine failures are because of dirt entering the machine through the filters. Compared to my REMstar’s dual filters, the ResMed filters are extremely porous AND, I discovered, many/most did not even cover the entire opening through which intake air is drawn. I am careful to at least reject the most ill-fitting filters now.

Wayne

[dsm]

Queen: Yes, she received brand-new replacement machines each time. I’ll check with my wife’s DME on the warranty issue. I will be impressed if ResMed warrants the latest replacement for two full years. But I can’t help but wonder if the 2005-07 event wasn’t maybe a special case due to a product recall (as opposed to a single unit.)

I’m confident there were no water issues in our case.

The machine now belongs to my wife. It was a “rent-to-own” arrangement and after 12 payments it was paid up.

DSM: The first unit my wife had was continually starting by itself during the day, with an ear-piercing alarm. The DME was unable to diagnose the problem, and their instructions were to shut off the power (via the switch in back) during the day.

The idea of leaving the machine on to keep it clean makes no sense to me. How can constantly drawing poorly-filtered air through the machine help keep it clean? (IMO, the ResMed filters are an abomination.)

I can’t help but wonder whether the machine failures are because of dirt entering the machine through the filters. Compared to my REMstar’s dual filters, the ResMed filters are extremely porous AND, I discovered, many/most did not even cover the entire opening through which intake air is drawn. I am careful to at least reject the most ill-fitting filters now.

Wayne

Wayne,

I originally said 'clear' but changed the word to 'clean' I really should have said 'dry'.
But I do understand that problem of starting by itself. My machine does start if I move the mask on the bed ! - that is irritating. I can't
find any setting that stops it. So I just let it do it as it stops very quickly afterwards.

If the DME said turn it off then that was without doubt what you needed to do. But, the machines does cycle that slow airflow through it seemingly to keep the inside dry. Certainly on reflection, I doubt it uses it to keep the blower casing inflated which was one idea I mentioned.

While you are managing to avoid water ingestion, water inside any cpap machine is problematic & moisture can filter back in from the humidifier after nightly use & it really does seem that this is why the Resmed SV machines have that feature that blows a soft flow out when not on. On further reflection, I think it drops that airflow away to no flow after a period of time.

DSM.

[WNJ]

DSM,

“Dry” I can understand. Maybe I’ll try turning it back on tomorrow after my wife leaves for work and see if the gentle flow does stop after a while. Somehow, I thought that the flow was continuous. I assumed that it was intended to assist the machine in sensing that someone had donned the mask and that it was time to begin therapy.

Also, maybe this machine will be less sensitive than her first with regard to starting for no good reason. Our dog will not be amused if it alarms. IIRC, I figured out a way to turn the alarm volume down to zero on her last machine, but I’m not sure if I’ve done that with this one.

I can understand some humidity migrating back from the humidifier, even though my wife uses a low heat setting. I would expect, however, that moisture-sensitive parts should be well-isolated from vapors, but of course I have no idea as to the internal design. (I’ve never opened one of them up, nor do I plan to do so anytime soon.)

I’m still curious, however, as to whether this machine has a high incidence of reliability issues or if the luck-of-the-draw has been unkind to my wife with her first two units.

Wayne

[cpapqueen1]

the unit is designed to turn on with any movement at the end of the circuit. The alarm was probably the low pressure alarrm since the circuit wasn't sealed.

[WNJ]

the unit is designed to turn on with any movement at the end of the circuit. The alarm was probably the low pressure alarrm since the circuit wasn't sealed.

Understood.

But the first unit my wife had had an absolute “hair-trigger.” (The second and third ones have never been left on during the day.) With the ear-piercing alarm going off many times each day for no apparent reason, it was not something we were disposed to live with.

Actually, it’s a miracle that the machine survived its first night with us. We picked it up on a Friday night after work. After we got it home and set up we plugged it in and turned the power on. Immediate ear-piercing, teeth-rattling, bone-jarring alarm!!!! A couple of hours of reading the user manual and trying everything conceivable was no help. It’s a miracle that it did not end up flying across the room. I realize now that the RT who showed it to use must have turned off the power without switching it off with the top button, but we had no help in figuring out why it was alarming and how to get it stopped. The user manual was worse than useless.

This device may deliver good therapy, but it is the most non-intuitive, user-hostile product I’ve ever seen. I'm persuaded that it was designed by engineers who lack any clue about the real world!

And I still have doubts about its reliability.

If my wife had a choice through her insurance, she would have chosen a different product long ago.

Wayne

[JohnBFisher]

... This device may deliver good therapy, but it is the most non-intuitive, user-hostile product I’ve ever seen. I'm persuaded that it was designed by engineers who lack any clue about the real world! ...

I must agree. I would have been lost the first few nights had it not been for this forum. In all fairness to my DME, they did a good job of the setup and making certain I understood when it would alarm and how to keep it from happening. They spent the time to be certain I would be comfortable with this unit. And I know they are fairly unusual. I am very fortunate to have them.

Still, this forum made it that much easier.

... And I still have doubts about its reliability. ...

I fear from one of the replies to this post, you may be correct. I will need to take extra care when traveling with this unit. But as you note, the therapy it provides is nothing less than outstanding for me. So, going without this unit is not an option.

... If my wife had a choice through her insurance, she would have chosen a different product long ago. ...

I am certain that ResMed learned a lot from building this unit. I see some of the design built into their current CPAP and BiLevel machines. And there is no doubt that if they encountered problems with this design they would make every effort to avoid those design choices, but end up with the same approach. For example, this unit has a very odd 30V DC power input for the DC voltage. They've moved their current units back toward more standard voltages.