Whining Noise (Besides Myself) from PB420G

I have been a CPAP user for a year and have been satisfied with my Resmed S8 Escape with heated humidifier. I tolerate standard CPAP well and don't need data download capabilities.
I bought a PB420G from CPAP.com to use for travel. When it is turned on and putting out pressure against a mask it emits a whining sound like a small vacuum cleaner. It is not deafeningly loud unless it us running against an open tube and pumping out air at full volume. Then it is a real screamer. This machine is significantly louder than my S8, even without the heated humidifier.
Is this whining sound typical of the PB420G or do I have a lemon?
Can I use it to vacuum my stairs?

Chris

Like you, I recently purchased a 420G machine to take on trips. I tried it the first night, and found it as quiet as my REMstar Pro 2 (however, my Swift mask is still too loud).

Maybe you got a lemon?

My 420E which I also bought for travel purposes sounds like a vacuum cleaner that's sucking up the entire back yard! On inhalation it wheezes and whines to the point that I probably wont use it much more. There have been other postings on here... apparently it is somewhat common.

I am really bummed out about my 420E.
I have had it for a few months now and the therapy results are actually better than my Remstar Auto, and the 420E is certainly a better size for travel....BUT......

About a week or two ago, my 420E started a high pitched whine when I breathe out, but only after a couple of hours, and only when I am breathing through any mask with it. Its just loud enough to disturb my sleep, but since its only aftera couple of hours of being hooked up to it, and probably wouldn't rise above an industrial AC unit and a noisy DME office, its unlikely I could prove its enough of a problem to get it covered by warranty. I can still sleep if I bury it under a pillow, which does not seem like a good long term solution. It was doing GREAT when I first bought it, and only had the usual whooshing 420E sound, which doesn't bother me...THEN this whine started.

I checked all air connections for leaks and did put a cable tie around the humidifier gasket connection, which is pretty poorly designed and leaks easily and should be checked by anyone with noise problems with the 420 series, since that leak can get quite noisy. And I made sure there was no moisture in the sensor hose.( I use a heated hose)

Ironically, it took me a couple years to get a Remstar Auto replaced for similar reasons, and it took another problem to actually get a replacement, which indeed IS a dead silent machine.

I am REALLY getting discouraged regarding the apparent inconsistency of sound levels in PAP machines from unit to unit in one model.

My wife and I sleep in separate bedrooms, thanks to these whiney machines and noisy interfaces....or maybe she doesn't like whines in general and thats the reason.....D'oh!

Oh yes, I know what you're talking about especially when the machine climbs above 8. I eventually limited it to 7.5 top - which is enough for me, but that is not a good solution for those needing higher pressure...

Two things that might help:

* I found that - when using the pollen (thin) filter - an inexact filter placement can cause something between a whine a whistle. This happens regardless of the pressure - and fidling with the filter helps.

* Sometimes it helped to place a book (softcover) on the machine - just after the window, and at 90 degrees. The weight itself seemed to help against the whine.


O.

ozij wrote:Oh yes, I know what you're talking about especially when the machine climbs above 8. I eventually limited it to 7.5 top - which is enough for me, but that is not a good solution for those needing higher pressure...

Two things that might help:

* I found that - when using the pollen (thin) filter - an inexact filter placement can cause something between a whine a whistle. This happens regardless of the pressure - and fidling with the filter helps.

* Sometimes it helped to place a book (softcover) on the machine - just after the window, and at 90 degrees. The weight itself seemed to help against the whine.


O.

I even tried removing the filter, with no apparent difference.

Thanks for the tip on adding the weight to it. I will try that. Maybe that pillow I started to drop on it helped more by the weight than the muffling. Definitely adding "ballast" to dampen vibrations is worth a try!

For what it's worth, I've checked all connections, I've tried different masks, removing and replacing (on seperate instances) the filter, I've even tried several pillows, books, towels under and over the machine to dampen vibation...not that I really expected that to help. A pillow over the machine concerns me as you don't want to starve that rear intake from getting all the air it wants and needs. I think it's just a characteristic of the machine...which is a real downer as it is a perfect size for travel. I hate the fact that my F&P HC234, which was all my DME would give me, doesn't have any means for saving and/or downloading data...but it's quiet to a fault!

snork1 wrote:About a week or two ago, my 420E started a high pitched whine . . .

Since you guys are technical types (snork1 and ozij, at least), about what frequency is this high pitched whine?

The reason I ask is because I'm seriously considering getting a lighter machine for travel, plus I can't hear high frequencies. My hearing has a sharp cut-off above 2 kHz and is about 80 dB down at 3 kHz and above. So . . ., if the whine is 3 kHz or above, it's not likely to bother me much. On the other hand, if the whine is 2 kHz or less then it'd drive me nuts.

Regards,
Bill

Bill,

You almost can't go wrong with an S8 for noise - very few complaints in that dept. But the PB420s really are sooo light.

My PB420G doesn't seem to make the noises mentioned but I too have severe high frequenct losses (many years back I made the mistake of firing full charged .44 magnum S&W at local range, without ear muffs )

Cheers

DSM

I know this isn't the answerto eveyone hearing the whining of the s8..but i found the two things that quieted by room from the noise. #1. I had the machine in the drawer at the bottom of my nite stand and it was quieter when it sat on the open floor area at the side of the bed. #2 I sat the machine on the carpet beside the bed rather than on the tile floor .The carpeting also deadened the machine noise from the cushioning. After a year...the only sounds I hear are from my dog snoring.

dsm wrote:My PB420G doesn't seem to make the noises mentioned but I too have severe high frequenct losses (many years back I made the mistake of firing full charged .44 magnum S&W at local range, without ear muffs )

I'll take that as maybe the PB420's are outside my frequency range too, DSM. . In my case the high frequency loss was either congenital or from measles early on. (In either case, it hasn't affected me much. I can still hear just fine - to which my wife would roll her eyes. )

Regards,
Bill

Sorry I can't help you, Bill, I have no idea what the frequency is - wouldn't know how to estimate it even....
O.

I think my high frequencies are pretty much blown out thanks to my early days of listening to much live rock and roll. Which makes me wonder how bad it would be for someone with GOOD hearing.

This whine is up in mosquito whine range. With some components sweeping down a bit. If you were to quietly whistle tunelessly and monotonously, THAT would be about the frequency..and the effect.

I tried sticking weights on the machine, no change. This morning I took my time getting up, leaving my mask on, feeling all around for air leaks where there shouldn't be, tipping the machine, pressing various places, filters in and out....no difference.

except NOW it whistles for breathing in AND out...it seems to be getting worse.
I am more than a little bummed.

Now I can only hope it gets so bad and would happen right from the start so that I could even convince a reluctant DME that its a problem.