CPAP Filters

All CPAP machines use filters; there are different types, and they must be changed and cleaned on a regular basis. The plus side to this is that CPAP filters are the only maintenance you have to perform on the cpap machine.

Most CPAP filters are made of some type of foam material, and you can wash them. You need to check the filter periodically to see if it has become discolored; if so, remove and wash. How often you have to do this is a function of where you live. If you’re in a highly polluted city, you may have to wash the CPAP filters on a weekly basis. At the very least, wash it once a month, even if it doesn’t look dirty.

Some CPAP filters are meant to be disposable. If that is not the case with yours – if you have the foam CPAP filters – they should be thrown away once they start to crumble. Think about an old sponge; when the foam filter starts to look like that, splitting and breaking apart – toss it. In the case of disposable paper CPAP filters, throw them away as soon as they get discolored or they are thirty days old, whichever comes first. Even if the filter is very clean looking, never use one that is more than thirty days old; that is a hard and important rule.

If you have a machine that uses a combination of CPAP filters – paper and foam – be sure to load them properly. The paper filter goes in first, put the smooth edge toward the machine, and the fuzzy, soft edge should be facing out. The paper has a tab on it; fold it out so that you can easily remove the filter when it gets dirty. Then the foam CPAP filter is placed on the outer edge, as its function is to get the large dirt bits removed first.

In the event you suffer from allergies, hay fever, or you have some kinds of sinus problems, your doctor will recommend CPAP filters that are much finer than normal. They can remove the extremely small dust and dirt particles in the air. With these kinds of CPAP filters, they aren’t reusable; there’s no way to wash or clean them out. So, when the filter becomes dirty, you use them once, and then throw them away.

If you have a problem with infection or other sinus problems, or you share your CPAP machine with another person, then bacterial CPAP filters are called for. They don’t go inside the machine; instead, you put them in the plastic frame of the air outlet pipe. This is important; you never put this type of CPAP filter in the air inlet pipe. You can use these filters with a humidifier, but if you do, you also have to remove the CPAP filter after each use to let it dry out during the day. With these types of CPAP filters, keep an eye on the housing. When you can see dark, filthy material in it, you should just throw the whole housing away.