Quattro Mask: Anyone else having seal problems (brand new se

Am posting this after considerable frustration with a Quattro mask that has basically worked well enough for the past 18 months but is now such a problem I have stopped using it.

some weeks ago the seal tore & I had to go buy a new one. Since then the mask starts the night ok but at around 2am (or there abouts) it starts leaking under the seals. Have changed the straps 3 times. Have tried washing face early in the evening & also shaving.

The leaks were so persistent I abandoned my Vpap Adapt SV 2 weeks ago (which becomes a difficult machine when the masks develop high flow leaks). Have now been using my Bipap Auto SV but even that started playing up with this mask leaking (but not nearly as badly as when the mask is attached to the Vpap Adapt SV).

Things got so frustrating with this quattro that I reverted to an Ultra Mirage F/F mask & that is doing ok (3 nights now).

The one thing I notice with the new quattro seal is how flimsy & soft it is. So am wondering if anyone else has a similar story ?

DSM

dsm wrote:Am posting this after considerable frustration with a Quattro mask that has basically worked well enough for the past 18 months but is now such a problem I have stopped using it.....

The one thing I notice with the new quattro seal is how flimsy & soft it is. So am wondering if anyone else has a similar story ?
DSM

OMG, Don't get me started!!!
Did you perchance miss the thread with some 14,000 reads, concerning the quality issue with ResMed's manufacturing of Swift LT pillows? I think it probably stands to reason that if ResMed has chosen manufacturers in China which are producing flimsy LT pillows, then a high percentage of all the rest of their cushions & pillows are likely to evidence the same quality issues sooner or later when new stock hits the public. I found the same problem with Liberty cushions and nasal pillows.

Do I dare?

Yup.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41729&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... LT+Quality
...just in case anybody missed it....

I agree with plr66 ... don't get me started!!

When it works, it works well. But some nights - for no reason I can figure - it is horrible. I thought it might be the cushion, but then just as suddenly it started to work well again. Bummer!

Unfortunately, I have to REALLY tighten it to handle the times my machine bumps the pressure up to 25cm H2O. If it's not settled just right it leaks horribly. But only one question:

What's just right?

I've been doing this a long time, so I know how to settle a mask so it fits. The Quattro appears to be pretty "per-snickity".

All I can say is "good luck"!

We always had leak problems with the Quattro as well as nose sores even trying different sizes. The UMFF works well for us but I must say that whenever we get a new replacement there is always that "break-in" period where we have leaks until we get the adjustments right again and the seal begins to conform. I don't think the UM seal is as flimsy as the Quattro. Now we're having some leak issues because of Mike's surgery and sleeping on his tummy. He's been trying Rooster's Falcon position but it's not really working out. Hopefully next week he'll be able to go back to side sleeping again. Wish you well.

I frequently have leak issues with my Quattro. I have tried quite a few other FFM's but keep going back to the Quattro for various reasons. The UM makes too much noise for me. I replaced my cushion recently since it was 4 months old and seemed to be leaking more. The new cushion did seem to leak less at first. But after a week or 2 it leaks more. I have been losing weight so I blamed it on that. My leaks are mostly around the nose. I had to switch from the large with new cushion to a med I also had. It seems to leak less than large but is less comfortable. Guess I have a weird face. I need a Med +1/2.

I've only had my Quattro a couple of weeks and have had little trouble with it till last night. For some reason I couldn't get it to seal properly when I put it on. I did nothing different from normal but it was just blowing out in every direction. This went on for about 10 minutes then suddenly it settled in and sealed properly and I went to sleep with no issues. Very strange; I hope this doesn't happen often as it was annoying.

SleepyBobR wrote:I've only had my Quattro a couple of weeks and have had little trouble with it till last night. For some reason I couldn't get it to seal properly when I put it on. I did nothing different from normal but it was just blowing out in every direction. This went on for about 10 minutes then suddenly it settled in and sealed properly and I went to sleep with no issues. Very strange; I hope this doesn't happen often as it was annoying.

Bob, to be fair, don't give up on it. I think that no matter what mask we use, there are nights when everything is great, and nights when without any explanation everything seems wrong & we have to make little adjustments for what seems like a very long time. I have recently posted about finding that my seal is better when I don't wash the cushion every day--just wash or rinse my face before putting it on. Amazing results. Just experiment and try to be patient.

But the ResMed quality issue is still an issue.

Sometimes I have to take my cushion all the way off, and replace it. Sometimes that re-seals where ever the leak was coming from. But this only works 8 out of 10 times. It's frustrating being a full face mask guy, as there are so many nasal masks to try and not alot with the full face.

I also hope to try the Hybrid. But it seems to have a higher exhaust rate. It is also a bit louder than the Quattro. But I need a few days to tinker with the mask and straps. Also, I don't want to interfere with how I will function the next day. So, hopefully this upcoming weekend I can try it. From my first test with the Hybrid it seems to do well. I *love* nasal pillows. This has the advantage of also having the mouth covered. Plus it seems to work with my VPAP Adapt SV unit.

I had originally gone to the quattro because I could not get a stable seal with my Ultra Mirage when using the Vpap Adapt SV - the quattro was the reason I even persevered with that machine at all. And as JohnBFisher says, when it works it works really well, the best!. But boy oh boy when it doesn't the nights are so bad I will typically turn it off as turning it off is better than what the machine does to you during long extended leak periods. The quattro seemed to have a much superior bridge adjustment that the UltraMirage doesn't.

I do see a very big difference in the firmness of the seal on the UltraMirage. It is mich stiffer.

Re the suggestion to not wash the quattro mask, I will try that - there has to be a way this mask will behave. To go 18 months with minimal complications then hit a period where the mask seems to fail with multiple machines is odd. Especially after a new seal is fitted. As mentioned, it stays ok early on but at around the 2am period it seeps, splutters, flutters & makes raspberrys. What I believe is happening is that I have been sweating a little (not a lot) and that seems to be the trigger for the seals to breach. Obviously the machine is also ramping up pressure. Again, this was happening with both machines but always much worse on the Vpap Adapt SV.

My wife has said that she wakes & tries to see where the air is coming from & can see it can be anywhere around the edge. One possible solution re the Vpap Adapt SV would be to restrict the SV max pressure to say 15 CMs & see if that allows the mask to hold its seal, but, IIRC, the machine does not allow me to adjust the max SV pressure (unlike the Bipap Auto SV which does).

DSM

(determined to get to the bottom of this )

JohnBFisher wrote:I also hope to try the Hybrid. But it seems to have a higher exhaust rate. It is also a bit louder than the Quattro. But I need a few days to tinker with the mask and straps. Also, I don't want to interfere with how I will function the next day. So, hopefully this upcoming weekend I can try it. From my first test with the Hybrid it seems to do well. I *love* nasal pillows. This has the advantage of also having the mouth covered. Plus it seems to work with my VPAP Adapt SV unit.

John

I'll join you on that experiment (possibly also this w/e) - I have a hybrid I can try.

DSM

Den, check that cushion clip. I had a terrible time just like you did recently and swore someone changed the cushion or it was flimsy and not as good as before. I finally found that although the clip and cushion looked perfect, it wasn't set correctly. It was only off a slight bit but that slight bit made a huge difference after a few hours of having it on. I would start out each night with it working fine and after a few hours it would leak something terrible.
The clip could also be bad and not holding things where they should be.

Good luck

let us know.

Gerry

Gerryk wrote:Den, check that cushion clip. I had a terrible time just like you did recently and swore someone changed the cushion or it was flimsy and not as good as before. I finally found that although the clip and cushion looked perfect, it wasn't set correctly. It was only off a slight bit but that slight bit made a huge difference after a few hours of having it on. I would start out each night with it working fine and after a few hours it would leak something terrible.
The clip could also be bad and not holding things where they should be.

Good luck

let us know.

Gerry

Gerry

I too will look at the clip but was sure I had it fitted ok. However all possibilities need to be explored & that sounds like a good one.

Cheers

DSM

I had a lot of problems with getting the Quattro to seal, until I realized that I needed a different size mask. Even though I have a very full face, the medium size was too large- when I tried a small- problem pretty much non-existent. I DO have a spare cushion/liner. and wash and switch them often- I have found that when using one for more than a few nights, it gets "loose", and the clean one-=even though I wipe it down with the mask wipes every day- will fit much better.
~joan

got a new mask this week. I agree....flimsy. My old one seemed to have much more body in the seal. I like the feel of the comfort gel FFM, but it won't sit on my face right.