ResMed AirSense and AirCurve third-party blower motors have become widely available for purchase on the internet. We have been seeing ResMed CPAPs come in for repair where the owners have replaced their blower motor themselves. There are many issues using aftermarket blower motors.
1. Aftermarket AirSense Blowers are not FDA Approved
True ResMed repair parts are only available for purchase through ResMed and only by approved repair centers. The blowers not manufactured by ResMed have not been approved by the FDA to be used in your CPAP. There is no telling about how well these blowers will work or how long they will last before they fail.
All repair replacement parts must go through thorough rigorous testing as part of the FDA approval process before they can be used in medical devices. Part of this testing includes evaluation of the materials used in the part to ensure it will not cause danger to your health. Air is moving through the blower motor into your lungs. Without this testing, you could unknowingly be exposing your lungs to chemicals not approved for respiratory devices.
2. Correct installation can be tricky.
The instruction videos to replace these third-party motors are not reliable. We have seen several units just in the past two weeks where the blower motors were inserted backward. This causes on-screen device errors when you try to use the device, and provides negative pressure (sucking air from the patient) instead of positive pressure (blowing air to the patient). The seals for the pressure and flow sensors can be tricky to line up perfectly. If the seals are seated incorrectly, the unit will over-compensate with too much pressure and possibly give error messages, or not work at all. If the blower is not seated well in the suspension, it may fail more quickly and cause pressure issues.
3. Recalibration of the sensors cannot be performed.
Every time a CPAP is opened, the unit must be tested and recalibrated using the ResMed Service Software. This will ensure that the pressure is correct based on your prescription. Without the recalibration, you may not be receiving the pressure or volume of air that is needed, leading to more apnea events per hour or the inability to tolerate the pressure. The ResMed Service Software is only available to ResMed trained service technicians.
4. Resetting of the blower motor hours cannot be performed.
Once you reach a certain number of hours of use, you will get an onscreen error warning you that your unit has exceeded its life. This gives you some time to get your unit serviced so that you can replace your blower before it fails. Once you reach a certain threshold, the unit will stop working altogether. When you send your unit to an authorized service center, the hours will be reset after a blower motor is replaced so that you have five more years to use it continuously. This hour reset can only be performed using the ResMed Service Software.
Altra Service Professionals is an Authorized Service Center for ResMed warranty and out of warranty repairs. You deserve a good night’s sleep. Send your CPAP to the professionals for all of your CPAP service needs to make sure you are getting FDA approved parts and a proper repair and calibration of your device. We offer a free shipping label and free repair estimate. Get started by clicking Schedule Service today.
