RO vs. Distilled water

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:45 pm

In another thread, Nitro Dan mentioned using RO water instead of distilled water in his humidifier. I also have an RO system for my drinking water but didn't think I could use it in the humidifier. My DME told me to use distilled. I sure would prefer using RO...I hate buying those jugs of distilled and they don't look so great in the bedroom. Any advice/comments?
Thanks...Amy

LP · Post by LP » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:19 am

I was using RO water until I realized that the water sits in a tank and is subject to contamination. Back to the distilled water. I keep it under the sink so it is out of the way.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:27 am

Get your mother to knit you a nice little distilled water jug cover so that it doesn't look so ugly in the bedroom!

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:09 am

LP wrote:I was using RO water until I realized that the water sits in a tank and is subject to contamination.

I hope I'm doing this correctly: I empty my tank and wash it every day. I don't let it sit there except when I'm using it....do you think RO would be ok in that case? Thanks

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:16 am

Neither distilled nor RO water is sterile. The purpose of using the distilled water is to prevent mineral build-up and pitting in your humidifier tank. The water should be dumped daily and the tank allowed to dry out.

I know that there has been much discussion about this as lots of people leave water in their tank and just top it up daily. I don't do this as water that sits can grow lots of bugs/fungus that you don't want to be breathing.

The notion that nothing gets into the water due to the air pressure preventing patient exhalation entering the tank is incorrect. Also, the notion that the CPAP/humidifier system is a closed system is wrong as well. Stuff can, and does, get into the system. Bacteria, virus, etc., can migrate to the tank from the tube AND stuff being sucked in at the air inlet on the machine can get into the tank. A HEPA filter at the inlet site will help prevent this but, the safest bet is to dump the water, wash the tank and let it dry.

I have to admit that I only was the tank weekly, but I dump it / let it dry out daily.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:49 am

Thanks...I think I'll stick to the distilled water.
Another ? - what type of soap do you use to clean your system? My DME told me to just use dish soap but I've been reading other threads about how we're not supposed to use antibacterial or scented soaps. My dish soap has both so now what should I use?
I've been cleaning my mask with "Dial complete" because it's what I have in my bathroom. It's an antibacterial soap so I guess I shouldn't be using that either. Too bad..it's very easy to wash the foamy soap off the mask.
Thanks! Amy

JPZ · Post by **JPZ** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:56 am

<<Another ? - what type of soap do you use to clean your system? >>

As suggested by someone else on this board, I've been using Johnson's Baby Shampoo.

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:03 am

I went to the health food store and bought soap called "Ecover" which is supposed to be friendly to everything and non-damaging. It has been working well -does not seem to damage the silicone at all.

lindas88 · Post by **lindas88** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:06 am

Ivory soap....99 44/100 % pure

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:55 pm

How is distilled water not sterile?

Don't you create it by boiling water and condensing the resulting vapor.
Doesn't boiling water sterilize it?

Back in Boy Scouts we boiled water to sterilize it.

UKnowWhatInSeattle · Post by **UKnowWhatInSeattle** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:51 pm

I'll only comment on soap, not sterility!

I use an unscented hand soap made by Kiss My Face from the local food co-op. It's been working great for me for the last year and a half. No antibacterials, no stinkies.

snowdog · Post by **snowdog** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 3:02 pm

I use Johnson's Baby wash for my mask (daily). We've got a one year old at home and that's what I use on him so it's convenient. Once a week I throw the plastic top of my humidifier into the dish washer (top shelf). I wash the bottom part with my regular dish soap and rinse, rinse, rinse with hot water. I guess I should also wash my hose once a week so I'll probably start doing that with the Johnson's as well.

Oh, and I'm a "distilled" type as well.

yawn wrote:Thanks...I think I'll stick to the distilled water.
Another ? - what type of soap do you use to clean your system? My DME told me to just use dish soap but I've been reading other threads about how we're not supposed to use antibacterial or scented soaps. My dish soap has both so now what should I use?
I've been cleaning my mask with "Dial complete" because it's what I have in my bathroom. It's an antibacterial soap so I guess I shouldn't be using that either. Too bad..it's very easy to wash the foamy soap off the mask.
Thanks! Amy

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 3:12 pm

How is distilled water not sterile?

Boiling the water, creating steam, collecting the water as condensate, gets rid of the minerals. It is the mineral content that can cause the metal plate in your humidifier to pit and, causes lime and/or calcium buildup.

This process of distilling is not done in a sterile, sealed environment so, it is subject to contamination from whatever might be floating around in the air and/or already living on the equipment/tubing/condensation plate, etc.

To be sterile, the water would have to be treated chemically, with heat, or with radiation to kill everything living in it. This would be done in a sterile, closed system and the water would be put into a sterile jug/container and hermetically sealed. Once you open the sterile container, the water left in the container is no longer sterile as contaminants can enter through the opening. For the length of time that the water jug will be sitting there (I go through a jug about every two weeks) with the cap on at all times except when pouring and NEVER pouring unused water from the humidifier tank back into the water jug, the water will be fine. Don't be leaving the jug sitting in the sunlight getting hot.

All of this may sound like overkill and, to a degree, it is. However, and this is a BIG however, I have seen the result of evil things growing in warm, wet environments (I work in the CCU of a large teaching hospital) and I can tell you that I have no desire to be breathing in bugs/virus/fungus/moulds that can, and do, grow very nicely in a humidifier tank. Once you get one of these nasties growing in your lungs, you are in for a long battle to get it evicted.

The simple solution to this is to put in only enough water that will be used during the duration of sleep. Figuring this out based on a few nights experience is not difficult. In the morning, dump down the drain whatever water is left in the humidifier tank and allow the tank to dry out during the course of the day. The simple process of drying makes the tank inhospitable to much of what might be living in the tank. Washing the tank with soap and water cannot hurt at all.

I realize that lots of users just top up their tank nightly and I hope that they never get something growing in the tank. For me, knowing that I am taking steps to prevent some nasty critter from growing in the tank lets me sleep better. The little bit of inconvenience generated by dumping the tank is well worth the peace-of-mind that it gives me. I've just made dumping the tank every morning part of the morning ritual.