Waterloo Chamber

Use only distilled water to avoid buildup of mineral residue like this.

When CPAP devices come to us for repair, we see humidifier water chambers at their best and at their worst. Humidifier chambers that haven’t been cared for properly can breed bacteria or mold that’s entering your airway every night, and they can also become cracked, cloudy or so filled with mineral residue – as a result of using tap water – that replacement is your only option.

The good news is that water chambers are intended to be replaced regularly, so be sure you are following the manufacturer recommendations for replacement. ResMed, for instance, recommends replacement of your humidifier water chamber every six months, and if you have a current CPAP prescription your insurance company may pay for it. Check with your home medical equipment provider or insurance company to see if your resupplies are covered.

In addition to regular replacement, taking good care of your water chamber should be a daily part of your life with CPAP therapy. Here are a few tips:

1. Clean it properly. After detaching the chamber from your device, clean it daily with mild soap and warm, drinking-quality water. Avoid cleaning products such as dish detergent, alcohol, bleach, chlorine or moisturizing or antibacterial soaps. After cleaning, rinse it thoroughly using warm, drinking-quality water, then place it on a flat surface on a towel to dry. Weekly, soak the chamber in a solution of one-part white vinegar and one-part water for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with warm, drinking-quality water and place it on a towel on a flat surface to dry. Here are more cleaning tips from ResMed.
2. Use distilled water. Always fill your chamber with distilled water at room temperature. Tap water can leave behind residue and bacteria. Do not use hot water, and never add any kind of scented oils or aromatherapy.
3. Never let water get into your device. Take care to never fill your chamber past the maximum water level mark, and make sure that your chamber is empty and dry before you transport your device. If water gets into your CPAP, it can cause corrosion or other damage to the electrical components.

But your water chamber and CPAP accessories aren’t the only things that might be ready for a cleaning. Mold, bacteria and mineral residue can get inside the CPAP device itself. That’s why we recommend an annual CPAP Checkup, which gives your device a deep internal and external cleaning, new seals and filters, an update to your firmware and a diagnostic check to be sure it’s operating properly. To learn more about our CPAP Checkup service, click here.

The market is flooded with different types of water purifiers. Water purifiers range from simple water filters to advanced purifiers using membrane technology for filtration followed by disinfection with UV lamp filters. But when you decide about buying a water purifier, the biggest question arises as to which water purifier is correct for your home?

Here are 4 important factors that you must consider before buying a water purifier:

Water Quality

If the water supplied to your home is high in TDS, hardness and salinity then RO is the best choice for your home. RO has a semi-permeable membrane which has pore size of 0.0005 microns. Such tiny pores can remove the tiniest of dissolved salt, metals and impurities.

For areas where water supplied to home is soft and has TDS under permissible limit, carbon activated filters can work well.

Contamination

Bacteria, nitrate, dissolved pesticides and lead are the most likely health-effecting contaminants present in water. The amount of contaminants present in water can be tested in any laboratory. If water supplied to your home is high in microbes and contaminants then a UV based RO filtration can be an intelligent choice. The UV effect irradiate the water and penetrate the cells of bacteria and viruses, destroying their ability to reproduce. These organisms fail to multiply and eventually die. The RO membrane removes these dead germs and contaminants from water and make it fit for consumption.

Water pressure

Both UV and RO filters need water supply at a good pressure. If the incoming water flow does not have sufficient pressure, the RO filter will not work optimally. So if the pressure of water supplied to your home is insufficient (but the condition is that water is soft and less in impurities) it is best to go for the activated carbon purifiers. But if the water is high in TDS and contamination, then go for RO purifier. You can attach a pump to the RO filtration unit to boost the pressure.

Electricity

Although RO and UV filtration are advance water purification technologies, a big problem is that they need electricity to operate. This means that they cannot be useful if power-supply to your home is inconsistent. So if you live in area where electricity supply is erratic then go for activated carbon purifiers.