Airsense 11 leaking air from around humidifier chamber

[galeforcewinds]

My AirSense 11 has developed an intermittent problem. Sometimes after I reinstall the humidifier chamber after refilling it, an air leak develops from somewhere around it when I next start the CPAP machine. The screen reports a large leak and the machine shuts off. I'll try reseating the chamber repeatedly, making sure it is completely seated, but no luck. I tried this fix here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh-6lsiFY0E

but also no luck. The only thing that does solve it is swapping out the chamber for another I have on hand. This new chamber will run fine for awhile, but then it develops the issue. When I swap it out with the first chamber, and it runs okay for a while, but then the same problem develops again. It seems odd to me that simply swapping chambers back and forth fixes the problem temporarily. The only thing I can think of is that the silicone fittings decompress when the chamber isn't being used for a while, just enough to solve the air leakage.

Has anyone else had this issue? I'm still in the rental phase and I like to get this fixed before I own the machine.

[LaASD]

I had a very similar problem and ended up getting a new humidifier chamber which did solve the problem. When you close the lid to your water tank, check to see if the lid latch is going past the point where it should click into place. If so, try unlatching and lifting the lid till you meet resistance after the chamber is inside of the machine. I was able to get mine working again by doing that. I just had to be careful to not bump the lid where it would closer further and re-open a gap at the top for a leak.

[galeforcewinds]

Thanks! I'll give it a try. It does explain why swapping the chamber solves my problem: I have to open and fill that chamber before I swap it in and it probably latches correctly. It seems like my AirSense 11 has very narrow tolerances when it comes to how the chamber fits into the machines.

[pisco21]

Yes, the humidifier can sometimes be quirky in fitting on the AS/AC 11. I've developed a technique of closing the chamber completely, then angling it downward when inserting into the machine. By angling downward, it seems to make sure that the connection is tight. I've had many times where it didn't connect correctly to the seal on the machine, and it won't work properly when I start the machine.

Eventually it becomes second nature...

[Kaden]

Yes, the humidifier can sometimes be quirky in fitting on the AS/AC 11. I've developed a technique of closing the chamber completely, then angling it downward when inserting into the machine. By angling downward, it seems to make sure that the connection is tight. I've had many times where it didn't connect correctly to the seal on the machine, and it won't work properly when I start the machine.

Eventually it becomes second nature...

I specifically created an account just to say THANK YOU! I kept having this happen and couldn't figure out the problem, but this works perfectly! Thank you so much!

[pisco21]

@Kaden, you're welcome! Sorry I didn't see this until now, but it's been pretty crazy at work... glad I could help!

[ncgrifo]

Yes, the humidifier can sometimes be quirky in fitting on the AS/AC 11. I've developed a technique of closing the chamber completely, then angling it downward when inserting into the machine. By angling downward, it seems to make sure that the connection is tight. I've had many times where it didn't connect correctly to the seal on the machine, and it won't work properly when I start the machine.

Eventually it becomes second nature...

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!! Since I took your advice, I haven’t had any issues—IT WORKS EVERY TIME!!!!

I had been struggling with this issue ever since my insurance company “upgraded” my machine from an AirSense 10 (problem free for years) to an 11. It was so frustrating! THIS HAS MADE MY LIFE SO MUCH EASIER!
Thanks again! I really appreciate your post!

[Wbferrara]

My unit started misbehaving this way. After several frustrating attempts to firmly place it back in, I found that using a gentler touch and not trying to push it in too firmly has worked well.
n a similar vein, when refilling the water chamber, if I tried to tilt it all the way open, it would always fall back; if I opened it more gently and not all the way, there was a sweet6 spot where it stayed put while I poured in some water.
Now if only the markings were a little easier to read while standing above and pouring in the water...