You can keep your portable oxygen concentrator working at peak performance for as long as it should, by taking proper care of it. It should be treated just like any other electronic piece of equipment. Since you need it to help keep you healthy, it should be treated with even more care.
How to Properly Store Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Letting your portable oxygen concentrator sit for long periods of time isn’t good for it, if you don’t store it properly. This usually happens when someone only uses a portable oxygen concentrator while traveling, and reverts to a home oxygen concentrator to keep the portable batteries from wearing out as fast.
If you’re not using it for a longer length of time, be sure to store your portable oxygen concentrator properly.
- Keep it in its protective case or carry bag: This will slow down the build up of dust, and prevent any odors or airborne debris from getting inside the vents.
- Keep it in a cool, dry area: Just as with any other electronic device, humidity and moisture can cause the inner parts to rust slowly. It can be a dangerous health hazard and cause shortages if too much moisture has damaged it. Mold can also build up, which you would end up breathing in.
- Keep it charged up: Never store your POC with the inner battery or external battery at a low charge, or empty. This can cause the battery’s life to shorten considerably. Be sure to charge it back up all the way, both the internal and external batteries, before storage.
- Keep it clean: This also goes along with general maintenance of your portable oxygen concentrator. If it hasn’t been in use for longer than 4 weeks, take it out of its case or carry bag and wipe down any dust that may have settled.
If it hasn’t been stored or in its protective case, check it every few days to wipe any dust or other dirt or grime from the outer shell, and especially around the intake vent.
How to Properly Clean Your POC
Use a slightly damp cloth to wipe away grime or dirt from the plastic outer shell. Do the same with the inside and outside of your carry case, and make sure it’s completely dry before putting the POC back in it.
Do not use strong chemicals to clean it. Warm water and vinegar work well to remove dirt and sanitize. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe down the vents. Check the user manual to see the manufacturer’s specifications on how to clean the filter, if you even need to. Some portable models don’t have a removable filter.
Aside from making sure it isn’t dropped or banged around, these are the most important ways of caring for your portable oxygen concentrator. If you follow these instructions, as well as the oxygen concentrator user manual, your unit should be working great for a long time.
Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.
Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
