Internet, help me out.

[conuly]

As you know, my mother uses oxygen. In fact, her oxygen use has gone up somewhat since being home, though it's not clear if this is because she actually needs more oxygen, a slightly alarming thought, or because she needed this amount the whole time but was unwilling to carry a tank in public. Could go either way.

At any rate, we don't have the tubing for her oxygen machine to go all the way upstairs, so she uses a tank during the day. Lately the tank has not been filling properly, and I finally tracked this down to the tube connecting the two machines - the concentrator and the tank-filler - being damaged. It's not visible, but it hisses. It's definitely the tube and not the machine, because the hiss moved when I swapped the tube around.

Should be an easy replacement, but it looks like a different sort of connector than to the tanks, so does that mean a different tube? What search terms am I using to find this product, buy it, and get it rush delivered?

Comments

[jtthomas]

Are there brand names visible? That'll speed up the search probably ten-fold. I've got experience tracking this stuff down.

[conuly]

Of the machine, yes. After I finish this cup of tea I'll go check it out, okay?

[jtthomas]

You got it. I'll bring up the likely websites in the meantime and see what I can get figured out without the brand.

[conuly]

Actually, I think we rent the machine via medstar, so I'm checking their website now to see if they're any help. God, I hope so - if they're not, and I can't figure this out, I'll have to call.

[jtthomas]

Ugh.
Are there *any markings whatsoever* on the machine itself? I'd probably still be able to find out what you need faster than if you have to call.

[conuly]

Well, I trekked down the three flights of stairs and up again, and happily this was not in vain: Invacare (Invicare? Invecare? one of those spellings) Platinum 5, Homefill II compatible.

[jtthomas]

That's extremely useful. Save this link for the future, and I'm gonna go track down your part. http://www.invacare.com/product_files/1106664.pdf

[jtthomas]

...is the tube in question the thing that goes into the back, bottom right?

[conuly]

YES. On ours it's curly like a phone cord.

[jtthomas]

https://www.amazon.com/Invacare-1105177-Supply-Assembly-Coiled/dp/B07J2JQGMH

[jtthomas]

(Amazon is probably fastest, definitely not cheapest.)

[jtthomas]

...with shipping, Amazon is, in fact, cheapest.

[conuly]

You are amazing. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[jtthomas]

Happy to help!

[conuly]

You were a help, I was having no luck... and it looks like most people change these things out every few months so eeeeeeeep I should start doing that.

[kengr]

The same insurance that covers the oxygen gizmo *should* cover periodic replacements of the parts that need periodic replacing. I know it works that way with CPAPs.

You have to *ask* for the replacements though.

Check out the schedule of how often they'll pay for replacements, and order them on that schedule even if they don't need replacing yet.

After a year or so, you'll have a stock of replacements that you can use for emergencies or "just in case"

[conuly]

Good point, will do that.

[dewline]

*makes notes because APAP in the future, maybe*

[gingicat]

You rock! I was just coming to ask if there was a provider she could call.

[conuly]

(And also, wow, they charge a lot for plastic tubing. Still better than the cost of asthma spacers.)

[conuly]

That was not helpful at all. Sigh.

[spikethemuffin]

Hm... might hit up the Medical West website for catalogs, once Im not going in six different directions at once.

A possible stopgap

[polydad.livejournal.com]

Patching leaks in low-pressure air systems is the original design purpose of duct tape. It's not pretty, but it works.

Re: A possible stopgap

[conuly]

I keep taping my fingers together.