How often do you replace your supplies?

Its been about 6-9mo since I really replaced anything. I use SwiftFX and with slimline tubing for Resmed S9 Auto. I clean the mask and rinse the tub out with soap nightly. On weekends I rinse the tube with soapy water as well and wipe the tub with paper towls as well. They still appear to be very clean. At what point should I think about replacing the supplies?

When was the last time you replaced the filters... should do monthly. The rest, I would have a spare of everything and replace things that need replacing as they wear out.
Been using the same hose for a couple of years, never replaced the tub and masks I replace the parts as needed.

I am a longtime XPAP patient (25+ Years now) and I have always felt that both the DMEs and the manufacturers push the replacements too zealously, likely for a profit motive. I have found that with a little care items such as masks, hoses, water reservoirs, etc last a long time. My current supply hose is at least three years old, my water reservoir is three years old and looks like it did the day I got my machine. I use the ResMed Activa mask, and my current one is over two years old
though I have replaced a facial cushion maybe ten months ago. Similarly, my filters last a long time. I wash my foam outer filter maybe every two or three weeks, and change the inner fine filter only when it starts to turn dark which is maybe every 6 to eight months.

As a matter of basic cleanliness, I do scrub out the inside of my supply tube with a LONG handled bristle brush and any warm soapy solution maybe every two weeks, and at the same time I open my water reservoir (It is one of those rectangular DeVilbiss vaporizers) and thoroughly wash it using a big cotton swab and any soapy solution.

And I absolutely never miss a night not using my machine for about 7 hours with heated humidity.

TheDuke

nanwilson wrote:When was the last time you replaced the filters... should do monthly. The rest, I would have a spare of everything and replace things that need replacing as they wear out.
Been using the same hose for a couple of years, never replaced the tub and masks I replace the parts as needed.

ResMed says 6 months for the filter or when it gets dirty. Respironics says clean the gray filter every two weeks, replace it at 6 months, and replace the optional white filter every month.

Remember that the filters are there to protect the machine from dust, not because the patient needs it. We breathe unfiltered air all day long, and the CPAP doesn't somehow multiply the amount or quantity of dust in the air.

I recommend new patients get spare parts as often as their insurance will allow until they have at least one or two spares of hose, mask parts, mask, water tank, filters, etc. That way, if you break something, you don't need to panic. Then, once a week or so, clean the parts you're using, dry them and store them away to dry for a week, while you use the parts you cleaned last week. Drying out for a week probably helps keep the germ growth down.

Once you get a good enough stock, stop the regular replacements and only buy when you decide the parts you have are yucky and uncleanable or worn out somehow. Some silicone plastic mask parts where they touch your face seem to get "unsticky" and start leaking after a while. They may need to be replaced even if they're clean. Some people find they can boil their silicone parts and rejuvenate them, but be sure to try that only if you have spares.

Its pollen season so the filter gets 2 weeks to prove it is doing anything and then get trashed.

I have 3 mask cushions that I rotate through and its been 2 years and a month since I started with the S9. I have retied one cushion because where it went into the hose was leaking too bad and I think another one will soon follow. My 1st month was with a different mask but they "improved" it and its replacement was touching the end of my nose so I dumped it for the FX.

I'm on my 3rd hose but it smells odd so I'm going to give it the harsh chemical treatment I gave the second... fill it up with denatured alcohol and let it sit for an hour, rinse, then fill it with white vinegar for an hour and then rinse and clean based on the normal directions. The 1st hose broke (without seeing any of the harsh stuff) and the second one just wasn't gripping properly even with an added tie and I had two spare hoses. I've got a spare full mask kit and an unopened cushion but I haven't felt the need to open them yet.

I ordered a second tank but it had the different metal bottom which I think smells odd so I used the very shiny 1st one. The plastic clips broke so I'm using a mix of the 1st and 2nd parts. I would be tempted to order replacement seals if my local DME wasn't so hard to deal with or if I could get the other stuff shipped cheaply but I think I'm mostly annoyed that plastic bits get overseas vacations and I don't so I haven't ordered them.

I've thought about rotating hoses but I don't think they will dry properly.

-tim wrote:Its pollen season so the filter gets 2 weeks to prove it is doing anything and then get trashed.

I have 3 mask cushions that I rotate through and its been 2 years and a month since I started with the S9. I have retied one cushion because where it went into the hose was leaking too bad and I think another one will soon follow. My 1st month was with a different mask but they "improved" it and its replacement was touching the end of my nose so I dumped it for the FX.

I'm on my 3rd hose but it smells odd so I'm going to give it the harsh chemical treatment I gave the second... fill it up with denatured alcohol and let it sit for an hour, rinse, then fill it with white vinegar for an hour and then rinse and clean based on the normal directions. The 1st hose broke (without seeing any of the harsh stuff) and the second one just wasn't gripping properly even with an added tie and I had two spare hoses. I've got a spare full mask kit and an unopened cushion but I haven't felt the need to open them yet.

I ordered a second tank but it had the different metal bottom which I think smells odd so I used the very shiny 1st one. The plastic clips broke so I'm using a mix of the 1st and 2nd parts. I would be tempted to order replacement seals if my local DME wasn't so hard to deal with or if I could get the other stuff shipped cheaply but I think I'm mostly annoyed that plastic bits get overseas vacations and I don't so I haven't ordered them.

I've thought about rotating hoses but I don't think they will dry properly.

Because all of my supplies are covered by my insurance I replace my cushions once a month my filters once every two weeks my hoes once every 3 months I am I'm asking headgear once every 6 months. Before I had insurance I would usually buy all these parts on eBay and I could make a cushion last two or three months before it started leaking by washing it once a week was warm soapy in water.... There are some deals to be found online the generally these things are quite expensive and if any of you know a good website to get affordable supplies from I would love to hear about it

dneves808 wrote:I replace my cushions once a month my filters once every two weeks my hoes once every 3 months I am I'm asking headgear once every 6 months.

I also replace my cushions once a month, but my filters only once a month.

My "hoes" can go probably a couple of years or more.
I still have my original ClimateLine Hose that came with my S9 AutoSet that I purchased 12-11.

I can't get 6 months on my Headgear & usually replace it every 3 to 4 months - so that sometimes means getting an entire new mask basically just to get another headgear. If they let me get just the headgear every 3 months (instead of the entire mask every 3 months), I would almost NEVER buy an entire mask - because the hard plastic frame lasts almost forever.