SP Medical Premium Insulated Tube Cover

CPAP Video & FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is rainout?

Rainout is the accumulation of water in a CPAP tube due to warm moist air cooling and condensing on its way from your CPAP machine to your CPAP mask.

The image below from Fisher & Paykel explains how rainout is formed. Warm, moist air leaves the heated humidifier and travels through the CPAP tube. As air flows through the tube, the temperature of the room causes the tube to cool. As the tube cools, the air inside releases its moisture, and creates condensation in the hose.

Solutions to rainout include:

• Raise the temperature of your bedroom.
• Keep your CPAP machine at the same level as your bed.
• Insulate your tubing with a hose cover like Snugglehose.
• Reduce the temperature setting on your heated humidifier.
• Purchase a CPAP machine with a rainout reduction comfort feature.
• Some machine systems offer a compatible heated CPAP hose which maintains the temperature from the machine all the way to the mask, reducing the occurrence of rainout. The list of available heated hoses can be found here: Hoses With Heating Coils.
• If your machines uses a standard hose, consider the Hybernite Heated Rainout Control System.

Why would I want to insulate my CPAP hose?

Cool air holds less moisture than warm air. If warm air from a heated humidifier cools while moving through the CPAP hose, water will condense inside the hose rather than travel to the user. The condensation that accumulates inside the CPAP hose is referred to as "rainout."

Insulating the CPAP hose will help maintain the moisture in the airflow all the way to the mask.

Here are some hose insulators we carry:

SnuggleHose
Insulated Hose Cover
Zippered Tubing Wrap
Tubing Wrap for SlimLine Hoses

What is a hose cover?

A hose cover is placed over the hose in order to insulate the hose and to make the hose more comfortable. The simplest and most cost effective way to insulate a CPAP hose is to wrap it in an insulating fabric. This enables the hose to remain flexible and adds little weight.

Companies such as Snugglehose provide a cost effective tubing insulation available in several colors and styles. Not only will the covers reduce or eliminate rainout, they also provide a more personal and less institutionalized appearance. An example of a Snugglehose is shown below.



Here are some hose covers we carry:

Tubing Wrap for AirSense™ 10, AirCurve™ 10, and S9 Series SlimLine™ Tubing
Respironics Insulated Hose Cover
ResMed Zippered Tubing Wrap
+ See More