CPAP machine for sleep apnea

[mstevens]

If you have a tank heater bring your own distilled water if you normally use it.

I use regular bottled drinking water in my heated humidifier, both at home and abroad. It's less likely to be contaminated than "distilled" water and safer for both drinking and inhalation.

You're not supposed to drink "distilled" water at all unless it's labeled for consumption. It's primarily intended for use in steam irons or other places where scale buildup can be a problem or in batteries or other places where a few stray ions could be an issue. It's not necessarily prepared or stored in ways that make it appropriate for drinking. If it's not intended for drinking, I'm not putting it in my airway!

Bottled drinking water (at least in Cozumel) is usually prepared by reverse osmosis, the same process used for most "distilled" water, but is actually intended for human consumption so has been further treated (typically with UV light or ozonation) to minimize bacterial or fungal growth. The production and bottling machines are subject to inspection by health authorities, which is not the case with distilled water. It does not contain significant amounts of minerals so won't scale up a heated humidifier reservoir. Scale is typically not an issue in modern machines anyway, since the reservoirs either come apart for cleaning in a dishwasher or are disposable. Volatile compounds such as chlorine and bromine, which are reasons not to use tap water, should not be prominent in bottled water either.

I don't lug water with me when I travel since good bottled water is available practically anywhere on the planet and I want to save the weight allowance for other things.

 

[Prop Joe]

I use regular bottled drinking water in my heated humidifier, both at home and abroad. It's less likely to be contaminated than "distilled" water and safer for both drinking and inhalation.

You're not supposed to drink "distilled" water at all unless it's labeled for consumption. It's primarily intended for use in steam irons or other places where scale buildup can be a problem or in batteries or other places where a few stray ions could be an issue. It's not necessarily prepared or stored in ways that make it appropriate for drinking. If it's not intended for drinking, I'm not putting it in my airway!

Bottled drinking water (at least in Cozumel) is usually prepared by reverse osmosis, the same process used for most "distilled" water, but is actually intended for human consumption so has been further treated (typically with UV light or ozonation) to minimize bacterial or fungal growth. The production and bottling machines are subject to inspection by health authorities, which is not the case with distilled water. It does not contain significant amounts of minerals so won't scale up a heated humidifier reservoir. Scale is typically not an issue in modern machines anyway, since the reservoirs either come apart for cleaning in a dishwasher or are disposable. Volatile compounds such as chlorine and bromine, which are reasons not to use tap water, should not be prominent in bottled water either.

I don't lug water with me when I travel since good bottled water is available practically anywhere on the planet and I want to save the weight allowance for other things.

Certified Respiratory Therapist told me to use distilled water when I was instructed how to use the machine.
To each his/her own I guess.

 

[mstevens]

Certified Respiratory Therapist told me to use distilled water when I was instructed how to use the machine.

I know. They always do. On the other hand, they would never, ever use distilled water either in your CPAP humidifier or in any other respiratory application in the hospital - they'd always use water labeled "sterile water for inhalation."

They also tell you (or should) to empty and dry your reservoir every morning and fill it with fresh water every night, just as they tell you (or should) to wash and dry the complete circuit (hose, mask) every single day. That's a lot of water to lug to Mexico when there's already water there that's appropriate to use for that purpose.