Have a CPAP Machine? Beware of GAME OVER

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g413

g413

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I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 6.5 years ago. I was prescribed a ResMed CPAP machine and leased it through Apria. It took some getting used to, but after a short time, it changed my life for the better. I could sleep through the night and wake up rested. What a difference.

Last week it stopped working and an error message on the machine said something like “the motor lifetime has expired.” These machines have a predicted lifetime of about 6 years, and my ResMed is programmed in software to permanently stop, even though everything is working fine. WHOSE IDIOT IDEA WAS THAT? ResMed actually did respond to my inquiry and said that I could not reset it.

Fixing this is not like going down and renting a new gear puller. Apria says they will furnish a new machine, but I need to get a new prescription. My original doctor has retired, and the firm he was in is not in my provider network. There were two, network, sleep doctors in my area. One can get me an appointment in June, and another can get me an appointment in July. If your sleep apnea is severe, waiting 4 or 5 months is not a very good option.

My point is, if you need one of these machines and it stops working, plan ahead for the medical roadblocks and avoid four or five months of misery.
 
You used to be able to buy used ones on Ebay of Facebook marketplace, but they seem to have blocked them from those formats. I actually am going for a sleep study in about 2 weeks to replace my ResMed S9 that I have had since 2014 that has about 31,000 hours on it. Mine has the same warning on it but still works ok.
 
bcschief said:
You used to be able to buy used ones on Ebay of Facebook marketplace, but they seem to have blocked them from those formats. I actually am going for a sleep study in about 2 weeks to replace my ResMed S9 that I have had since 2014 that has about 31,000 hours on it. Mine has the same warning on it but still works ok.
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Mine is a res med also was told could not get tubing or face mask. I found tubing on ebay mine says motor has expired but still works.One of the things that this thing does is it still will run at a real low volume when shut off so the motor runs all the time unless you unplug it.
 
gpc213 said:
Mine is a res med also was told could not get tubing or face mask. I found tubing on ebay mine says motor has expired but still works.One of the things that this thing does is it still will run at a real low volume when shut off so the motor runs all the time unless you unplug it.
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Try Cpapman for suplies on the web.CPAPMan: Serving CPAP/Sleep Apnea Users Since 1997
 
Can't your GP prescribe it? You have a history.

The records from your old sleep doc are somewhere, they usually transfer everything to another practice. You might have to call around and find out who has them, then get the new doc to transfer the records to them. There's even a chance that the records were shared electronically with your GP.

The machine shutting down is nonsense, but it's probably done as a CYA for the company and the doctors.

Side story: I was in the hospital overnight for some surgery a few years ago. Somewhere, someone had checked a box that said "c-pap" or something like that. They kept insisting that they will provide a C-pap machine for me and not to bring my own. Even in the hospital, they kept telling me the C-pap was going to be there. Each time it was brought up, I had to say "I don't use one", but that never unchecked that box. They never did bring one, I think the last time they said it, I was out of surgery and in some pain, so I wasn't in a good mood.... So they got the hint. LOL.
 
I’m on my second one the first one was supposed to be good for 15 years. The service message came up so I made an appointment to have it checked. It passed. The next time it happened they said it was obsolete and replaced it with my current one. Air Sense 10 Elite by ResMed. Kim
 
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g413 said:
Last week it stopped working and an error message on the machine said something like “the motor lifetime has expired.” These machines have a predicted lifetime of about 6 years, and my ResMed is programmed in software to permanently stop, even though everything is working fine.
Click to expand...
Probably a safeguard to curtail lawsuits.
 
Never heard of a unit having an expiration date programmed into it. My last ResMed unit was displaying that the last time that it was in use was 1999. My doctor went nuts until I reminded him that the machine wasn’t manufactured until 2010 so something was wrong with the memory. Usually you are required to have a yearly checkup which also includes the machine so if there was truly an expiration date your doctor would have mentioned it.
 
Some printer cartridges have that planned maintenance schedule: a countdown chip in them that wont allow you to refill the cartridges. they will report the ink is empty and stop working even though you refilled it and it should be good for another 4 months. Found 2 workarounds: one was to buy the chips alone from ebay and just rechip the refill. other one was more clever. Take a new one and stick it in and boot up the printer, while the unit is on, stop the carriage and take the new one out and put the old refill in. It will not notice the old chip and will continue to print. Just dont turn the printer off. Later ones just gave you a nag screen that you could blow through. Even aircraft motors have a run time before rebuild, right? Wouldnt want that to fail at 14000 feet.
 
do a search regarding the message. all sorts of info on the web.
 
I want to thank all of you for your help and suggestions. The exact message said, "Motor life exceeded, please contact service provider." On the Web, it says this message occurs when the fan has run for 24,000 hours. Like bcschief suggested, there are places that service these machines. I've sent off for a quote. My plan is to get the machine fixed to last 5 months, until I get a doctor appointment. This will at least take the pressure off.
 
I get mine checked right at the Royal University Hospital. Need to have an appointment and they keep it a few days and send it back to me. They give me a loaner that I send back to them. Kim
 
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diymirage said:
Isn't the whole point of a cpap machine to keep the pressure ON?


:poke:
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Yes, but when the power goes off I wake up gasping for air. The very opposite of what they are supposed to do. U would think they would have a battery back up or something. Maybe we should get our own battery back up. Kim
 
g413 said:
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 6.5 years ago. I was prescribed a ResMed CPAP machine and leased it through Apria. It took some getting used to, but after a short time, it changed my life for the better. I could sleep through the night and wake up rested. What a difference.

Last week it stopped working and an error message on the machine said something like “the motor lifetime has expired.” These machines have a predicted lifetime of about 6 years, and my ResMed is programmed in software to permanently stop, even though everything is working fine. WHOSE IDIOT IDEA WAS THAT? ResMed actually did respond to my inquiry and said that I could not reset it.

Fixing this is not like going down and renting a new gear puller. Apria says they will furnish a new machine, but I need to get a new prescription. My original doctor has retired, and the firm he was in is not in my provider network. There were two, network, sleep doctors in my area. One can get me an appointment in June, and another can get me an appointment in July. If your sleep apnea is severe, waiting 4 or 5 months is not a very good option.

My point is, if you need one of these machines and it stops working, plan ahead for the medical roadblocks and avoid four or five months of misery.
Click to expand...
MAN, THAT SUCKS!
makes ya wonder, Why?
 
diymirage said:
Isn't the whole point of a cpap machine to keep the pressure ON?
Click to expand...
I know, I know. I was actually thinking of making a wise crack like that.
Just to give an update, I received a quote of $185 to replace the motor. I will probably choose this method -- to keep the pressure on.
 
My sisters Cpap popped up a warning to get a new one too. So she did as her insurance covered it. I’ve been on a Cpap for probably 22 years or so. I replaced my first one when the motor started making some crazy noise and I’m now on my second one.
 
pittsburghracer said:
My sisters Cpap popped up a warning to get a new one too. So she did as her insurance covered it. I’ve been on a Cpap for probably 22 years or so. I replaced my first one when the motor started making some crazy noise and I’m now on my second one.
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I'm sure the manufacturers know that the insurance will pay for a new one after x amount of time. Especially when Medicare is involved. Easy to program the control module to let you know when it's time to spend some more insurance money. Like my dental exams. insurance pays for 2 a year. That's what I get.
 
toolmanmike said:
I'm sure the manufacturers know that the insurance will pay for a new one after x amount of time. Especially when Medicare is involved. Easy to program the control module to let you know when it's time to spend some more insurance money. Like my dental exams. insurance pays for 2 a year. That's what I get.
Click to expand...


I agree but Johnny don’t play that game. I’m over 65 so I’m on Medicare and I also pay for my old insurance from my steel mill days. I pay a portion for my Cpap supplies but when I worked and had full coverage they would call me and say just get everything because your insurance pays for it. Every time I would say no just send me this and this. It pissed them off but ohhhh well I’m not abusing my insurance just to do it.
 
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