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Troubleshooting Your Humifidier

We understand it can be frustrating and at times, scary when there is an alarm sounding from a piece of equipment that you rely on to help care for your child. That’s why we are here to help with video how-to resources that will have your equipment back up and running in no time.

In the video below PHS Clinical Education Manager and Respiratory Therapist Bruce Estrem, BA, RRT-NPS, LRT shows families caregivers and other healthcare professionals a couple basic troubleshooting tips for a humidifier that is used to keep the airway warm and moist.

Heater Wire Alarm

Heater Wire Alarm will sound if pigtail is not connected or not working, or if the heater wire button is turned off. The heater wire consists of the pigtail and the wires that go into the tubing to keep the air warm.

  1. Make sure the pigtail is connected to the wires in the tubing, if its not, your humidifier will give you the heater wire alarm. Resolve this by checking and securing the connection, if this does not solve the problem; replace the pigtail with the back-up in your yellow mesh bag.
    *Note- please call PHS at 651-642-1825 to exchange your non-working pigtail for a new back-up that will be kept in your yellow mesh bag.
  2. Make sure the heater wire button is turned on (button is on the unit) if it is not turned on you will get the connector alarm.

Temperature Alarm

Temperature alarm will sound if the heater is too hot or too cold.

  1. First thing you want to do is make sure you have airflow going through the circuit.
  2. If airflow is not the issue, the next step is to then take the temperature probe out at the elbow of the unit, wipe it down with an alcohol wipe and put back in place, you will want to do the same with the probe at the patient connection. That should resolve the temperature alarm
  3. If these steps still do not resolve the temperature alarm, replace the non-working temperature probe with the back-up from your yellow mesh bag.
    *Note- please call PHS at 651-642-1825 to exchange your non-working temperature probe for a new back-up that will be kept in your yellow mesh bag.

As always, if you have further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact PHS at 651-642-1825.

Originally published: October 7, 2011

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