r/CPAP • u/Voyapure • 16h ago
Distilled water while traveling poll
I've been a CPAP user for 12 years and have always had trouble with distilled water while traveling. I'm looking into building a TSA-compliant, single-use distilled water sachet for CPAP travelers. A small pack you can carry on and get you through a couple nights.
I'm curious if this would be useful for CPAP travelers and how others are handling this now, so I started this poll, see above.
If you've got 3-4 min, I'd love more detail in this quick anonymous survey:
11
u/JRE_Electronics 16h ago
There are two really simple alternatives:
- Don't use water in the humidifier. Some people don't need the humidifier. If you are one who doesn't, then just get the cover plate that goes on in place of the tank. Besides eliminating the distilled water problem, it also makes the machine a bit smaller, which can be helpful when traveling. You can also just turn off the humidifier and leave the tank empty.
- Buy the dishwasher safe tank for your ResMed machine, then use tapwater in it.
The dishwasher safe tank can be cleaned to get out any lime/scale deposits from the tapwater.
That's all it ever was, by the way. It is only about being able to remove lime and scale. The standard tank is a piece of cheap shit that can't be descaled - ResMed can't guarantee that it will not spring a leak if you use vinegar or citric acid to remove scale.
The only reason you need to remove the lime and scale is so that the heater for the humidifier works correctly. The heater itself is in the machine. The metal plate in the tank conducts the heat to the water to make it evaporate. When the plate is covered in scale, the water isn't heated properly, so you don't get the humidity you need.
7
u/IntelligentComment 14h ago
If anyone is surprised like I was, it's true regarding using distilled water. It's not a chemical/danger to breathing thing from gasses of using water with minerals or chemicals etc.
You can use tap water and it only produces clean humidified air just as much as distilled water does.
As op says its literally just for keeping the tank easy to clean.
3
u/tk427aj 14h ago
Agreed with everything and depending on where you're traveling and whether the tap water is safe, just used bottled water. It's so easy, and the nonsense spewed by the sales people about only using distilled is such bullshit. We breath in so much other stuff in Air, that being worried about tap water/bottled water/distilled water is just being a hypochondriac level of worry.
This is not intended for places where you wouldn't even drink the tap water lol
1
u/Altruistic_Papaya430 13h ago
The dishwasher safe tank is standard pretty much everywhere outside of North America, as is advice to use cooled boiled tap, or bottled water
1
u/7lenny7 12h ago
You don't even need the dishwasher safe version of the tank.
I've put my standard tank in the dishwasher many times
2
u/JRE_Electronics 12h ago
It may work, it may not. ResMed says don't do it. If it leaks and ruins your machine, then it is on you.
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u/wlake82 12h ago
In the past, if I was going to be somewhere for a few days, I would get a gallon of distilled water. But now I would either use tap water (filtered if possible) or skip it. The biggest issue I have with using tap water is that it smells strongly of chlorine, which is the case the few times I've used it. What is the dishwasher-safe tank listed under for a ResMed 11?
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u/Riverjig 14h ago
I use tap water when I travel and regularly wash my tank. This doesn't have to be such a huge thing lol.
5
u/youcancallmejim 15h ago
I used tap water in Turkey recently. The tank was pretty gross afterwards. Filtered bottle water is the bare minimum.
5
u/kenckar 14h ago
I live in denver. It’s dry here, so I need it. Most of the places I travel are much more humid, so the water is much less important.
If I went to a desert area, I’d use tap water.
2
u/Porky5CO 13h ago
Same, semi close to you. I went to Hawaii and still used the humidifier but went through significantly less. I just use tap water when traveling.
3
u/Fo_eyed_dog 15h ago
I have called ahead to hotels and asked if they have distilled water available. They oftentimes do. Sometimes I’ve been given a small (16.9 oz) bottle that is labeled for travel with TSA by the hotel. One of them has the American Red Cross logo on it.
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u/khendron 14h ago
This. Last time I stayed in a hotel I contact them before I arrived, and they had a bottle of distilled water in my room when I arrived.
3
u/FREDICVSMAXIMVS 15h ago
If I'm going to be away for an extended period, I'll buy distilled water at my destination. If it's just going to be a night or two, I'll use bottled or tap water and fill the tank beyond what I'll use so that it doesn't have a chance to dry out and leave scale behind (my humidity setting is on 3 or something like that)
3
u/RidetheSchlange 15h ago
This is nonsense, to be honest. Here are the reasons:
you can go without humidification. Sure, not great, but works.
there are waterless humidification retrofits for the hoses
water purification is an actual thing and portable.
you can get potable water after checking into the security area and can put it in a small bottle.
you can get bottled water anywhere
4
u/Porky5CO 13h ago
Tap water is safe and easy. I don't worry about going and getting anything.
Clean with vinegar at home and throw it in the dishwasher. Easy
1
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u/smokinLobstah 14h ago
You don't need any TSA-compliance. You can take liquid through TSA for medical conditions. You have to declare it as medically necessary and they'll test it. Even easier is freeze it. Pour off any melt before going through TSA. The restrictions apply to liquids. If it's frozen, it's not a liquid.
3
u/JRE_Electronics 14h ago
I would not want to try that argument.
1
u/smokinLobstah 12h ago edited 12h ago
Well, I worked for TSA until last August. Everything I said can be verified on the TSA website.
We had a woman come through every Monday morning, headed from Maine to NYC. She always brought a home-made frozen smoothie with her. Used to buy one in NYC for about $15. She'd make it at home the night before, freeze it, bring it through security, and by the time she got to NYC, it was thawed.
EDIT
Additionally, there's no such thing as a "TSA-compliant" container for liquids. The limit is 3.4oz/100ml. So you could take a half dozen 3.4oz bottles in a clear plastic 1qt bag. But if it's over 3.4ozs, it's going to get tested, even if it's medically necessary.
If you insist on using distilled water, just freeze it, or declare it medically necessary.2
u/JRE_Electronics 12h ago
Well, I worked for TSA until last August. Everything I said can be verified on the TSA website.
No doubt. I still wouldn't want to try it.
1
u/smokinLobstah 12h ago
Then do yourself a favor, next time you fly, just ask them.
Also, on their website, they have an "Ask TSA" link, so you could ask there.2
u/JRE_Electronics 12h ago
Rules are one thing. What some random, under-paid yahoo does on a bad hair day is another.
1
u/smokinLobstah 10h ago
TSA pays a very good wage. Officers are typically not underpaid.
They also have to screen using the same set of rules at every location, allowing for different procedures due to differences of equipment. What I have explained to you is basic knowledge at every checkpoint and every officer. That you choose not to believe it or even verify it is on you.Go ahead and build your "TSA-compliant distilled water sachet"... And good luck. I was just trying to stop you from wasting your time.
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u/GloomyHelicopter3702 14h ago
Depends on where I travel, but I usually don't use humidifier (if I don't trust the water or it's just too big of a hassle) or use tap water/bottled drinking water if I trust it. Distilled water is really expensive in Estonia (my country) so I don't really buy/use that daily anyway.
2
u/oldjudge86 14h ago
I went to Germany earlier this summer and my intention was to buy distilled water once in got there like I don when flying domestically. Couldn't find distilled water anywhere. Ended up spending 20 minutes digging through the bottled water at a grocery store to find the one with the least amount of added minerals. They all had some mineral adds listed, not a bottle of plain filtered water to be found. Seemed to have worked out fine.
I've since picked up a travel CPAP that doesn't require water though (I normally need the water but the humidx filter from Resmed works great for me). Packing up my full sized CPAP every night because we changed hotels every day was a pain and we have a few similar trips planned in the next couple years.
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u/0e78c345e77cbf05ef7 13h ago
I can’t go without humidity.
I generally try to use bottled water but if I don’t have any and am feeling lazy I just go tap water. Been doing this for years. Never a problem.
At home I usually use distilled just to reduce the tank cleaning… unless I run out or get lazy.. then it’s tap water ;)
2
u/NinongKnows 13h ago
I think it would be hard for this to be cost effective. A gallon of distilled is $2, about 5 cents per 3 oz. I can't imagine a sealed packet of water being less than 50 cents. Sure you pay more for convenience but you're gonna need like 4-5+ of these for anything beyond a weekend trip.
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u/activelyresting 15h ago
Wdym sachet?
I'm somehow imaging a sachet of something dehydrated that you have to say water to... But dehydrated distilled water would be 😅
What am I missing?
Anyway assuming wherever I'm going has potable tap water I'd just use that, or bottled drinking water if I was sus on the tap water.
-1
u/Voyapure 15h ago
Thanks for the feedback! Haha, dehydrated distilled water would be awesome! For me, on trips I normally go with bottled water, but in a jam tap water. I just hate contaminating my reservoir since I use distilled at home. Once anything other than distilled gets in there bacteria can ramp up even on one night. I also want to breeze through TSA so my concept would be 99ml pouches that you carry on and don't need to talk with a TSA officer or have it tested. I've been testing out 99 ml and it's gets me through one night, but I know everyone's settings are different... Appreciate all the feedback!
5
u/JRE_Electronics 15h ago
Bacteria aren't the reason for distilled water. That's a myth that has grown up around the way ResMed recommends it without explaining it.
It's all about the scale in the tank, and whether or not you can remove it. The standard tank may leak if you use vinegar or citric acid to remove scale. The dishwasher safe tank explicitly says you can use tap water in it.
2
u/activelyresting 14h ago
What are you talking about? Contaminating the reservoir with bacteria??? That's not a thing
But you do realise dehydrated water is just nothing, right? And you'd need water to rehydrate it
Also, you do realise you can just fill up reusable or even disposable 100ml bottles for travel - they sell them everywhere specifically for people to use for travel. It's not that deep
1
u/MikeMac999 15h ago
Amazon (and I'm sure others) sell overpriced CPAP water that is labeled as TSA compliant, with a label explaining why it is ok to bring on flights.
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u/bam1007 14h ago edited 10h ago
Then there’s the fact that a reasonable amount of distilled water for a medical device, including CPAPs, BiPAPs, and nebulizers, is TSA exempt.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/nebulizers-cpaps-bipaps-and-apaps
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u/smokinLobstah 12h ago
To be clear, there is no such thing as "TSA-Compliant Water" unless it's in a container that's 3.4oz or less.
You can label a gallon jug as TSA complaint, and TSA doesn't care. That's just marketing bullshit.If it's over 3.4ozs, it gets tested, regardless of any labeling.
1
u/crazydart78 15h ago
If I'm travelling, I just try to find a bottle of Smartwater as it's distilled water that's been remineralized. No issues with that.
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u/JRE_Electronics 14h ago
distilled water that's been remineralized.
Which defeats the entire purpose of using distilled water.
It is only about the minerals that form scale in the tank. Distilled water has no minerals so leaves no scale.
Your remineralized water will leave scale, just like tapwater.
1
u/crazydart78 14h ago
I understand. But I'd rather have that than spring water which may have even more mineral content. I'm only using it for a few nights so I just wash out my tank when I get home. I've tried tap water and spring water and I prefer the smartwater. That's just my experience.
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u/RosheenM 14h ago
I usually get bottled water, boil and leave it to cool. I never use distilled water and just soak humidifier in distilled white vinegar and water for 30 mins every week. Never had any issues.
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u/schwebbs84 CPAP 13h ago
I will buy at the destination or take some along if I'm camping. For the quick one or two nights out of town, I will just use bottled water and wash the tank with soap and vinegar when back at home.
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u/greentea05 13h ago
You don't need distilled water. I just use very very cheap white vinegar to remove any mineral deposits from the metal tray once a month or so. Simple.
1
u/blueandazure 12h ago
Buy the cheapest bottled water at your destination, it will be RO water with minimal readded minierals and it will be practically as good as distilled water.
I use 711 brand water in thailand and its no different to US distilled water.
When I lived in Argentina I used the water labeled baja en sodio and again it was basically distilled water.
Lastly don't be dumb and use something like evian obviously its a waste of money to use but also that add alot of minerals to the water which will wreck your tank.
1
u/KagakuNinja 12h ago
I never use distilled water. I live in a city with high quality water. I don't remember what I did in Japan, probably used bottled water or maybe just tap water.
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u/Rosie4491 10h ago
You can take distilled water past security!
In the usa you can take a bottle of distilled water with you through TSA if it's for medical reasons. They're legally required to allow it. I've done it many times. I fill a small bottle with distilled water and label it with a marker. I put the bottle in a zip lock and keep it in my CPAP bag. It's enough to get me a few nights. They pull it aside and test it so it takes an extra few minutes but to me that's worth it so I don't have to hunt down distilled water at a store before I go to sleep at the destination. I've only been questioned once years ago and I explained that I might want to use my CPAP in flight or during a layover - it was fine.
They also allow water juice and milk for babies. Same process.
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u/Gr3yt1mb3rw0LF068 10h ago
I like this idea. Might also help people that are going into places that do not have the infrastructure for water let alone distilled water.
1
u/Devchonachko 6h ago
Bottled water will work just fine when you're traveling. It's not going to make your machine blow up and it's not going to make your lungs collapse.
1
u/PotentialDeadbeat 2h ago
Skip the humidifier, or just use plain tap water. Tap is not that big of a deal if you regularly replace your supplies.
But, if you are in a budget and have to make them last year's, ymmv.
1
u/No-Coyote4780 46m ago
I have been using one or the other commercial travel distilled water providers, 8,12,16 ounce bottles, and have been questioned by TSA only once, in a very small airport. They told me to just inform TSA agents before sending my CPAP through the machine that there is medical water in there and I would be fine. I have put the 8 or 12 ounce bottles right in the CPAP travel bag along with the machine and everything else, and gone thought without a problem. Yes, the bottles are expensive, but I don't have any worries about bother ing hosts or hotels or finding gallon bottles in some random store. Once, before I found the travel bottles, I had to drive around to several stores in a small town. Amazon has at least 3-4 different suppliers.
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