CPAP machines are a commonly used treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. These machines work by pumping a steady but gentle stream of air through a special mask or nasal pillow which helps keep patients' airways open while they sleep. One problem with CPAP masks, however, is that they can dry out the lining of the mouth, nose, and respiratory system. Hooking a CPAP machine up to a humidifier can help relieve this problem.
Step 1
Unplug the CPAP machine. According to the Respironics website, you will need to unplug the CPAP device before installing the humidifier. This is mostly to make sure that there is no power running through the machine while you are hooking up your humidifier, because if your CPAP machine accidentally gets turned on, it can make connecting the humidifier difficult.
Step 2
Set the humidifier down on a stable surface near your CPAP machine. The Respironics website recommends using a humidifier that is specifically designed for your CPAP machine, in which case the humidifier will be designed to fit in snugly under the CPAP machine. However, you can use any kind of humidifier as long as you can find a stable surface upon which it can rest.
Step 3
Find the air outlet valve on your humidifier and the air inlet valve for your CPAP machine. The humidifier's air outlet valve should be easy to find and well labeled because they are often designed to connect to other devices. The CPAP air inlet valve, however, may be more difficult to find and might be partially covered or not well labeled. If you are having trouble, use the CPAP machine's user manual to find where the air outlet valve is. If you can't find it, CPAP Supply USA has online versions of the user manuals for many different CPAP machines.
Step 4
Connect the outlet valve of the humidifier to the inlet valve of the CPAP machine using a small length of flexible hosing. According to CPAP.com, this will allow the two devices to be connected and will allow the CPAP device to pump humidified air.
Step 5
Fill up your humidifier with distilled water as per the device's instructions. You need to use distilled water when your humidifier is connected to a CPAP machine because tap or bottled water contains minerals which can build up in the CPAP device and mask and cause damage over time.
Step 6
Plus both machines into a wall outlet.
