CPAP Machine has high pitch squeal

[BigZeke]

Has anyone else had a problem with their CPAP machine developing a very high pitch squeal on each breath intake that is loud enough to keep me awake. It even bothers my wife. I have a Phillips Respironics RemStar Auto A-Flex. I have had this one for about 1 year. It is the third one and all had this same issue after about a year. The machine has a humifier attachment that I use in the winter but not in the summer. I have been fortunate that the equipment provider has replaced each one without charging me anything. I don't know how much longer this will go on before they say no-more. Is this issue peculiar to this machine? Is there a way to fix it? I have opened one of these machines and it is totally sealed inside. Any thought from anyone?

[Julie]

I really think your DME is the one to ask... lots of us do get odd things on occasion, but an ongoing one (especially if your machine isn't that old) needs to be looked at... not something we can really diagnose from here.

[puffing billy]

I had that problem and I had a fine and coarse filter in, I cleaned the coarse filter and changed the fine one.

Billy

[BigZeke]

Puffing Billy. Two filters? I have a single foam filter in the back of the machine. It is about 1 inch by 1/2 inch. Is there another filter that I don't know about?

[jilliansue]

Hmmmm, I have had some problems with this, but don't know if it is the same problem. I find that my machine has done the squealing thing when I need to turn down the heat on the humidifier. But it sounds like you are not using yours right now, since it is summer......maybe you should try using it and see what happens?

I was recently in NY visiting family and I had a problem like what you describe, wherein the machine squealed when I breathed in. I messed with it quite a bit and am still not sure of the cause. What I mostly did was to hit (not too hard!), the cover that goes over the humidifier. My machine was also in a different position relative to my bed while there, than I am used to at home. It caused the hose to be sitting at a different angle. It seemed that when I squeezed on the rubber end of the hose where it goes over the air outlet from the machine, it caused the squeaking to stop. I considered wrapping a rubber band or something similar aound it. I wonder if changing the hose would help, perhaps it is the rubber ends that get worn?

I am now back home in CO and have not changed the hose nor anything else, and have not had the squealing. Good luck!

Jillian

[Pugsy]

Two filters? I have a single foam filter in the back of the machine. It is about 1 inch by 1/2 inch. Is there another filter that I don't know about?

The grey/black foam filter is the one that goes on the outside. Can be used for months and months if you wash it each month and take care of it.
There is another filter that is probably considered optional but I feel it is not optional. It is a white fine filter that goes in first and the foam filter goes on the outside. I see on the white filter all the stuff that the foam filter misses and the white fine filter is considered disposable because it can't really be washed and reused.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -pack.html
There is also one without the tab that works with the PR S1 machines also. The tabbed filter fits a little better in the PR S1 if the tab is cut off.

If I go a month without changing the white filter it will be nearly as dark gray as the foam filter.
I wouldn't want that crud going into my machine for one thing and going to my airway for another.
I don't know if over time that crud going into the machine would create a problem or not but I don't want to risk it.

If you haven't washed your foam filter...you need to do that. Wash with some sort of liquid soap...rinse really well and pat dry. I don't know if that is your problem with the noise or not but it needs to be done anyway.

[gasp]

Has anyone else had a problem with their CPAP machine developing a very high pitch squeal on each breath intake that is loud enough to keep me awake. It even bothers my wife. I have a Phillips Respironics RemStar Auto A-Flex. I have had this one for about 1 year. It is the third one and all had this same issue after about a year. The machine has a humifier attachment that I use in the winter but not in the summer. I have been fortunate that the equipment provider has replaced each one without charging me anything. I don't know how much longer this will go on before they say no-more. Is this issue peculiar to this machine? Is there a way to fix it? I have opened one of these machines and it is totally sealed inside. Any thought from anyone?

I agree with cleaning the filters. Please go into your profile and list your equipment so we can see what machine you use : ) I have a Respironics M Series APAP and it whistles when the filter is dirty. I agree with Pugsy that using the fine filter is necessary. I put in a new one on the 1st of each month. The old one looks almost as dark as the grey filter when removed and I too don't want that dirt to get into my machine or my lungs. I think city living can pull more nasty air into the home, but even when living in the middle of the woods I changed it monthly and noticed dirt - just not as dark.

[PhilipA]

I have a one year old 'System One' with the humidifier. It recently started a very high pitched 'squealing' noise; we have a queen size bed with the CPAP on my night stand but my wife hears it better than I do. The noise is emanating from the area where the power cord attaches. Removing the antenna assembly makes no difference in the noise so that component is not the issue. I too replaced both the black & white air filters without improvement. This is unacceptable... these things are expensive but are also necessary 'evils'. I plan to take mine in to the provider after the holiday.

[amenite]

Has anyone else had a problem with their CPAP machine developing a very high pitch squeal on each breath intake that is loud enough to keep me awake. It even bothers my wife. I have a Phillips Respironics RemStar Auto A-Flex. I have had this one for about 1 year. It is the third one and all had this same issue after about a year. The machine has a humifier attachment that I use in the winter but not in the summer. I have been fortunate that the equipment provider has replaced each one without charging me anything. I don't know how much longer this will go on before they say no-more. Is this issue peculiar to this machine? Is there a way to fix it? I have opened one of these machines and it is totally sealed inside. Any thought from anyone?

I had some strange whistling/whooshing type noises coming from my PRS1 560P machine. Seems to have been caused by the water chamber lid being a bit warped such that it wouldn't quite seal properly. Replaced and some months ago and the odd noise abated.

[Wulfman...]

I have a one year old 'System One' with the humidifier. It recently started a very high pitched 'squealing' noise; we have a queen size bed with the CPAP on my night stand but my wife hears it better than I do. The noise is emanating from the area where the power cord attaches. Removing the antenna assembly makes no difference in the noise so that component is not the issue. I too replaced both the black & white air filters without improvement. This is unacceptable... these things are expensive but are also necessary 'evils'. I plan to take mine in to the provider after the holiday.

Have you tried removing the humidifier to see if that may be part of the problem?
If it "recently started" this, what changed or is there anything you may have done that caused it? ( like removing the HH and cleaning it? ) Could be a gasket that isn't sealing properly.
I would guess that the vast majority of problems don't mysteriously start all by themselves.


Den

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