Oxygen concentrators a crucial medical equipment that aids patients suffering from Asthma, COPD, Lung cancer, sleep apnea, Heart failure, and other serious health issues that lead to breathing issues and problems by delivering users with extra oxygen.
You must be wondering, how an oxygen concentrator provides extra oxygen, well, you know that air contains oxygen as it is made with 20% of the oxygen. So, oxygen concentrators innovatively use air and utilize it to deliver oxygen to the user after filtering it.
As now it is understood, that oxygen concentrator is crucial for delivering effective treatment to those who struggle to breathe properly due to their illness, Patients suffering from severe breathing issues mostly rely on the oxygen concentrator for their respiratory support. For this reason, the functionality and working of the oxygen concentrator mustn’t be impacted as it plays a major role in improving quality of life.
In this guideline by Respiratory Zone, we will provide you with the solution for one of the major concerns: What do you do if your oxygen concentrator is not working properly, This will help you comprehend what should be the next step and get back the effectiveness and benefits of your oxygen concentrator which overall improve your health.
Understanding: What do you do if your oxygen concentrator is not working properly
Let us deeply study those factors that can help you in what are the leading factors and components that can help you understand what is the major cause behind your oxygen concentrator not working properly and showing results as it used to be.
1. Stay Calm and Assess the Situation
Staying Calm and assessing the situation is far better than panicking as it can make the situation get worse. In most cases, the defect and flaw in your oxygen concentrator can be easily fixed and require only a few moments to resolve that issue. The first thing that you must notice that how much your oxygen concentrator has been impacted, if it is still delivering the oxygen or not at all. This can help you take proper measures for your device and can help to know the actual reason behind that flaw.
Most oxygen concentrators have a built-in alarm system that automatically detects if there is an issue in the delivery of oxygen such as it can easily indicate issues in oxygen purity, high pressure, or power. If there are weird, loud, or strange noises coming from your oxygen concentrator are unusual that it is a sign that there is a mechanical issue.
2. Check the Basics
Always start by checking the basics rather than jumping to the worst conclusion, such as inspecting all the essential components that play a major role in the working of the oxygen concentrator. Here is how you can start checking from the basics:
- Power Source:
Sometimes the machine is connected properly to the power source which consequently the oxygen to stop working abruptly. This is why before starting the oxygen concentrator make sure that it is plugged properly and receiving the appropriate power required for its functionality. Also, make sure to check for loose cables or if there is an issue with the circuit breaker.
- Filters:
Filters play a crucial role in delivering pure oxygen to the user. If you are neglecting the maintenance and cleanliness of your filter there is a high possibility that the functionality of the filters will get impacted and if that happens over time the functionality and operation of the oxygen concentrator will get disrupted too. So, to make sure that the functionality of your oxygen concentrator does not get impacted. Look for clogged filters and make sure that you are regularly cleaning your filters.
- Cannula or Mask:
Inspect closely, if your cannula or mask is working properly and helping in receiving proper oxygen to the patient. Often, when tubbing gets tangled or blocked it leads to restricting the proper and appropriate oxygen flow, which is crucial for effective treatment.
- Settings:
If the settings are not as proper as they should be, it can impact the flow rate. Make sure that settings are proper as they should be.
3. Switch to a Backup Oxygen Source
If you have changed the setting unknowingly or mistakenly and now your oxygen concentrator is not providing appropriate oxygen for the treatment immediately switch to your previous oxygen system by backing up and making sure that you have a backup option as prescribed by your healthcare specialist.
4. Perform Basic Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is the easiest and simplest way and it resolves the issue in many cases. Here is how you can perform simple troubleshooting:
- Restart the Machine:
Sometimes the main reason why the oxygen concentrator stops working abruptly is just because there is a minor glitch in the system, which can easily be resolved by switching off the oxygen concentrator completely by making sure that it is unplugged and if necessary also opting for removing the battery. Leave it for 30 minutes, and after that make sure that all the components are connected properly, and then turn it on.
5. Consult the User Manual
If the issue is still there and you have still not figured out the issue, then looking at the device’s user manual can help you as it contains all the essential steps required for different types of issues and guides you better for the performance of your device.
6. Contact the Supplier or Manufacturer
Contacting the supplier or manufacturer is a better option, especially if you have tried everything. Tell them in detail about the issue you are facing regarding the operation of your oxygen concentrator. They will ask you the following things:
- Model of your oxygen concentrator
- They will ask you about the current issue you are facing and the difference in the performance and operation of your oxygen concentrator before and after the issue.
- Things you have already tried in resolving the issue.
7. Prevent Future Issues
To receive optimal performance of your oxygen concentrator, you can follow these tips, as they also ensure that you prevent issues in the future:
- Regular Cleaning:
Regular cleaning of the components of the oxygen concentrator that need cleaning such as filters, you can ensure that they function properly for a longer time.
- Annual Servicing:
Annual servicing of your oxygen by a qualified technician can help you prevent and resolve many issues that have the potential to impact the functionality of your oxygen concentrator.
- Store Properly:
Storing properly the device might seem like nothing but it also ensures the safety of the oxygen concentrator, which is why it is important to keep the area in a safe place like a well-ventilated and clean area.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting for Oxygen Concentrators
Why is my Oxygen Concentrator beeping?
Several reasons make oxygen concentrators beep, the most common factors are such as low oxygen levels, power issues, filters are dirty or clogged, and technical failure.
How to reset my oxygen concentrator?
Resetting your oxygen concentrator is easy, follow these steps to reset your oxygen concentrator.
- First, make sure to turn your Oxygen Concentrator properly and make sure that is completely unplugged and disconnected from the power source.
- For resetting the system back, it is advised to wait for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Ensure that the components of your device are connected properly and are secure. While attaching your components back, also look if your filters are clean or not.
- Turn on the device back.
What are Oxygen concentrator error codes?
Oxygen concentrators mostly indicate error codes through beeping or lights such as red light indicate a serious issue and a call to take quick action, yellow light is also a warning and mostly indicates blocked or restricted filters, whereas green light indicates that your device is operating normally as it should be.
Oxygen concentrator red light and beeping?
Red light indicates serious issues that require immediate action such as low oxygen purity or power failure.
Why is the oxygen concentrator not blowing air?
There can be several issues behind the problem of your Oxygen Concentrator not blowing proper air such as filters being blocked or clogged due to dirt being accumulated there, your machine tubing being disconnected or tangled, or there is any technical issue.
