How long has that hose been in use? In one of my more organized moments (pretty rare, I must admit) I set up a replacement schedule for my PAP accessories for both myself and my better half. I track when each item was put into service and when, according to the manufacturers’ replacement schedule, it should be removed from service.
That might help, if the cause is age. Plastic may be eternal in the ocean, but in day to day use it can break down in inconvenient and unanticipated ways.
If it’s not a vintage hose, consider what you are using to clean it. Perhaps the cleaning solution is not plastic-friendly.
I assume you are not using anything involving O3 or UV light, because they can cause plastic deterioration and loss of machine and accessory warranties.
Of course, it just could simply be a defective hose and that problem sounds as though it could be a short, in which case your instinct not to tamper with or touch it was, of course, spot on.
Another thought: Is your local electrical service subject to outages and electrical surges associated with the restoration of power? My area is, and I had SO many appliances fried, that I eventually installed a whole house surge protector in addition to surge protectors on key (or expensive) appliances. Then, of course, you need to keep an eye on your surge protectors, because they, too, can require replacement. The surges can also fry them. They have only so many lives to give for the cause.
Another possibility: Have you recently tried to use it in an unconventional setting? I once managed to fry a humidifier unit by using it during a long intercontinental flight and failing to unplug it prior to the plane switching over to land power. The switchover power surge fried the humidifier, which went unrecognized at the time— and that was a tough problem to diagnose after the fact. The whole machine would not work when attached to the humidifier.
“But this was long ago, in another country, and besides the wench (machine) is dead” (It was a RESMED Gen 7.)
The only problem I’ve had with the heated hose is related to the connection to the mask, which isn’t tight enough and sometimes the hose and the mask become disconnected, which is a problem. But the heated hose has gone a long way to eliminating that very annoying rainout, which was a significant issue for me because I prefer a pretty cool sleeping environment— kind of like a meat locker. (My better half, of course, has the metabolism of a lizard.)
