Home Oxygen Concentrator Guide - Care, Tips and Troubleshooting

Dear Tri-Med Customer:
Thank you for your purchase of a new Home Oxygen Concentrator from Tri-Med, Inc. The following is a guide to help you get the maximum value and life from your new oxygen concentrator. Depending on the machine you purchased, some items may vary.
NOTE: IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED YOU HAVE A BACKUP SUPPLY OF OXYGEN AT ALL TIMES IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. The following is for information only.

Setting up Oxygen Concentrators:

1. When you receive your oxygen concentrator, check for any shipping damage, if any damage is present, please contact your provider immediately. Unpack the machine carefully and let it sit for at least an hour before going to the next step. You want to operate the machine at room temperature.
SAVE the box and ALL packing materials for the full warranty period.

2. Read the owners manual carefully and keep it with the machine. Write down your providers phone number and your doctors phone number in the manual. Plug the machine into an A/C wall outlet that is within the cords reach and is not controlled by a wall switch, DO NOT USE extension cords. Use only an empty outlet, no other devices, T.V., Microwave, Heater, etc.

3. Turn your oxygen concentrator on, turn the flow control 1-2 turns clockwise, the silver ball will rise in the flow meter. All home oxygen concentrators sold by Tri-Med have an Oxygen Sensor for your safety. After you turn the machine on, you will first hear an alarm. A RED/ORANGE light will illuminate and in a few minutes the light will go to GREEN. This is normal and will happen every time you turn on the machine.  Run your new oxygen concentrator for about an hour at 2 liters per minute with nothing attached to the machine, to make sure it is running correctly before putting it into use.

4. Set the silver ball on the flow meter to your prescribed liter flow rate, center the ball on the line indicating your flow in LPM ( Liters per Minute).
NEVER set the flow to a higher or lower setting without your doctors orders. See Note 7 for extension hoses. Once set, only minor tweaks will be needed in the future, so check often.

5. All oxygen concentrators generate some heat, so allow at least 12 inches of space from the wall or any furniture, etc. on all four sides. Locate the machine so people will not trip over the power cord or cannula. Never put your oxygen concentrator in a closet, small space, bathroom or cover it when in use. Oxygen concentrators must have fresh air circulating to work correctly and not overheat.

6. Attach a cannula to the oxygen concentrator per the manual for your machine. All home oxygen concentrators can use a humidifier bottle that will help provide moisture to the oxygen flow. Oxygen from a oxygen concentrator is very dry. If you need humidification, just unscrew the jar and fill to the designated line with DISTILLED water, no tap water, then attach the humidifier bottle to the machines fitting. If your machine has only a barb fitting, use the humidifier adapter that came with your machine.

7. If you want to use an extension hose, connect it to the machine outlet or connect the extension hose to the humidifier bottle. Use a good quality swivel, then the attach your nasal cannula. The maximum hose length is 25 feet for most oxygen concentrators without compensating for the flow rate. A general guide for using longer extension hoses and compensating for the hose length is: 50 foot hose: increase flow by 1/2 liter.

Note: * when using a humidifier bottle with an extension hose, you may experience "Rain Out", water will condense inside the hose and without warning you will get a plug of water up your nose, though normal, there is a solution. Ask about a Water Trap Kit from Tri-Med if this happens. You can also try elevating the hose off the floor.

Care of Oxygen Concentrators and accessories:

1. Weather you use a nasal cannula or an oxygen mask, these items are disposable. They are not designed for extended use or to be shared. We strongly suggest you replace them every 7 days, even if only used one time. In a short period of time they will get stiff, yellow, develop an odor. Mold and bacteria can grow inside the cannula tubing and prongs which can expose you to nasal trauma and respiratory problems. Extension hoses are usually good for 2 to 3 months, if you see them changing color, smell an odor or water gets trapped inside the hose, replace them. We carry a full line of supplies for your oxygen concentrator.

2. Do not store your machine for more than 90 days without running the machine for at least an hour. In very humid climates run every 30 days for 2 hours. If possible run the machine as often as you can, they are designed to run 24/7, you will not shorten the life of your machine, in fact the opposite is true. The average life of todays 5 LPM Oxygen Concentrators is up to 40,000 hours with routine maintenance and up to 25,000 hours for 10 LPM high flow oxygen concentrators. Refer to your manual for the maintenance schedule for your oxygen concentrator. When not using your machine for 7 days or longer, we suggest removing and replacing the nasal cannula, empty the humidifier bottle and discard. Replace with a new cannula and humidifier bottle.

3. Always keep a current copy of your prescription with you.

4. ALWAYS have a backup source of oxygen that does not require power.

Troubleshooting Oxygen Concentrators:

1. The most common problem is "ALARMS": Turn the oxygen concentrator off to reset the alarm, remove any nasal cannulas, hoses or humidifier bottles, wait 5 minutes, then turn the machine back on. If the machine seems to be working fine after 20 minutes, check for kinks in the hose, hose under a rug, under a chair, kinked around a corner, your cat was hungry and chewed the hose, etc.
If the machine continues to alarm, contact your provider.

The next most common problem: The machine is delivering LOW Oxygen levels, Yellow or Red light. Check the flow setting and make sure it is set to your prescription and not above the 5LPM mark or the 10LPM mark. Make sure filters are clean, replace as required. If the machine continues to alarm, contact your provider.

2. Power failure or machine wont run: When you turn on the machine, nothing happens? The machine won't run but you get a beeping alarm: Make sure the oxygen concentrator is plugged into power. Also check the circuit breaker on the machine and in your home. Every machine has a push button circuit breaker, see owners manual for location. In power outages, turn the machine OFF. When power has returned wait 5 minutes then turn the machine on. NEVER turn your machine on then off then on again, you may trip the circuit breaker on the machine or your power outlet, always wait 5 minutes or wait until the flow meter ball drops all the way to the bottom. This allows the pressure in the machine to drop to a safe start level. If the machine continues to alarm, contact your provider.

3. CLEAN the inlet filter every week. Wash in warm soapy water, rinse and dry completly. Then replace. If your machine has an internal HEPA filter, it is recomennded to replace the HEPA filter yearly.

4. Wipe down the machine weekly with a damp cloth, do not use any cleaners.

5. Oxygen concentrators produce a very dry and high concentration of oxygen from room air. Oxygen accelerates the rate of burning, so no smoking or open flames within 10 feet of the oxygen concentrator or any hoses.
We strongly suggest a No Smoking sign in any room where an oxygen concentrator is operating. We also suggest to get an OXYGEN IN USE sign for your home and place it where the fire department or police can see it.

6. ALWAYS have a backup source of oxygen that does not require power.

This is a general guide for information purposes only, always consult your owners manual.

Thank You

Tri-Med, Inc.