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I am very concerned about defective CPAP filters. I receive generic filters for my ResMed CPAP machines from my current DME. They are defective due to loose fibers and not fitting snugly to the filter tray on the filter door. They do not discolor after a month of use as do OEM ResMed filters I've used in the past. I have used them for a year before realizing by close inspection they have exposed fibers that easily come loose. They are difficult to install due to being a bit smaller than the tray in the filter door. Without a snug fit, they move as the door is closed.
Looking at a big online sales site I see there are several manufacturers of filters other than the ResMed brand that are up to 90% less in cost. They have no specifications for filtration effectiveness. I am suspicious they are not made to any proper standard.
I have appealed to my DME to send me ResMed filters, not the generic ones I have been shipped. I am waiting for an answer.
Has anyone here had a similar experience with defective filters?
My wife and I both use a CPAP but have no insurance. We have bought our own machines and pay for any parts or accessories we use. Some time ago I got a package of 60 filters from Amazon for about $17. In comparison to the OEM ResMed filters I find these filters to be better quality. They are much finer and fit well in our A10 machines. I replace them every 4 months, so it will be quite a while before I have to order more. I do not consider them as defective, but actually superior to the ResMed filter. As far as I know the ResMed filters have no specifications either. But, they are obviously much courser in texture, and probably last longer before they start to plug up as they don't catch as much dust. I judge how effective the filter is by how much dust collects on the outside of the filter and how thick that coating is by 4 months. For these filters and our house dust conditions, 4 months seems about right.
I have a growing concern for loose fibers on CPAP filters. A high-priced brand (not ResMed) I received this week has visible fibers protruding from its edges. A slight flick of the finger sends fibers flying off the filter. I am afraid I have fibers passing through my machine. I would like the makers of CPAP filters to test for loose fibers. These fibers are very small. Some can be seen without magnification others need magnification.
I don't share that concern in the least for the ones I got from Amazon. They are are a very tight paper filter not unlike what one might find in a coffee filter, but sealed along the edges which give them a pillow like shape. As I said before they are much finer than the ResMed filters and I am sure based on what I see collect on the inlet side of the filter, much more effective than the ResMed ones.
Thank you! I see the fiber in these filters is cotton as opposed to polyester. If fibers were to escape to the machine I would rather them be cotton. Unfortunately, the filters are currently not available. The issue of potentially dangerous air filters is something I consider very important and rarely addressed.
From experience, with my HVAC units, I know that filters have various levels of filtration capabilities and are given a MERV rating to express such. Some filters are rated as being a HEPA filter which is associated with the highest level of particulate removal. Some devices will be damaged if the MERV is too high due to airflow restrictions. I do not expect a CPAP filter to be MERV 12 (removes microfine particles) or HEPA but what good does a filter do if, after a month of use, it shows no sign of filtering by discoloration? The second issue is the stability of a filter's fibers. Can they come loose, pass through the machine, and be inhaled?
The machine is designed to give you your normal bedroom air... which presumably is already filtered by the MERV you chose for your hous. The filter on the machine is not there to prevent pollen or dust... just larger things like hair etc... you can practically see through it. Anti-bacterial filters are available from the manufacturer.. these are meant to kill stuff, not filter it, and they do restrict the machine, that's why there's a setting in the menu for them. If you are not immuno-compromised you don't need an AB filter. If you want something like a respirator or HEPA filter this is a custom thing... there are 3-D printed attachments available to adapt 3M respirator cartridges to say a Resmed 10... these are not OEM items, YMMV. The filter on the machine is there to protect the turbine from ingesting hair or dust bunnies, in other words. For #2, OEM filters are carefully chosen to avoid this... I'm using the cheap Amazon 60-pack filters and I haven't seen any fibers in the water tub.
Your filter brand description includes, "KEEP THE AIR CLEAN - This CPAP filter can easily filter out dust and other particulate matter in the air, keeping you away from the polluted air and making your life healthier and more secure."
You said your filters show evidence of capturing something from room air. That to me is microscopic particulates like pollen/dust/mold spores. The filters in question I claim to be defective show no signs of particulate capture. I think your filters do more than protect the workings of the machine from hair and dust bunnies.
ResMed brand makes standard filters and hypoallergenic filters. Surely the hypoallergenic ones are evidence that filters are not just to protect the machine from hair and dust bunnies. They are to protect the user whose room air will have particulates even with MERV 12+ and/or a HEPA filter running. Unfortunately, ResMed does not give specifications of their filters' particulate removal capabilities, not even for the so-called hypoallergenic type.
I am very allergic to airborne particulates that in my area are continuously present at a high level. I am just now after 18 years of CPAP use discovering that filters can be defective and possibly dangerous. I am attempting to bring the topic to public attention for consideration.
I have two 20" x 20" MERV 12 air filters running, and at times 3M 18" x 20" filtration running when a window heat pump/ AC is running. Those discolor rapidly showing their particulate capture. I could run 10 of them and the particulates will not be gone. While on my CPAP with a proper filter, I do not get my usual allergy symptoms that can cause no air to pass through my nose.
I have had some tell me my CPAP filter is for machines' protection only. I wonder where that misconception originated.
What is the proper filter? None of them stop pollen nor dust completely. I read where some stop viruses! Do you believe your CPAP filter stops viruses?
A proper filter has been the ResMed brand. No, I do not believe any CPAP filter is made that captures viruses. No MERV rating is given for CPAP filters which would indicate what size particles will be captured.
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