Dude, you’re hilarious. I love watching your videos. Yes I am a CPAP user, and I’ve taken your advice on a lot of different things you talk about. Thank you for being there.
I've used a CPAP machine for almost 20 years now and have NEVER gotten sick from it. I use mainly distilled water because my well water has a lot of iron in it. Also, I only clean my mask, tubing, and water tank every two months or so (whenever I think it either looks or smells dirty or after I've been sick). I use vinegar to remove hard water deposits (if I've been using my well water) and dawn dishwashing liquid with warm water to clean everything. Then I just let it all hang and dry. Super simple and effective.
Same here, going on 18 yrs, only clean the mask and tubing when i think about it. Have gone 2 mo. etc and have never gotten sick. if you think about it why does tubing need cleaned b/c no air even goes back to the machine.
So I started using cpap 10 months ago when I bought my machine. I live in Japan where you can’t buy machines you have to rent from your doctor. It was about $60. A month last I asked. All of my Japanese friends use tap water. They don’t sell distilled water here except on military bases. My friends had no idea what I was talking about. None of them has been sick. But I thought “they can return their machine if it stops working” but then I remembered that I have friends who used the same machine forever and they get a new mask once a year. 😮 also Japan does have some really good water! I loved this video! ❤
YUP! THAT'S IT! I totally forgot about the "pink" fungus. Seen that a lot on other things. We don't have the machine yet. We should be able to get it in the next week or two. So right now, I'm doing research.
I get the pink fungus whether using distilled or tap water. So, during the warmer seasons, I rinse out my water bin every night. In the cold weather, I just top up. I have softened water and my Airsense 10 bin is easy to clean. When I housesit for my sister, I have to bring distilled water - in just a week, so much deposit which affects the humidity.
A lot depends on your tap water, some places have soft water sources, other places have well water with deposits. Deposits won’t make you sick, but bacteria and fungi may make you sick, so drain the container daily, clean weekly.
I use what I have. I’ve used tap and I’ve used distilled. Only difference is distilled doesn’t cause calcium buildup, but I have never gotten sick from using tap or even well water for that matter
I love your videos! You both amuse me but more importantly provide me with very useful and insightful information. Oh and yes I use tap water also and I don't bother removing the minerals. I clean everything with mask bright and remove my water from my tank every morning. Keep the videos coming - please.
As always Lanky man,enjoy your honesty and pragmatic information regarding all things CPAP....I listen to you Melbourne Nico as you guys both know your shit and shoot straight. On the water issue,I ,at69,have always drank tap water...Bottled shit is more than gas in Alberta here,our tap water is mountain fed and fully treated.....some bottled water is 99 cents for 500 mg...Its water,not rocket fuel...Anyway Cheers and Thanks again.
Although I use distilled, I’m all about people doing what works for them. My 2-year-old water chamber looks identical to what it did when I picked up my machine. I also distill my own water as I use it for other purposes. Also, Mask Brite is my go-to for cleaning my N30i cushion and frame. Quick and easy clean up and I pop it into the Hurricane to get it dry. I love the Hurricane and don’t want to put extra non-therapy time on my costly CPAP machine and I thank you for mentioning that. Again, people should do what works for them without judgement. WC 1A or whoever the heck he/she is really needs to realize there are many different ways to clean equipment and if their way works for them…yippee skippy…carry on dude/dudette, however, kindly refrain to putting down others who have their own methods.
You don't need hours in mask fit mode. Just turn it on and walk away. After a few seconds of no resistance it goes into dryer mode. Every time I take the mask off I either leave it on as I pull off the mask or turn it off then turn it back on to let it dry. During my morning routine I do a visual check for water droplets in the hose and hit the ON switch once again if I see any water. Sometimes the nose piece will be a little moist after this but I hand wash that with Dawn every evening when I fill my tank. (Nose skin oils interfere with a good fit.) In addition I clean my tube with Dawn about every two weeks and that seems to be enough to keep away infections or irritation. This system for roughly 8 years.
Your logic is awesome and is now going to make my life much easier in so many other areas beginning with the lack of a need to wear a seatbelt because I've never been killed in a car wreck before. Thanks so much!
The airsense 10 has a feature which will blow very low pressure air through the machine to dry it, the tank and hose. The pressure is very slight and you can't hear it, you have to put it to your face to feel it. If the green light is on, on the switch, it is running If you have it turned on, it will show a snowflake on the display. The tank was to be in to close the system, so drain it before doing this. I have a well and this is the hardest water I've ever used so I use distilled water. I pick up 2-3 each time I'm at the store, I don't go out of my way to keep stocked up. I will say that pre-covid I was paying .93 a gallon, it is now 1.35 a gallon. In the winter I burn wood, in the summer I run AC so my home is ALWAYS dry and I've never had problems with my cpap systems getting moldy and I've been on one for 20+ years. Because of the dryness I actually run room humidifiers when it gets really dry (single digits or teens!) and I can tell you those machines will put out a lot of dust from well water, it doesn't use heat though.
The AS 11 has the same feature, I have a spare tank that I install every am, hit the warm-up option to preheat the tank for warm dry air to dry the damp tubing, repeat a couple times daily, has worked great for 10 months I've been using it. Use the same after cleaning the tubing once a week, I use a $20 120v air pump to blow dry the tubing first.
I’m from Sydney Down Under, and regardless of local the tap water below par quality I use distilled for the humidifier. AU$5 a 5 litre container. One lasts for weeks. However, you can beat that easily. I purchased a Chinese made distiller (AU$95 delivered) that can process 4 litres tap water in one go, usually make three to five runs in a weekend. The result is 20 litres or about 4 gallons. No residue in my tank at all. For my nasal mask and the tube I use foaming hand wash, leaves a pleasant scent (lemon & lime) and slosh it back and forth a few times with hot water added - for 20 sec, if 20 sec can kill a virus while hand washing, it can sterilise the tube and mask too ... Just does not wear out! Tube drying is by hair drier - mere few minutes as it does not just evaporate the water but blows out the beads with the strong flow. Since I use a CPAP Tube stand, moisture does not accumulate in the tube as it either runs back to the container or into the mask. No film left for anything to grow. Just my way of using it, for about the last 20 years, but hey, yours is just as good, whatever works for you!
Hey Peter. I'm just starting with this, so appreciate your feedback. Can you please tell me where to get the distilling thing from? And what foaming soap do you use to clean the tubes etc I'm in Au as well. Thank you
I just ordered one online on eBay after search - actually not even for the CPAP initially, but for making my own coffee water recipe similar to Raul’s water, a barista champion .. can’t remember the supplier name but here’s a photo of all items you are asking about. The antibacterial foaming soap is from Woolworth and Palmolive brand, I use this for hand wash, available in several scents - any you favor will do. Hang the tube a while to drip most out then use hairdryer to wash the tube and mask attachments.
Thank you for talking sense regarding distilled vs tap water! I have read posts on FB made by CPAP users that were in a panic when their local stores were out of distilled water. I think if it is safe to drink it is safe to breathe the air that blows over the top of it. Keep educating us!
Great information! I dry my tubing by hanging it out in the sun and then I run my cpap machine for about 1 minute and then let the air that comes through for however long it does, dry it out the rest of the way. No water drops in the tubing. Thanks for all your information.
You make perfect sense! I think of it this way: Using the CPAP is annoying enough. No way will I be buying and dragging distilled water bottles home, and getting them every time I have to fill the humidifier reservoir!
Thanks for the video. You have answered many questions I had with your videos. I have been on CPAP since 2001. First started off on dry air and the latest machine I use has the same tank as you have. I use distilled water but have used tap water without any problems. As for cleaning I use the same proceedues as we use at work with our respirators, warm tap water and mild detergent .
Great video. U are making alot of sense. Ppl use humidifiers in their house and use tap water. No issue and no warning. Using tap water and cleaning the machine daily is perfectly fine.
Been a cpap user for many years, I always use the humidifier through at least the entire winter (because the air is extremely dry during the winter where I live), and I've always used tap water. I do however always boil it first, enough for about a week's use, let it cool off and then put it in a dedicated sealed container (with a convenient pouring mechanism) in the fridge. It would of course be a lot more convenient if I skipped the boiling part and just filled the humidifier tank directly from the tap, but I'm not sure I dare do it. 😬 When it comes to cleaning, I use regular dish soap + tap water + a dedicated brush, and then leave everything to naturally completely air-dry. Haven't had any problems with water drops remaining inside the tubing when hang-drying it, but I definitely see a point in using the machine dryer you recommend. And yeah, mineral deposits in the tank is a non-issue, it easily dissolves in e.g. a little water + citric acid.
I clean my humidifier box, nasal pillow attachment, and headgear the top layer of my dishwasher. I’ve never had a problem. The only reason I don’t put in the hose is because the tubing it can’t get the detergent all the way through. I place the tubing in a basin with 2 ounces of household bleach & dawn dishwashing soap then soak for 20 minutes then rinse and air dry. Again, no problem.
Been on CPAP since 2012. Always use dawn foam for mask and hose. Always used distilled water. Rinse with cold water air dry. Hose I hang over my heat vent,doing it for years. Now have a Luna it dries after I stop using it.
Distilled Water is the way to go for sure… I used to use tap or regular spring water bottles on my old-first cpap machine and it caused minerals to come out in my humidifier tank. I thought it was normal, never got sick to the point of going to the hospital but I felt very funny in my lungs and my nose ways, breathing one side one night, then congested on the other side the next week. No issues with distilled water, my tank always clean. Note: I always change the water every day. That’s the catch
Each morning I swap a dry humidifier tank into the machine, lay hose and nasal mask across the bed, and PRESS in on the round knob on my Airsense10. Pressing the knob starts the machine on LOW flow for a few minutes. Never timed it, but tube seems dry. Carry last night's tank into the bathroom to empty, then set aside to dry for ONE day.
I've been using filtered water since I got my first CPAP machine in 2005. I dry my hose with a room fan attached with a paperclip until it's dry. And I'm still alive!! 😜
I've been using tap water in my humidifier tank for almost 20 years. Yes, the tank gets calcium deposits, but they come out quickly with vinegar. I built my own tube/mask dryer, I let it run all day, uses less than 25 watts. It's basically a blower in a box. Keep it simple. Great channel, thanx.
Whenever I clean my tubing (using hot water only) I just hang it to dry. I figure any water left in it is going to dry when I use it that night. Never even contemplated having to actually dry it.
Did you make it to the poll results? Thanks for watching THIS video!!! What are your thoughts on what water to use in the humidifier? Couldn't we just call tap water "freshly distilled"? 🧐 Interested in a screaming deal on the Hurricane Dryer at CPAPSupplies.com? bit.ly/38yPlXk As an Amazon Associate, I earn on Qualified Purchases: amzn.to/3drPax1 Sub to my other channel a REAL cat channel!!! 😂ua-cam.com/channels/Yt5FWoUiVluAaAY76qZsGw.html
I have been using a CPAP for many years and have always used distilled water. after watching this I will use up the water I have left and then switch to tap water, Thank you for the informational videos.
Love my hurricane dryer. I almost always use humidification. My nose gets real dry and the nasal irritation prevents sleep. I rarely use tap water. Tried it over the years, and only use it when I absolutely have to, but I get a chlorine smell throughout the night that consistently wakes me up. Have a distiller & RO system that I get water from instead. It's a big pain, but worth it for me. I used to get it from the store, but got tired of that light plastic smell from the plastic leeching in the water that some of the jugs would have.
My Dr told me to only use distilled H2O until we were unable to find it, or when stores had it in stock it was insanely expensive. So I tried using distilled H2O used it for a year or so because it was more readily available but then came supply chain shortages and distilled H2O disappeared so filtered tap water it was, been using it since with no problem and to make sure right after I get out of bed and clean everything I fill my reservoir with my filtered tap water and run it through a SoClean cycle and I feel comfortable with the process and over the past 2 years haven't had an issue.
Totally agree, chlorine is not great and chloramine is especially harmful. I’ve never worried much about the minerals. I live in a city that supplies an annual breakdown of the chemicals in the water. It was never the mineral deposits, they precipitate out when warmed. If he empties his reservoir out each morning then they are collected when heated at night. Heating also accelerates the outgassing.
Cheers from Canada. I have only ever used tap water and the basics nasal mask, tub and gasket get a 5 minute wash in warm water and mild soap every day and once per week in addition to the daily equipment I put some mild soap down each side of the heated hose and add warm water and swish it around rinse with strong flow of water and let hang in the shower. The tube and mask are replaced each 6 months and I have had zero issues. PS: I did buy a "cleansing machine that uses UV but seldom use it. I am aware of the negative aspects of UV on CPAP equipment.
I use tap water that has went through a filter but dump it every morning. This was a helpful video for sure and your logical way of thinking is super helpful.
I agree with you. I am not worried about bacteria in tap water. I grew up drinking out of the garden hose! Thanks for the tip on emptying the tank every day! That makes sense. I have never worried about my tubes getting completely dry before I use them. I clean them in the morning, and they are usually mostly dry or dry, by bedtime. So far, I have never gotten sick.
@@pomonabill220 - Bull, almost everyone has done that in their lifetime. If it's a hot day and you are working in the yard, and if you have a hose; you aren't going to bother going in the house for a glass of water.
I was interested in the hurricane dryer and shopped around. The site where you give the discount is the best price, plus there is no shipping involved. Yes, I went ahead and purchased one. Thanks for the input. I normally hang my hose up to dry and I really don't like it due to the dust floating around the house that may settle inside the hose.
I rinse the tank and dry the bottom with tissue then air dry, the mask is washed with soapy water and air dried which I have 2 of. I have never washed the long pipe! Wash the strap weekly and change to 2nd set. I will look at washing the pipe from now on, anyway if I wash out with hot water half an hour before bed why would it matter if it is a little damp when I always use humidifier.
You're already my favorite sleep tech guy but your CDC and FDA comments just made you my even more favorite. One of these days I've got to make time to do an OSCAR analysis with you.
You should definitely do that -- I did about a year ago and it was worth every penny. And no, he isn't paying me to say that . . . in fact, I paid him!
I have a distiller and use distilled (with minerals I add to it later) for cooking and drinking. That said, distilled is MORE likely to have germs in it than tap water, because it's pure and things love to grow in it - as opposed to tap water which has been chlorinated to inhibit growth of organisms. BUT the reason distilled is recommended for CPAP is that, unlike tap water, distilled contains no minerals to bake onto the reservoir and possibly crud up the innards of the machine.
Only a few kinds of microorganisms can live and grow in a low-nutrient situation like distilled water. However, the distilled water I purchase is distilled, filtered and irradiated with UV light to kill them. It is sterile until you open the cap. If you use reasonable aseptic technique, there is little chance of contaminating the bottle. The minerals in tap water may collect on the bottom of the metal pan, but that's not going to "crud up the machine." It may crud up the humidifier if you let it go for a really long time, but the machine itself uses evaporation humidification, so the minerals will be staying inside the humidifier.
I haven't washed the hose in many years. I have never got sick from the CPAP machine. I use distilled water and don't even worry about the little bit of water left. Just add new water. Is there are recommendation of a mask for us who refuse to shave off the beard?
Does the Hurricane Dryer have an air filters? If not, you are blowing spores and dust back into your equipment. As for distilled water - I live in an area with very hard water. So many minerals that I have to replace my shower head every few years because it gets clogged up. What do you think this water will do my CPAP? Cannot be good.
User guides for CPAP machines in the US add the word "distilled". In most (if not all) other countries, their user guides don't use the word "distilled". The only thing I can guess is that it's an US Govt (FDA?) thing or some govt requirement. After all, US requires a prescription for an assembled mask for some indefensible reason.
It's all about money in the USA. Recommendations for replacement of supplies in the USA is on average 4 times more than the recommendations in other countries. The FDA and CDC in the US is a joke and corporations get what they want instead of what the citizens want.
I have been happily using the Hurricane dryer AND just stopped using water in the humidifier with no issues. When I did use water I used tap with no issues. Thanks for all of your advice and eff lego man.
I lived most of my life in an area of soft water that was routinely used in batteries and radiators. I am now in a hard water area, but I don't drink the tap water here. Not because it's hard, just because I don't trust what's in it. I get a 5-gallon bottle filled out of one of those machines that does everything to it. I have tested it with my TDS meter and it is totally free of any dissolved solids. I've often wondered if it would be ok to use that water in my CPAP. After watching your video I think I will give it a try and find out. No solids, no residue. After the distilled water shortage I bought a distiller, but it is such a pain in the arears to use.
Travelling in Europe. My respiratory therapist said bottled water was fine. Empty in the morning. Hard to find a hurricane dryer in Canada. It's pricey in our $$$ 1.4 xch rate. Can run hair dryer on cool for a few minutes. Also I use circle cloth hairband for a chin strap. Soft and a bit stretchy. I'm new to CPAP but I can see there's lots of money to be made off our ailment!
I’ve been a CPAP user for a long time. I fill up my tank to the max line and use it until I need to add more water. I clean my equipment every week and I’ve never gotten sick from it. Dawn works well on the strap around your head but some nice smelling foam soap in the tube and humidifier lasts a couple of uses before it loses its strength. Sometimes mid week I’ll use the foam soap on the nose piece to freshen it up a bit.
I have been on cpap for over 23 years, I have always used tap water in my water chamber and white vinegar to clean it and have yet to have any problems. As for the tap water gumming up a machine I have not experienced any of that also, not sure how it would gum up the machine as the air has already left the pump side of the machine before it passes over the water in the water chamber to exit thru the hose to you, but I also remove the water chamber empty the water and dry it every day and leave it out opened until it is refilled for use later.
I can't handle sleeping on my side. I suggest an adjustable bed or a good wedge pillow!! I sleep so much better on my back propped up with my adjustable bed. I hardly even move while sleeping. CPAP set on auto from 10 to 13 with a full face hybrid mask.
Hi , love your youtube brodcast. Anyways I use distilled water in my cpap machine all the time , but now I'm finding that crude in my water tank. Could it be that this distilled wat er I bought is miss labeled ? Never had this problem before . Been on cpap for over 10 yrs..If I change the water tank will this solve my problem ? Thanks Ken
I noticed that too. A fine sandy type of residue in the tank from the distilled water , just the same as the residue I find on a vase I keep on my counter with a plant growing in tap water. I wonder what it means.
I’m a nurse practitioner in sleep medicine & I tell patients the big problem with tap water is if it tips or falls, tap water can damage your CPAP. Personally I have purified water & use that.
I will only use distilled water. The tap water in my area smells and tastes of nothing but chlorine and other chemicals to make our water remotely drinkable. Hell even the people who work for the water department refuse to drink the tap water around here.
A water filter will remove the chlorine and other bad smells and taste from the water, highly recommend . When they chlorinated the water here we got a Britta waterfilter you put on your watertap and it lasted more then 6 months and did cost 50$ with filter that you can replace (and the filters cost even less). Water filtered with activated charcoal (that is what is in these filters) for some reason taste really good...
Mine comes from the city water supply (I think). I'm using up the distilled water my mom got for my brother when he was trying a cpap. He ended giving up. Because of his brain injury, he kept forgetting to use it. I personally use an ASV and usually boil (Rolling) my water for at least a half hour. I could also use the filtered water that comes out of my fridge, too, right? I can not sleep without it.
Yes you are dirty and it's funny. I agree that tap water is fine in the CPAP, like you I did not buy the crap about damaging the machine. Air comes out of the machine, then hits the humidifier then the hose. How could it damage the machine? Keep up the good work.
great videos. Just stumbled onto your site b/c my A/S 10 took a dirt nap and I just got an A/S 11 and started looking into the whole cleaning thing again. I just bought a PAPClean machine and actually really like it. hose and mask are cleaned daily very easily. Love the tap water vs distilled water part. Interesting stuff!
I use distilled water. If I run out, which is often, I use the reverse osmosis filtered water from my fridge. That works fine. Tap water here is horrible - full of chlorine and fluoride and other chemicals. Can’t drink it
Would be interested in your recommendation to clean the head gear. Using Dawn soap after a few times turns the parts a cloudy color or after 3-4 cleanings there is a residue / material left inside that is almost slimy inside.
I live in the high desert. It's so dry here I don't worry much about things drying out. It is also extremely remote. The little market we have up here doesn't carry distilled water. I use filtered tap water and get build up. I wash it off and keep going. I am only on my first month so I need a lot of advice. Thanks for this!
Tap water wasn’t about germs as much as mineral deposits. I’ve used tap water and the water reservoir becomes hard to clean. I do empty the tank daily….
PhD in physical chemistry here, used all kinds of purified water in electric systems, experiments etc. I am constantly baffled by the idea that anything but tap is necessary in a cpap.
I love my Hurricane dryer! I do use distilled because our water is very hard, leaved lots of calcium deposits and has a either a grassy or strong chlorine smell depending on the season. I only drink it filtered. Hmm, maybe I should try that in my reservoir. And yes, you are a bit crazy 😂 but that’s why we love you!
I love my hurricane dryer! I agree with you, save our machines and just use for our sleep. My ASV. Auto cpap was about $5 grand, thank God for medicare&medicare advantage insurance for paying 80%. The hurricane dryer is reasonably priced and is great! Love your kitty!
I have used CPAP for over 20 years. I do use distilled water, just so I don't have to clean the crud, but if it's not available, no sweat, I just do what you do. I wash the nosepiece on my nasal mask with mild soap and water, and shake the excess water off. That's all I do. I don't clean the tank or drain the water every day, I just top it off. I'm fine.
I had used only distilled water, but when I converted my house to soft water, I just started using that instead. No mineral deposits. I do dump the water, and add new water every day. I rarely ever get sick, can’t even remember the last time it happened, so I doubt tap water is an issue for me.
When I used cpap I would wash the equipment daily then put it in my car and drive to a hot Walmart parking lot and sit there with the windows up , everything would dry in about 2 hours , on cool days it would take 3-4 hours . It was fun sitting in the car with it not running I just pretended that I was driving an ID4 and I was waiting for it charge at Electrify America
I use tap water and the vinegar trick in Australia water is good, visited England last year used distilled water and it had heaps of mineral deposits so out came the vinegar ,cleaned the container within 10 min soak. Thanks 🙏 for your informative you tube .
I use my tap water, soft water system, triple filter at my kitchen… I drink this water so I use it in my CPAP. It doesn’t build up minerals. I clean the mask and tube every few days. I push it on my bathroom faucet at left sink and drop the mask in the right sink… turn on the hot water and flush out for three minutes, ..I then hang it up in the shower till bedtime. I have very hot water at my home. It’s clean. CPAP saved my life!
The resmed runs air through your machine and hose after you shut it off. I've never worried about getting sick and I've been using cpap for more than 20 years. I used to clean my mask only when it smelled, but I now I have an Air Fit 11 and decided to develop better habits, so it gets cleaned once a week.
I use tap water exclusively in my humidifier tank, because I regularly swim in a public pool, and in the summer I'm in a lake or river daily with my Dog, how much could it possibly matter? We also have extraordinarily hard water, clean my mask and hose with mask bright, use a paper towel to wipe of the mask and the same paper towel, now dampened with a slight bit of water and mask bright, and holy crap, my tank sparkles like a diamond. Lastly, I've written a note and sealed it in an envelope only to be opened by the county coroner. It states that if I should die an untimely death, please take extra care to look for acute tap water exposure.
And also removes bad smell and taste from the water. Chlorinated water that taste like drinking from the public swimming pool filtered taste like the most pure mountain spring water :)
Been using c-pap since 2007. Had nothing but problems with the water issue. Faithfully in the beginning, I used distilled water religiously. Still had problems with dry mouth! I use the Resmed F20 full face mask as I'm a mouth breather. Had so much water build up in the hose from condensation, I actually had water being spraying in my face. Got up to go to the bathroom one night and made the mistake of laying the mask on the bed. Needless to say, when I came back, there was a huge wet mark left on the bed. Not fun. One night, I woke to go to the bathroom and without thinking, I threw the blanket off me as I got up. The hose got hung up in the covers and over went the entire machine. Made a huge mess with the water on the carpet. Not fun cleaning up the water on the carpet at three AM. I had the sleep center disable the humidifier so I use no water at all. Good riddance to the water. I'd rather deal with dry mouth then being drowned in my sleep in the middle of the night. As far as cleaning - I use a baby wipe on the cushion every morning. The last one lasted me 5 months. I know I need a new one when it starts leaking air. I change my air filter when ever I change the cousin. That's all I do for cleaning. I haven't gotten sick yet from a dirty hose!
@136relim I'm a new CPAP machine (Resmed airsense 11) user. The machine has a humidity setting and temperature control. I used auto setting at the start and then decided to use manual setting at 68 F with humidity level 1 which works well with out all that water dripping through the hose like you had. No dry mouth, throat and stuffy nose . I have even used it without topping off the humidifier water tank. And the water all evaporated in the morning. I was still fine 😢 when the humidifier ran out with no water during my sleep therapy. Good luck
I’ve had my dream station coming up on 2 years now. I have never washed the tube. I’m not dead yet. Can’t remember the last time I cleaned the humidity chamber either. I also never empty it. I just top it off before using it. All that cleaning and extra equipment is a waste of time and money. K.I.S.S.
Distilled water is like a dollar. A $150-$200 dryer cage taking up bathroom counter space with cat hair on it?... priceless. I'll hang my shit to dry and buy the dollar jug of water
I used a ResMed 10 for 6 years and now a ResMed 11 for a year. I use distilled water, it is a $1 for a gallon at Wal-world, I have never cleaned my tube, I replace them every six month to a year I let it air out every day as the machine continues to blow air though it for a few minutes, and I use a full-face mask and use it for two nights (usually), I clean the "cushion" with unscented bar soap, I let them air dry on a rack.
If the gallon of distilled water doesn't get mold in it when it sits on the table next to the cpap until it is used up ; then why would anyone expect the water from one or two days in the hose to get moldy? I don't understand.
Your last comment about the inline bacterial filter "how ever you cannot use this filter with the humidifier on". Is this the same if you put the filter near the mask when using the heated tubing?? I have to say, you are refreshingly causing me to question all my previous assumptions on using my cpap machine, especially cleaning. (I just bought the hurricane device using your 20LANKY code, so thanks for that)
Is that a P Bass, with P & J pickups, that I see in your living room? Please tell me more about that. As far as my CPAP...I use distilled water. I often wondered why it had to be distilled (never wondered enough to google it though). I've been using my CPAP for 4 years and I haven't experienced any issues. Thankfully my insurance covers the CPAP and supplies. They've been great sending me supplies on a frequent schedule. Thanks for the info!
I clean my CPAP water container and mask every day by hand and let air dry. My hose I clean once a week hang it for a while but then blow it out hooked up to the machine. I’m fortunate to have to mask so I always have a clean mask available.
Quick question on using tap water. So you easily show you can remove the calcium build up in the water chamber with the vinegar but will you not get calcium build up in the inside of the cpap machine which you can’t clean out ?
@@jenthulhu all the moisture that travels from the humidifier through the part of the cpap into the hose and into your lungs. So all those extra things like chlorine in your tap water can’t be good for you ?
@@Rob-ob3sh I'm not sure if you've ever taken a good look at how your machine is put together, but the air goes through the machine first and is pushed through the humidifier and then through the hose. There's literally no place for the calcium to build up on anything inside the machine. Second. You've moving the target. Your first comment, which I responded to, was about the buildup of minerals from water in the machine. I've just told you that's not possible. Now you're talking about chlorine. So, regarding this new target, I would say that depends on the person. If you have serious lung disease, you might want to be more careful. But the average person probably breathes in more chlorine gas when spending time swimming at a pool. There are two main types of chlorine in the water supply. Simple chorine will evaporate from water if left out in an open container. If your water supply uses chloramine, it does not evaporate and therefore will most likely be left behind with the minerals in your humidifier. I'm aware that it can be neutralized in fish tanks, but that would introduce another unknown chemical, which I don't think you want to do. If you're really worried, install a Reverse Osmosis unit on your kitchen sink. They're cheap and the resultant water is nearly as clean as distilled. It usually tastes better too. Unless you live somewhere with water usage restrictions, it's a good way to go. It's also good for some houseplants that can't tolerate anything but pure soft water like calatheas.
Since you have all the correct answers then please tell me why is it recommended that we use distilled water ? Did they just come up with this recommendation because they wanted to sell more distilled water. I’m pretty sure it must be recommend based on some kind of research like preservation of your equipment from the minerals in the water ? Something like that. I will pay the .98 cents for 4 Litres bottles as I’ve been using cpap for over 20 years now and will continue to use distilled water.
@@Rob-ob3sh I can tell you easily why they recommended distilled water. They know that tap water is highly variable across the US and the world. There are some places in the US (mostly the midwest, from what I've seen) where the tap water has so many dissolved minerals, it makes stalagmites on faucets if the homeowner doesn't use a water softener. In that situation, the calcium would build up rather quickly in the humidifier. They didn't want to provide information for descaling or urge frequent replacement. A lot of people on CPAP would be like the meme of the dog in the burning building saying It's Fine. They erred on the cautious side, that's all. Instead of assuming we're smart enough to make these decisions for ourselves, they assumed we're not and recommended distilled water. As has been said in this video and by other commenters, distilled isn't recommended in other parts of the world. I do think it's easier to use distilled, if you can afford it and can get it. Not much will grow in distilled water and it doesn't have dissolved minerals to cake onto the base of the humidifier. But RO would be just as good. Or boiled and cooled tapwater, if you have soft water coming from your tap and you're worried about germs.
Wow! People go through a lot of trouble every day to maintain the CPAP mask and hose. I just clean the mask itself every day, the water chamber periodically, and the hose rarely. I never get sick. I used to be more diligent in the early days of my therapy but then I got lazy about it and had no negative impacts so I just got a little bit lazier and still no negative impacts. Like I said, the mask is refreshed every day as it is the most important part to keep clean. 🤷♀️
Ive been using cpap for 7 years. Occasional clean with vinegar. Use mostly distilled water but been using brita filtered water the last 3 days...(distilled water at local store has went from .99$ to 1.49$ a gallon) not sick. When i wash i take hose and do a quick airplane twirling motion...most water is gone and then hang it....7 years no sickness. I too did sleep studies...in the 80's.
I have a reverse osmosis system through out the house because we have a well. We also have an equipment to remove all mineral from the water that come in the house. I was using distilled water for my water chamber prior to installing the reverse osmosis and the removal of mineral . Since this past spring, I decided to try using the fully treated water of the house; of course I empty and rinse my chamber and wash my nose piece every morning. I let it air dry but before I use my resmed that night, I will let my Cpap air blow it before filling my water chamber for the night. I do check my heated hose and it is dry. Yes I do have a heated hose and love it, very comfy during winter in Northern Ontario Ca
I used distilled water for the first year then I switched to tap water. For the last 2 years I used tap water. The water here is so pure that I get no residue (Vancouver Lower Mainland, BC Canada.) I use the nasal "Pillow" (P10?). I think the most important part be sure to clean is the diffuser (the screens in front of your nostrils) as if they are blocked, for sure you will get leakage when you exhale. I also found that the setting that reduces the pressure when you exhale is at 1 is the most comfortable for me. Saved lots of money and time using TAP WATER!
Dude, you’re hilarious. I love watching your videos. Yes I am a CPAP user, and I’ve taken your advice on a lot of different things you talk about. Thank you for being there.
Hidy from White House (TN) 👋🏻. You are rockin that TN shirt 😂. Love your videos! Keep them coming.
I've used a CPAP machine for almost 20 years now and have NEVER gotten sick from it. I use mainly distilled water because my well water has a lot of iron in it. Also, I only clean my mask, tubing, and water tank every two months or so (whenever I think it either looks or smells dirty or after I've been sick). I use vinegar to remove hard water deposits (if I've been using my well water) and dawn dishwashing liquid with warm water to clean everything. Then I just let it all hang and dry. Super simple and effective.
Im little more strict. Water tank and mask, cleaned every day. Tubes once a week.
@@BRUTUSzhow do you clean your mask everyday? I like that regimen
Same here, going on 18 yrs, only clean the mask and tubing when i think about it. Have gone 2 mo. etc and have never gotten sick. if you think about it why does tubing need cleaned b/c no air even goes back to the machine.
So I started using cpap 10 months ago when I bought my machine. I live in Japan where you can’t buy machines you have to rent from your doctor. It was about $60. A month last I asked. All of my Japanese friends use tap water. They don’t sell distilled water here except on military bases. My friends had no idea what I was talking about. None of them has been sick. But I thought “they can return their machine if it stops working” but then I remembered that I have friends who used the same machine forever and they get a new mask once a year. 😮 also Japan does have some really good water! I loved this video! ❤
I hung tubing in the shower to dry, and it had water drops three days later. Thanks to you, bought the Hurricane dryer. Best purchase ever.
Introducing tap water into hoses is pretty useless anyway
I'm going to look into it also
Going to be my next purchase... done buying Distilled..... THANK YOU !!!!
drool?
I clean the tube in the shower and then attach the tube to the machine. I then run the mask fit a few times and it air dries it.
I had used tap water for years. I was getting both mineral and pink fungi. I found distilled water to be easy to use.
YUP! THAT'S IT! I totally forgot about the "pink" fungus.
Seen that a lot on other things. We don't have the machine yet. We should be able to get it in the next week or two. So right now, I'm doing research.
I get the pink fungus whether using distilled or tap water. So, during the warmer seasons, I rinse out my water bin every night. In the cold weather, I just top up. I have softened water and my Airsense 10 bin is easy to clean. When I housesit for my sister, I have to bring distilled water - in just a week, so much deposit which affects the humidity.
You’ve got it. Which is why it’s recommended for use by ResMed.
Pink fungi? You don't clean your machine daily? That stuff takes at least a week or more to form.
A lot depends on your tap water, some places have soft water sources, other places have well water with deposits. Deposits won’t make you sick, but bacteria and fungi may make you sick, so drain the container daily, clean weekly.
I use what I have. I’ve used tap and I’ve used distilled. Only difference is distilled doesn’t cause calcium buildup, but I have never gotten sick from using tap or even well water for that matter
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I love your videos! You both amuse me but more importantly provide me with very useful and insightful information. Oh and yes I use tap water also and I don't bother removing the minerals. I clean everything with mask bright and remove my water from my tank every morning. Keep the videos coming - please.
As always Lanky man,enjoy your honesty and pragmatic information regarding all things CPAP....I listen to you Melbourne Nico as you guys both know your shit and shoot straight.
On the water issue,I ,at69,have always drank tap water...Bottled shit is more than gas in Alberta here,our tap water is mountain fed and fully treated.....some bottled water is 99 cents for 500 mg...Its water,not rocket fuel...Anyway Cheers and Thanks again.
Glad to see your assistant Stewie is making himself useful!😂
Although I use distilled, I’m all about people doing what works for them. My 2-year-old water chamber looks identical to what it did when I picked up my machine. I also distill my own water as I use it for other purposes. Also, Mask Brite is my go-to for cleaning my N30i cushion and frame. Quick and easy clean up and I pop it into the Hurricane to get it dry. I love the Hurricane and don’t want to put extra non-therapy time on my costly CPAP machine and I thank you for mentioning that. Again, people should do what works for them without judgement. WC 1A or whoever the heck he/she is really needs to realize there are many different ways to clean equipment and if their way works for them…yippee skippy…carry on dude/dudette, however, kindly refrain to putting down others who have their own methods.
If we took that attitude to medicine we'd still be practicing bloodletting and trepanation.
You don't need hours in mask fit mode. Just turn it on and walk away. After a few seconds of no resistance it goes into dryer mode. Every time I take the mask off I either leave it on as I pull off the mask or turn it off then turn it back on to let it dry. During my morning routine I do a visual check for water droplets in the hose and hit the ON switch once again if I see any water. Sometimes the nose piece will be a little moist after this but I hand wash that with Dawn every evening when I fill my tank. (Nose skin oils interfere with a good fit.) In addition I clean my tube with Dawn about every two weeks and that seems to be enough to keep away infections or irritation. This system for roughly 8 years.
Love seeing your cat in the videos :) And of course, your awesome and informative info is also so fun to watch.
He has his own channel. He needs to stay in his lane!!!
@@Freecpapadvice :)
Your logic is awesome and is now going to make my life much easier in so many other areas beginning with the lack of a need to wear a seatbelt because I've never been killed in a car wreck before. Thanks so much!
I support your decision. 🔥🚗
The airsense 10 has a feature which will blow very low pressure air through the machine to dry it, the tank and hose. The pressure is very slight and you can't hear it, you have to put it to your face to feel it. If the green light is on, on the switch, it is running If you have it turned on, it will show a snowflake on the display. The tank was to be in to close the system, so drain it before doing this. I have a well and this is the hardest water I've ever used so I use distilled water. I pick up 2-3 each time I'm at the store, I don't go out of my way to keep stocked up. I will say that pre-covid I was paying .93 a gallon, it is now 1.35 a gallon. In the winter I burn wood, in the summer I run AC so my home is ALWAYS dry and I've never had problems with my cpap systems getting moldy and I've been on one for 20+ years. Because of the dryness I actually run room humidifiers when it gets really dry (single digits or teens!) and I can tell you those machines will put out a lot of dust from well water, it doesn't use heat though.
The AS 11 has the same feature, I have a spare tank that I install every am, hit the warm-up option to preheat the tank for warm dry air to dry the damp tubing, repeat a couple times daily, has worked great for 10 months I've been using it. Use the same after cleaning the tubing once a week, I use a $20 120v air pump to blow dry the tubing first.
I’m from Sydney Down Under, and regardless of local the tap water below par quality I use distilled for the humidifier. AU$5 a 5 litre container. One lasts for weeks. However, you can beat that easily. I purchased a Chinese made distiller (AU$95 delivered) that can process 4 litres tap water in one go, usually make three to five runs in a weekend. The result is 20 litres or about 4 gallons. No residue in my tank at all. For my nasal mask and the tube I use foaming hand wash, leaves a pleasant scent (lemon & lime) and slosh it back and forth a few times with hot water added - for 20 sec, if 20 sec can kill a virus while hand washing, it can sterilise the tube and mask too ... Just does not wear out! Tube drying is by hair drier - mere few minutes as it does not just evaporate the water but blows out the beads with the strong flow. Since I use a CPAP Tube stand, moisture does not accumulate in the tube as it either runs back to the container or into the mask. No film left for anything to grow. Just my way of using it, for about the last 20 years, but hey, yours is just as good, whatever works for you!
Hey Peter. I'm just starting with this, so appreciate your feedback. Can you please tell me where to get the distilling thing from? And what foaming soap do you use to clean the tubes etc
I'm in Au as well. Thank you
I just ordered one online on eBay after search - actually not even for the CPAP initially, but for making my own coffee water recipe similar to Raul’s water, a barista champion .. can’t remember the supplier name but here’s a photo of all items you are asking about. The antibacterial foaming soap is from Woolworth and Palmolive brand, I use this for hand wash, available in several scents - any you favor will do. Hang the tube a while to drip most out then use hairdryer to wash the tube and mask attachments.
Can’t attach photo .. uploaded a 3 sec video but where it is is not seen 🤣
Thank you for talking sense regarding distilled vs tap water! I have read posts on FB made by CPAP users that were in a panic when their local stores were out of distilled water. I think if it is safe to drink it is safe to breathe the air that blows over the top of it. Keep educating us!
Great information! I dry my tubing by hanging it out in the sun and then I run my cpap machine for about 1 minute and then let the air that comes through for however long it does, dry it out the rest of the way. No water drops in the tubing. Thanks for all your information.
You make perfect sense! I think of it this way: Using the CPAP is annoying enough. No way will I be buying and dragging distilled water bottles home, and getting them every time I have to fill the humidifier reservoir!
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Get a water filter and thats it
Gees I have never cleaned my tube / mask in 5 years ,never been sick and don't use a humidifier ,some people need to go eat some dirt
Thanks for the video. You have answered many questions I had with your videos. I have been on CPAP since 2001. First started off on dry air and the latest machine I use has the same tank as you have. I use distilled water but have used tap water without any problems. As for cleaning I use the same proceedues as we use at work with our respirators, warm tap water and mild detergent .
Great video. U are making alot of sense. Ppl use humidifiers in their house and use tap water. No issue and no warning. Using tap water and cleaning the machine daily is perfectly fine.
Been a cpap user for many years, I always use the humidifier through at least the entire winter (because the air is extremely dry during the winter where I live), and I've always used tap water. I do however always boil it first, enough for about a week's use, let it cool off and then put it in a dedicated sealed container (with a convenient pouring mechanism) in the fridge.
It would of course be a lot more convenient if I skipped the boiling part and just filled the humidifier tank directly from the tap, but I'm not sure I dare do it. 😬
When it comes to cleaning, I use regular dish soap + tap water + a dedicated brush, and then leave everything to naturally completely air-dry. Haven't had any problems with water drops remaining inside the tubing when hang-drying it, but I definitely see a point in using the machine dryer you recommend.
And yeah, mineral deposits in the tank is a non-issue, it easily dissolves in e.g. a little water + citric acid.
I clean my humidifier box, nasal pillow attachment, and headgear the top layer of my dishwasher. I’ve never had a problem. The only reason I don’t put in the hose is because the tubing it can’t get the detergent all the way through. I place the tubing in a basin with 2 ounces of household bleach & dawn dishwashing soap then soak for 20 minutes then rinse and air dry. Again, no problem.
Been on CPAP since 2012. Always use dawn foam for mask and hose. Always used distilled water. Rinse with cold water air dry. Hose I hang over my heat vent,doing it for years. Now have a Luna it dries after I stop using it.
Distilled Water is the way to go for sure… I used to use tap or regular spring water bottles on my old-first cpap machine and it caused minerals to come out in my humidifier tank. I thought it was normal, never got sick to the point of going to the hospital but I felt very funny in my lungs and my nose ways, breathing one side one night, then congested on the other side the next week. No issues with distilled water, my tank always clean. Note: I always change the water every day. That’s the catch
Each morning I swap a dry humidifier tank into the machine, lay hose and nasal mask across the bed, and PRESS in on the round knob on my Airsense10. Pressing the knob starts the machine on LOW flow for a few minutes. Never timed it, but tube seems dry. Carry last night's tank into the bathroom to empty, then set aside to dry for ONE day.
I've been using filtered water since I got my first CPAP machine in 2005. I dry my hose with a room fan attached with a paperclip until it's dry. And I'm still alive!! 😜
I've been using tap water in my humidifier tank for almost 20 years. Yes, the tank gets calcium deposits, but they come out quickly with vinegar. I built my own tube/mask dryer, I let it run all day, uses less than 25 watts. It's basically a blower in a box. Keep it simple. Great channel, thanx.
Would love instructions! What kind of blower?
Whenever I clean my tubing (using hot water only) I just hang it to dry. I figure any water left in it is going to dry when I use it that night. Never even contemplated having to actually dry it.
Did you make it to the poll results? Thanks for watching THIS video!!! What are your thoughts on what water to use in the humidifier? Couldn't we just call tap water "freshly distilled"? 🧐
Interested in a screaming deal on the Hurricane Dryer at CPAPSupplies.com? bit.ly/38yPlXk
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I have been using a CPAP for many years and have always used distilled water. after watching this I will use up the water I have left and then switch to tap water, Thank you for the informational videos.
Love my hurricane dryer. I almost always use humidification. My nose gets real dry and the nasal irritation prevents sleep. I rarely use tap water. Tried it over the years, and only use it when I absolutely have to, but I get a chlorine smell throughout the night that consistently wakes me up. Have a distiller & RO system that I get water from instead. It's a big pain, but worth it for me. I used to get it from the store, but got tired of that light plastic smell from the plastic leeching in the water that some of the jugs would have.
My Dr told me to only use distilled H2O until we were unable to find it, or when stores had it in stock it was insanely expensive. So I tried using distilled H2O used it for a year or so because it was more readily available but then came supply chain shortages and distilled H2O disappeared so filtered tap water it was, been using it since with no problem and to make sure right after I get out of bed and clean everything I fill my reservoir with my filtered tap water and run it through a SoClean cycle and I feel comfortable with the process and over the past 2 years haven't had an issue.
i'm more worried about the chlorine and chloramine outgassing from tap water. So you're breathing chlorine gas for a while when you spin up the pump.
Totally agree, chlorine is not great and chloramine is especially harmful. I’ve never worried much about the minerals. I live in a city that supplies an annual breakdown of the chemicals in the water. It was never the mineral deposits, they precipitate out when warmed. If he empties his reservoir out each morning then they are collected when heated at night. Heating also accelerates the outgassing.
It also irritates my nose to cause congestion.
Cheers from Canada. I have only ever used tap water and the basics nasal mask, tub and gasket get a 5 minute wash in warm water and mild soap every day and once per week in addition to the daily equipment I put some mild soap down each side of the heated hose and add warm water and swish it around rinse with strong flow of water and let hang in the shower. The tube and mask are replaced each 6 months and I have had zero issues. PS: I did buy a "cleansing machine that uses UV but seldom use it. I am aware of the negative aspects of UV on CPAP equipment.
I use tap water that has went through a filter but dump it every morning. This was a helpful video for sure and your logical way of thinking is super helpful.
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I agree with you. I am not worried about bacteria in tap water. I grew up drinking out of the garden hose! Thanks for the tip on emptying the tank every day! That makes sense. I have never worried about my tubes getting completely dry before I use them. I clean them in the morning, and they are usually mostly dry or dry, by bedtime. So far, I have never gotten sick.
I would be more worried about drinking out of the hose!
@@pomonabill220 - Bull, almost everyone has done that in their lifetime. If it's a hot day and you are working in the yard, and if you have a hose; you aren't going to bother going in the house for a glass of water.
I was interested in the hurricane dryer and shopped around. The site where you give the discount is the best price, plus there is no shipping involved. Yes, I went ahead and purchased one. Thanks for the input. I normally hang my hose up to dry and I really don't like it due to the dust floating around the house that may settle inside the hose.
I rinse the tank and dry the bottom with tissue then air dry, the mask is washed with soapy water and air dried which I have 2 of. I have never washed the long pipe! Wash the strap weekly and change to 2nd set.
I will look at washing the pipe from now on, anyway if I wash out with hot water half an hour before bed why would it matter if it is a little damp when I always use humidifier.
I don't understand it either. I've been using cpaps for years and have never seen any mold.
I use distilled so I have to clean less. Have used tap and/or bottled spring water in a pinch.
You're already my favorite sleep tech guy but your CDC and FDA comments just made you my even more favorite. One of these days I've got to make time to do an OSCAR analysis with you.
You should definitely do that -- I did about a year ago and it was worth every penny. And no, he isn't paying me to say that . . . in fact, I paid him!
I have a distiller and use distilled (with minerals I add to it later) for cooking and drinking. That said, distilled is MORE likely to have germs in it than tap water, because it's pure and things love to grow in it - as opposed to tap water which has been chlorinated to inhibit growth of organisms. BUT the reason distilled is recommended for CPAP is that, unlike tap water, distilled contains no minerals to bake onto the reservoir and possibly crud up the innards of the machine.
Only a few kinds of microorganisms can live and grow in a low-nutrient situation like distilled water. However, the distilled water I purchase is distilled, filtered and irradiated with UV light to kill them. It is sterile until you open the cap. If you use reasonable aseptic technique, there is little chance of contaminating the bottle.
The minerals in tap water may collect on the bottom of the metal pan, but that's not going to "crud up the machine." It may crud up the humidifier if you let it go for a really long time, but the machine itself uses evaporation humidification, so the minerals will be staying inside the humidifier.
I haven't washed the hose in many years. I have never got sick from the CPAP machine. I use distilled water and don't even worry about the little bit of water left. Just add new water. Is there are recommendation of a mask for us who refuse to shave off the beard?
Does the Hurricane Dryer have an air filters? If not, you are blowing spores and dust back into your equipment. As for distilled water - I live in an area with very hard water. So many minerals that I have to replace my shower head every few years because it gets clogged up. What do you think this water will do my CPAP? Cannot be good.
Love this video. But I’ll add, a CPAP dryer is NOT needed either. Also, distilled water is just easier to deal with. Less cleaning of the reservoir.
User guides for CPAP machines in the US add the word "distilled". In most (if not all) other countries, their user guides don't use the word "distilled". The only thing I can guess is that it's an US Govt (FDA?) thing or some govt requirement. After all, US requires a prescription for an assembled mask for some indefensible reason.
It's all about money in the USA. Recommendations for replacement of supplies in the USA is on average 4 times more than the recommendations in other countries. The FDA and CDC in the US is a joke and corporations get what they want instead of what the citizens want.
It's because our gov't wants to be a partner in every aspect of our lives. They want to keep track of every small thing we do.
I have been happily using the Hurricane dryer AND just stopped using water in the humidifier with no issues. When I did use water I used tap with no issues. Thanks for all of your advice and eff lego man.
I lived most of my life in an area of soft water that was routinely used in batteries and radiators. I am now in a hard water area, but I don't drink the tap water here. Not because it's hard, just because I don't trust what's in it. I get a 5-gallon bottle filled out of one of those machines that does everything to it. I have tested it with my TDS meter and it is totally free of any dissolved solids. I've often wondered if it would be ok to use that water in my CPAP. After watching your video I think I will give it a try and find out. No solids, no residue. After the distilled water shortage I bought a distiller, but it is such a pain in the arears to use.
Travelling in Europe. My respiratory therapist said bottled water was fine. Empty in the morning.
Hard to find a hurricane dryer in Canada. It's pricey in our $$$ 1.4 xch rate. Can run hair dryer on cool for a few minutes. Also I use circle cloth hairband for a chin strap. Soft and a bit stretchy.
I'm new to CPAP but I can see there's lots of money to be made off our ailment!
I’ve been a CPAP user for a long time. I fill up my tank to the max line and use it until I need to add more water. I clean my equipment every week and I’ve never gotten sick from it. Dawn works well on the strap around your head but some nice smelling foam soap in the tube and humidifier lasts a couple of uses before it loses its strength. Sometimes mid week I’ll use the foam soap on the nose piece to freshen it up a bit.
I have been on cpap for over 23 years, I have always used tap water in my water chamber and white vinegar to clean it and have yet to have any problems. As for the tap water gumming up a machine I have not experienced any of that also, not sure how it would gum up the machine as the air has already left the pump side of the machine before it passes over the water in the water chamber to exit thru the hose to you, but I also remove the water chamber empty the water and dry it every day and leave it out opened until it is refilled for use later.
I can't handle sleeping on my side. I suggest an adjustable bed or a good wedge pillow!! I sleep so much better on my back propped up with my adjustable bed. I hardly even move while sleeping. CPAP set on auto from 10 to 13 with a full face hybrid mask.
Hi , love your youtube brodcast. Anyways I use distilled water in my cpap machine all the time , but now I'm finding that crude in my water tank. Could it be that this distilled wat er I bought is miss labeled ? Never had this problem before . Been on cpap for over 10 yrs..If I change the water tank will this solve my problem ? Thanks Ken
I noticed that too. A fine sandy type of residue in the tank from the distilled water , just the same as the residue I find on a vase I keep on my counter with a plant growing in tap water. I wonder what it means.
I’m a nurse practitioner in sleep medicine & I tell patients the big problem with tap water is if it tips or falls, tap water can damage your CPAP. Personally I have purified water & use that.
If your machine tips over with the humidifier attached, The internals of the machine can be damaged no matter what kind of water you use.
So distilled water has special properties that don't harm the machine when spilled? I'm no rocket surgeon but I'm pretty sure that's not a thing.
Does beer work?
I will only use distilled water. The tap water in my area smells and tastes of nothing but chlorine and other chemicals to make our water remotely drinkable. Hell even the people who work for the water department refuse to drink the tap water around here.
Same. Too much chlorine smell in our water. We don’t drink it either.
A water filter will remove the chlorine and other bad smells and taste from the water, highly recommend . When they chlorinated the water here we got a Britta waterfilter you put on your watertap and it lasted more then 6 months and did cost 50$ with filter that you can replace (and the filters cost even less). Water filtered with activated charcoal (that is what is in these filters) for some reason taste really good...
I absolutely agree. I use my well water without a problem. Thank you
You’re the best! Totally informative and fun! I learned a lot. Thanks. still have two gallons distilled, will think about it.
It's nice to see a thinking person from time to time, thank you :)
Mine comes from the city water supply (I think). I'm using up the distilled water my mom got for my brother when he was trying a cpap. He ended giving up. Because of his brain injury, he kept forgetting to use it. I personally use an ASV and usually boil (Rolling) my water for at least a half hour. I could also use the filtered water that comes out of my fridge, too, right? I can not sleep without it.
The water coming from your fridge has only gone through a carbon filter for taste. It is not filtered for bacteria, viruses, or fungus spores.
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I do use a carbon filter on my kitchen tap rather than the bathroom tap for the humidifier. That's all.
I recently bought a distiller machine for about 50 bucks so I use that no worries😊
Yes you are dirty and it's funny. I agree that tap water is fine in the CPAP, like you I did not buy the crap about damaging the machine. Air comes out of the machine, then hits the humidifier then the hose. How could it damage the machine? Keep up the good work.
Yeast tends to grow in the convoluted tubing. Although, it won't kill you, though it can irritate the sinuses and lungs.
great videos. Just stumbled onto your site b/c my A/S 10 took a dirt nap and I just got an A/S 11 and started looking into the whole cleaning thing again. I just bought a PAPClean machine and actually really like it. hose and mask are cleaned daily very easily. Love the tap water vs distilled water part. Interesting stuff!
I use distilled water. If I run out, which is often, I use the reverse osmosis filtered water from my fridge. That works fine. Tap water here is horrible - full of chlorine and fluoride and other chemicals. Can’t drink it
You said you can't use the bacterial filter with the humidifier on. Why is that?
Phenomenal question!!! The moisture wets the membrane of the filter and completely blocks it.
Would be interested in your recommendation to clean the head gear. Using Dawn soap after a few times turns the parts a cloudy color or after 3-4 cleanings there is a residue / material left inside that is almost slimy inside.
I live in the high desert. It's so dry here I don't worry much about things drying out. It is also extremely remote. The little market we have up here doesn't carry distilled water. I use filtered tap water and get build up. I wash it off and keep going. I am only on my first month so I need a lot of advice. Thanks for this!
Tap water wasn’t about germs as much as mineral deposits. I’ve used tap water and the water reservoir becomes hard to clean. I do empty the tank daily….
Wipe with a little vinegar.
@@john99776 Vinegar reeks, citric acid powder works 10x faster
@@cebruthiusnot if you rinse it with water afterwards
Another great video! I also use tap water because I'm lazy! I have RO water in my kitchen but I don't bother to use it often.
PhD in physical chemistry here, used all kinds of purified water in electric systems, experiments etc. I am constantly baffled by the idea that anything but tap is necessary in a cpap.
I know. It's very cargo-culty
I love my Hurricane dryer! I do use distilled because our water is very hard, leaved lots of calcium deposits and has a either a grassy or strong chlorine smell depending on the season. I only drink it filtered. Hmm, maybe I should try that in my reservoir.
And yes, you are a bit crazy 😂 but that’s why we love you!
I love my hurricane dryer!
I agree with you, save our machines and just use for our sleep. My ASV. Auto cpap was about $5 grand, thank God for medicare&medicare advantage insurance for paying 80%.
The hurricane dryer is reasonably priced and is great! Love your kitty!
I have used CPAP for over 20 years. I do use distilled water, just so I don't have to clean the crud, but if it's not available, no sweat, I just do what you do. I wash the nosepiece on my nasal mask with mild soap and water, and shake the excess water off. That's all I do. I don't clean the tank or drain the water every day, I just top it off. I'm fine.
I had used only distilled water, but when I converted my house to soft water, I just started using that instead. No mineral deposits. I do dump the water, and add new water every day. I rarely ever get sick, can’t even remember the last time it happened, so I doubt tap water is an issue for me.
When I used cpap I would wash the equipment daily then put it in my car and drive to a hot Walmart parking lot and sit there with the windows up , everything would dry in about 2 hours , on cool days it would take 3-4 hours . It was fun sitting in the car with it not running I just pretended that I was driving an ID4 and I was waiting for it charge at Electrify America
🔥🤣. Funny on so many levels.
Do you pretend that the hose is a charging cable?
I use tap water and the vinegar trick in Australia water is good, visited England last year used distilled water and it had heaps of mineral deposits so out came the vinegar ,cleaned the container within 10 min soak. Thanks 🙏 for your informative you tube .
You can use a cheap inflatable mattress pump to blow dry the hose, rather than using the expensive CPAP blower.
Yup, 120v air pump for $17 on Amazon!
I use my tap water, soft water system, triple filter at my kitchen… I drink this water so I use it in my CPAP. It doesn’t build up minerals. I clean the mask and tube every few days. I push it on my bathroom faucet at left sink and drop the mask in the right sink… turn on the hot water and flush out for three minutes, ..I then hang it up in the shower till bedtime. I have very hot water at my home. It’s clean.
CPAP saved my life!
The resmed runs air through your machine and hose after you shut it off. I've never worried about getting sick and I've been using cpap for more than 20 years. I used to clean my mask only when it smelled, but I now I have an Air Fit 11 and decided to develop better habits, so it gets cleaned once a week.
I use tap water exclusively in my humidifier tank, because I regularly swim in a public pool, and in the summer I'm in a lake or river daily with my Dog, how much could it possibly matter? We also have extraordinarily hard water, clean my mask and hose with mask bright, use a paper towel to wipe of the mask and the same paper towel, now dampened with a slight bit of water and mask bright, and holy crap, my tank sparkles like a diamond.
Lastly, I've written a note and sealed it in an envelope only to be opened by the county coroner. It states that if I should die an untimely death, please take extra care to look for acute tap water exposure.
hot tip: using brita filtered water prevents 99% of the mineral buildup issue.
And also removes bad smell and taste from the water. Chlorinated water that taste like drinking from the public swimming pool filtered taste like the most pure mountain spring water :)
Been using c-pap since 2007. Had nothing but problems with the water issue. Faithfully in the beginning, I used distilled water religiously. Still had problems with dry mouth! I use the Resmed F20 full face mask as I'm a mouth breather. Had so much water build up in the hose from condensation, I actually had water being spraying in my face. Got up to go to the bathroom one night and made the mistake of laying the mask on the bed. Needless to say, when I came back, there was a huge wet mark left on the bed. Not fun. One night, I woke to go to the bathroom and without thinking, I threw the blanket off me as I got up. The hose got hung up in the covers and over went the entire machine. Made a huge mess with the water on the carpet. Not fun cleaning up the water on the carpet at three AM. I had the sleep center disable the humidifier so I use no water at all. Good riddance to the water. I'd rather deal with dry mouth then being drowned in my sleep in the middle of the night. As far as cleaning - I use a baby wipe on the cushion every morning. The last one lasted me 5 months. I know I need a new one when it starts leaking air. I change my air filter when ever I change the cousin. That's all I do for cleaning. I haven't gotten sick yet from a dirty hose!
It sounds like you're overfilling your cpap water resevoir cause that would happen to me when i did.
@136relim
I'm a new CPAP machine (Resmed airsense 11) user. The machine has a humidity setting and temperature control. I used auto setting at the start and then decided to use manual setting at 68 F with humidity level 1 which works well with out all that water dripping through the hose like you had. No dry mouth, throat and stuffy nose .
I have even used it without topping off the humidifier water tank. And the water all evaporated in the morning. I was still fine 😢 when the humidifier ran out with no water during my sleep therapy.
Good luck
I use reverse osmosis filtered water. Will have to look into the tube drier.
I’ve had my dream station coming up on 2 years now. I have never washed the tube. I’m not dead yet. Can’t remember the last time I cleaned the humidity chamber either. I also never empty it. I just top it off before using it. All that cleaning and extra equipment is a waste of time and money. K.I.S.S.
Thoughts on something like CSpring One or whatever it's called? 3L of water in a tank.
Distilled water is like a dollar. A $150-$200 dryer cage taking up bathroom counter space with cat hair on it?... priceless. I'll hang my shit to dry and buy the dollar jug of water
Exacto! If not cat hair, there is cat dander which is highly allergenic to many people.
Distilled water was 1.39 (gal.) last week when I bought some.
I used a ResMed 10 for 6 years and now a ResMed 11 for a year. I use distilled water, it is a $1 for a gallon at Wal-world, I have never cleaned my tube, I replace them every six month to a year I let it air out every day as the machine continues to blow air though it for a few minutes, and I use a full-face mask and use it for two nights (usually), I clean the "cushion" with unscented bar soap, I let them air dry on a rack.
If the gallon of distilled water doesn't get mold in it when it sits on the table next to the cpap until it is used up ; then why would anyone expect the water from one or two days in the hose to get moldy? I don't understand.
Your last comment about the inline bacterial filter "how ever you cannot use this filter with the humidifier on". Is this the same if you put the filter near the mask when using the heated tubing?? I have to say, you are refreshingly causing me to question all my previous assumptions on using my cpap machine, especially cleaning. (I just bought the hurricane device using your 20LANKY code, so thanks for that)
Love Mask Bright and absolutely love the hurricane dryer! All thanks to you, dear cat lovin’ Jason. 😄
Is that a P Bass, with P & J pickups, that I see in your living room? Please tell me more about that. As far as my CPAP...I use distilled water. I often wondered why it had to be distilled (never wondered enough to google it though). I've been using my CPAP for 4 years and I haven't experienced any issues. Thankfully my insurance covers the CPAP and supplies. They've been great sending me supplies on a frequent schedule. Thanks for the info!
I'm curious, if the insurance pays for the supplies (same as medicare here) I wonder if they would pay for the distilled water?
I clean my CPAP water container and mask every day by hand and let air dry. My hose I clean once a week hang it for a while but then blow it out hooked up to the machine. I’m fortunate to have to mask so I always have a clean mask available.
Quick question on using tap water. So you easily show you can remove the calcium build up in the water chamber with the vinegar but will you not get calcium build up in the inside of the cpap machine which you can’t clean out ?
You do realize that when water evaporates it leaves behind anything dissolved in it? The cpap humidifier just uses warm evaporation.
@@jenthulhu all the moisture that travels from the humidifier through the part of the cpap into the hose and into your lungs. So all those extra things like chlorine in your tap water can’t be good for you ?
@@Rob-ob3sh I'm not sure if you've ever taken a good look at how your machine is put together, but the air goes through the machine first and is pushed through the humidifier and then through the hose. There's literally no place for the calcium to build up on anything inside the machine.
Second. You've moving the target. Your first comment, which I responded to, was about the buildup of minerals from water in the machine. I've just told you that's not possible. Now you're talking about chlorine. So, regarding this new target, I would say that depends on the person. If you have serious lung disease, you might want to be more careful. But the average person probably breathes in more chlorine gas when spending time swimming at a pool. There are two main types of chlorine in the water supply. Simple chorine will evaporate from water if left out in an open container. If your water supply uses chloramine, it does not evaporate and therefore will most likely be left behind with the minerals in your humidifier. I'm aware that it can be neutralized in fish tanks, but that would introduce another unknown chemical, which I don't think you want to do.
If you're really worried, install a Reverse Osmosis unit on your kitchen sink. They're cheap and the resultant water is nearly as clean as distilled. It usually tastes better too. Unless you live somewhere with water usage restrictions, it's a good way to go. It's also good for some houseplants that can't tolerate anything but pure soft water like calatheas.
Since you have all the correct answers then please tell me why is it recommended that we use distilled water ? Did they just come up with this recommendation because they wanted to sell more distilled water. I’m pretty sure it must be recommend based on some kind of research like preservation of your equipment from the minerals in the water ? Something like that. I will pay the .98 cents for 4 Litres bottles as I’ve been using cpap for over 20 years now and will continue to use distilled water.
@@Rob-ob3sh I can tell you easily why they recommended distilled water. They know that tap water is highly variable across the US and the world. There are some places in the US (mostly the midwest, from what I've seen) where the tap water has so many dissolved minerals, it makes stalagmites on faucets if the homeowner doesn't use a water softener. In that situation, the calcium would build up rather quickly in the humidifier. They didn't want to provide information for descaling or urge frequent replacement. A lot of people on CPAP would be like the meme of the dog in the burning building saying It's Fine. They erred on the cautious side, that's all. Instead of assuming we're smart enough to make these decisions for ourselves, they assumed we're not and recommended distilled water. As has been said in this video and by other commenters, distilled isn't recommended in other parts of the world. I do think it's easier to use distilled, if you can afford it and can get it. Not much will grow in distilled water and it doesn't have dissolved minerals to cake onto the base of the humidifier. But RO would be just as good. Or boiled and cooled tapwater, if you have soft water coming from your tap and you're worried about germs.
Wow! People go through a lot of trouble every day to maintain the CPAP mask and hose. I just clean the mask itself every day, the water chamber periodically, and the hose rarely. I never get sick. I used to be more diligent in the early days of my therapy but then I got lazy about it and had no negative impacts so I just got a little bit lazier and still no negative impacts. Like I said, the mask is refreshed every day as it is the most important part to keep clean. 🤷♀️
Ive been using cpap for 7 years. Occasional clean with vinegar. Use mostly distilled water but been using brita filtered water the last 3 days...(distilled water at local store has went from .99$ to 1.49$ a gallon) not sick. When i wash i take hose and do a quick airplane twirling motion...most water is gone and then hang it....7 years no sickness. I too did sleep studies...in the 80's.
I have a reverse osmosis system through out the house because we have a well. We also have an equipment to remove all mineral from the water that come in the house. I was using distilled water for my water chamber prior to installing the reverse osmosis and the removal of mineral . Since this past spring, I decided to try using the fully treated water of the house; of course I empty and rinse my chamber and wash my nose piece every morning. I let it air dry but before I use my resmed that night, I will let my Cpap air blow it before filling my water chamber for the night. I do check my heated hose and it is dry. Yes I do have a heated hose and love it, very comfy during winter in Northern Ontario Ca
Pure hilarity. Especially the asian doll voice. Keep the great content coming.
I used distilled water for the first year then I switched to tap water. For the last 2 years I used tap water. The water here is so pure that I get no residue (Vancouver Lower Mainland, BC Canada.) I use the nasal "Pillow" (P10?). I think the most important part be sure to clean is the diffuser (the screens in front of your nostrils) as if they are blocked, for sure you will get leakage when you exhale. I also found that the setting that reduces the pressure when you exhale is at 1 is the most comfortable for me. Saved lots of money and time using TAP WATER!