ResMed F30i leaks

CPAP
1

I’m new to CPAP therapy, and so far it’s been a mixed bag. It’s definitely solved my snoring problem, but I don’t feel like I’m sleeping any better - I still wake up several times each night. Except now, I think its due to issues with the CPAP machine rather than apnea.

I have an AirSense 11, and started off with a P10 pillow mask. That was comfortable, but I open my mouth a lot, and the dry mouth effect made that unworkable. I tried mouth taping and chin straps and neither were comfortable.

So I switched to an f30i mask. This mask is great - it fits well, it’s comfortable, and it allows me to breathe through my mouth sometimes without that weird exhale effect. But this thing seems to have some major leak issues. The port at the top where the elbow snaps in leaks constantly - I can feel a jet of air up there from the moment the machine turns on. I think some times during the night, I’m moving in such a way that makes that leak much worse, which causes the machine to massively ramp the pressure, which then wakes me up. Once the machine is in that state, it seems to ramp down very slowly and I have to turn it off and back on to get to a normal pressure again.

I’m a bit of a nerd and a software developer by trade, so I captured some data on an SD card to view in the OSCAR app, and I think my theory is credible - I see big leak spikes, followed by huge increases in pressure, then a very, very long slow ramp down.

I’m wondering if this leak issue is just something with the top-of-head connection of the mask. I didn’t have this issue with the nose pillows, so I don’t think it’s something inherent to the machine. However there are many accounts on Reddit of people experiencing the same issue I am - waking up with the machine blasting the mask off your face and seemingly not slowing down even though you are awake.

Is there some secret sauce here for making this work? I don’t feel like I’m a very active sleeper - and yet, somehow I seem to be doing something to cause a severe leak. I hate to keep buying different masks, but maybe one that attaches at the front (and covers my mouth) is what I need after all?

3 Likes
2

I need a full face mask as I am a mouth breather due to a deviated septum and also a side sleeper. After trying multiple masks (including the F30i), I have found the F20 AirTouch to be the most comfortable and has the best seal with no leakage. It uses memory foam instead of silicone for the cushion, so it is much softer on your nose and face. My AHI’s are now consistently below 1, no leakage, and averaging 7.5 hours of restful sleep. Hope this helps!

3

I had similar leaks with the F30i and it turned out the elbow connection or cushion just wasn’t seated quite right. You might also try a different cushion size or a mask liner—those helped reduce leaks a lot for me.

4

My sister had similar leaks with the ResMed F30i Full Face CPAP Mask when the top connector shifted during sleep. She tried reseating it, but switching to a front-hose mask like the ResMed AirFit F20 Full Face CPAP Mask worked better for her.

5

To circle back to this, it turns out the “leak” at the elbow is by design - there’s a vent there. I’ve managed to improve things a bit by turning the max pressure way down. It started at 20, and I have it down to 11 now. I still find the mask slipping out of place and leaking, but it’s much better than it was. I may try the foam version of the cushion to see if that may help even more. Thanks for all your suggestions.

6

I have tried all the full masks and they all gap, leak and blow air to wake me up when I lie on my side. I can’t use this VERY expensive machine that they refuse to take back.

7

I have been trying to say the masks do not work for side sleepers. They have no answers.