Chemical odor from newly ordered ResMed air hose

I'm new to the forum and have been looking through the posts, but haven't seen where anyone is having the problem I am experiencing. I have been on a ResMed Air Curve 10 Bi Pap machine for about 18 months. About a month ago I decided I should probably have a spare air hose on hand in case the old one sprung a leak or something. I ordered a hose from the Home Medical Supply store that is part of my Dr's medical group. When the new hose arrived I could tell immediately that the plastic was different from my original hose. It was a different shade of plastic and not nearly as flexible as my original hose, which, by the way, was flexible from the start. I gave the new hose a wash out with the same organic mild soap I have used to wash my original hose for 18 months. When it dried, I attached it to my machine and started breathing through it. It had a chemical odor but I figured it was just because it was new. I went to sleep with it on and about three hours later woke up and nearly vomited from the odor that was coming through the hose. I guess because it had heated the air, it intensified the odor. I thought it was a fluke and ordered another hose from a different vendor, but same thing again. Very bad chemical odor. ResMed has obviously changed the type of plastic to what appears to be an inferior type of plastic. So now I'm starting to panic because I'm afraid I won't be able to find a hose I can use. I would welcome any advice. I'm not sure what to do.

Have you talked to them about it? I would raise holy h&ll and make them provide adequate tubing. I just got my resmed machine recently (about a month ago) and I noticed a mild chemical smell (and I have a nose that can pick up things that the canine unit misses) but it dissipated quickly. I would make them address it.

The home supplier may be giving you particularly cheaply made replacement hoses, but you can find great hoses online in the $5-$10 range.

Respironics has branded "performance tubing" that is 20 percent lighter than a standard CPAP hose, for example. I can find it online now for less than $10. Other online suppliers have very good light-weight generic or store-branded hoses for less than $5. I am still using a store-branded online hose that I bought 5 yrs ago. Greatest $5 investment I've ever made!