How to Check the Oxygen Purity of Your Oxygen Concentrator

How to Check the Oxygen Purity of Your Oxygen Concentrator

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Oxygen concentrators are important medical devices, but like all technology, they are prone to decline and will fail over time. In regards to oxygen concentrators, the purity of the oxygen coming from your concentrator is extremely important and should be functioning within a particular range.

When you set 2 liters per minute (LPM) on your device, you expect to get 2 LPM of at least >95% purified oxygen. However, when concentrators malfunction, you might think you are getting 2 LPM, but in reality, the concentration could be 85% or even lower. This poses a serious medical concern because, in this scenario, you will not be able to rely on your concentrator to deliver the oxygen concentration that you need.

In this article, we will discuss how to detect if your device needs a purity assessment and discuss some ways to accomplish it.

How Do You Know if Your Oxygen Concentrator Needs to Be Assessed For Purity?

While the only way to honestly know if your concentrator is not delivering the proper purity is by medical evaluation, there is one clue you should be aware of that could signal the need for an assessment. If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or some other pulmonary disease requiring oxygen, and you are not currently sick or experiencing an exacerbation, and you notice that you are feeling more fatigued or winded with activities that used to be easy—it might be time for an oxygen purity test.

That said, by the time this occurs, you might be facing an emergent need for a replacement, so it is not an ideal way to discover your oxygen concentrator needs a purity assessment.

Regular Maintenance for Oxygen Concentrators is the Way to Maintain Oxygen Purity

Like most home appliances, it is better to regularly maintain your devices to ensure proper function and to catch problems before they become emergencies. Oxygen concentrators are no different.

Regular maintenance involves 3 overall strategies:

Call Your Oxygen Provider to Ask for an Oxygen Purity Assessment

Your oxygen supplier should be able to manually test your concentrator to ensure proper function at reasonable intervals. Ask your provider if they can schedule an appointment to assess your concentrator regularly and when you suspect a problem.

When they come out to test your device, they will use an oxygen analyzer to check the output flow from your device to assess whether the output is accurate against a control measure. These devices are highly reliable and will detect deviations in oxygen purity down to tenths of a percent.

Clean the Gross Filter Particle

One reason why your oxygen concentrator might be filtering oxygen at a lower purity level is that the filters need to be cleaned. Check your owner’s manual to see if your oxygen unit has a gross particle filter.

The gross particle filter should be cleaned regularly and replaced periodically. When the unit is on, ambient air has to first pass through the gross particle filter to clean the air of dust and debris. If this filter is not cleaned regularly, the build-up of dirt and debris can decrease the amount of purified oxygen that the concentrator can ultimately make. To clean the gross particle filter, follow the directions in your owner’s manual regarding how to remove, clean, and replace the gross particle filter.

Send Your Device to the Manufacturer for Repairs

Sometimes, the inner filter and components might also need maintenance. That is when you should send your oxygen concentrator back to the manufacturer or retailer for maintenance. You will not be able to clean the inner filters or components yourself without either potentially damaging the device or voiding the warranty, so it is best not take any chances and have professionals handle the repairs, especially since it is a medical device.

There is a 4th Option to Check for Oxygen Purity

While you can purchase your own oxygen analyzer and test your device yourself, there are 2 things to be aware of: price and calibration.
Oxygen purity analyzers are expensive, with the more affordable analyzers starting at a few hundred dollars. They are available all over the internet, but they can be pricey. If cost is no concern, having a home oxygen analyzer is a great way to track any deviations in the purity of your concentrator over time.

The other thing to be aware of is calibration. Oxygen analyzers are devices themselves, and like all devices, they drift and fail over time. The nice thing about oxygen analyzers is that they come with a self-calibration function, so you can do your own quality control test at home and ensure that you can get accurate purity readings.

Final Thoughts

Oxygen purity is an essential aspect of owning an oxygen concentrator or tank, yet it is rarely mentioned to patients. Generally speaking, most oxygen concentrators and tanks are regulated and tested to meet specific standards of purity, but now and then, defective units will make it out to the shipping truck. With this knowledge, you now have the tools to check the oxygen purity of your own oxygen therapy device or know how to request an assessment.

Updated: June 23, 2023
Published: July 7, 2014

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Ryan Anthony, BS, RRT is a registered respiratory therapist and content writer and medical blogger currently located in Los Angeles, California. As a Respiratory Therapist, he performs a wide range of hospital duties including adult and neonatal intensive care, nitric oxide therapy, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, conventional mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, BiPAP, CPAP, intubation assistance, bronchoscopy assistance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, chest physiotherapy, and nebulizer therapy.

About Ryan Anthony:

Ryan Anthony, BS, RRT is a registered respiratory therapist and content writer and medical blogger currently located in Los Angeles, California. As a Respiratory Therapist, he performs a wide range of hospital duties including adult and neonatal intensive care, nitric oxide therapy, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, conventional mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, BiPAP, CPAP, intubation assistance, bronchoscopy assistance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, chest physiotherapy, and nebulizer therapy.

44 thoughts on “How to Check the Oxygen Purity of Your Oxygen Concentrator

    • Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, we do not work with industrial oxygen in the manufacturing industry. We solely work with medical grade oxygen used in oxygen concentrators.

        • I’d assume you mean ‘oxygen concentrator’ by ‘generator’. Not using an oxygen concentrator for two years is a long enough time for the sieve beds (the columns which filter oxygen) to harden and not function optimally. That is why it is recommended to use oxygen concentrator at least once a month. You can easily figure out whether there is a problem with your concentrator or not – if there’s an issue, the concentrator will give an alert. If it does so, please call our Oxygen Specialist at +1 (877) 644-4581 to figure the best solution for your needs.

          • Where can you buy an oxygen analyzer for a oxygen concentrator
            It seem companies are getting cheap I was given one that only gave 40% O2 so need to check it my self

  1. I change the zeolite and its new but the purity still around 44% i cheeked all points and filter and I’m sure about the new zeolite
    could you help to know what is the problem ?
    Thanks in advance

    • The company I receive my 02 concentrator from say they have no testing equipment.
      I am on hospice and still do many things for myself. Bur recently the alarms have been going off and replaced. Then the next one started shaking and sounded like a machine gun. They replaced that then I started after a couple of days felt weak and having hard time breathing. They replaced it. I called the next day and said my shoulders and back were hurting from trying to breathe
      Brougjt an other one i told the delivery man I wanted it tested he said his company doesn’t do that.
      These machines are very old the first that came out with a filter that is just a piece of wirery material. I would appreciate your suggestions.
      Thank you. Michele Campbell

      • Our Oxygen Specialists would be happy to understand your requirements and advise the way forward. Please give us a call at (877) 644-4581.

  2. What do you do and how would you know if your oxygen concentrator is delivering the amount of oxygen it is set for.? We had an incident yesterday with two concentrators that were not working correctly. It would appear strong and Bubble at the humidifier on five plus liters. However very little air was coming through to the nasal cannula and patience oxygen saturations were dropping. Changed out the tubing twice to a shorter tubing to no avail. Hospice nurse said it was just saying xiety until she came and realized it was true and had the machine switched out. Meanwhile put him on a tank. She had no idea how to check to see if a concentrator was working correctly. I want to know how you can tell if it’s working correctly or how to troubleshoot it. Do you know?

    • Thank you for your comment, Ann. Are you familiar with a Pulse Oximeter? A pulse oximeter is a small and lightweight device that attaches to a fingertip to painlessly measure the level of oxygen in your body. The oximeter is a great way to asses current levels, health, and be able to tell if that patient is receiving the saturation they require. Feel free to read more here: What Is A Finger Pulse Oximeter? If you purchased your machines through us, and are under warranty, feel free to reach out to our Service Department at 877-303-9289 if you have concerns regarding the functioning of your machines.

    • Ann , make sure the humidifier bottle cap is screwed on tight and Not cross threaded , this will cause bubbles to appear in the bottle but allow oxygen to escape from the cap at the same time . this has happened to me before .

      • It is almost always the humidifier make sure everything is tight no crossthread no cracks eliminate all tubing humidifier and don’t turn machine above 5 liters, hook cannula directly to concentrator if needed .if you need a true 5 liters consider a concentrator that goes to 10 liters and set it a little above 5 measure with a liter flow tester

    • No except the changes in me
      Harder time breathing very weak.not wanting to do anything. Like make a meal or even a phone call no going to store. Hi
      .

  3. Im a patient and sometimes don’t trust my rented concentrator, can I obtain a device to measure the purity and the flow?

    • Hi Joe,
      I am unaware of any device that would do this. But if your machine is maintained and is used properly, the machine should provide the oxygen levels it is designed to do. If you believe it is not working or delivering the needed oxygen. Give the manufacturer a call.

  4. My husband was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis after a virus and pneumonia last year..we came home for the first time in his life (67years old) on #7 LPM…I have learned
    When the concentrator has the water bottle on it is good to take tubing off quickly to add the water and leave the top of bottle connected so as to lessen the frustration of mis threading…also make sure bubbles are strong and a good amount of air before reconnecting tubing…..(if not just pull tubing off and reconnect ).…sometimes I have to take humidifier bottle off and leave off for a bit,however his nasal passages get to dry without humidifier….the caregiver is so worried the loved one is struggling it causes both to be anxious….lots of prayer try to stay calm and not get frustrated…

    • Dear Carol,

      Our thoughts are with you and your husband. Please reach out to us if you need anything.

      Sincerely,

      The AMSR Team

  5. Please Guide the purity of an oxygen concentrator of 10ltr /min. what it should be when we operate the
    machine on the below mentioned level of flow.
    Purity of Oxygen at the level of 2 Littler.
    Purity of Oxygen at Level of 5 Litter.
    Purity of Oxygen at Level of 8 Litter.
    Purity of Oxygen at Level of 10 Litter.

    • On home oxygen concentrators, capapble of delivering up to 10 liters per minute, the oxygen purity ranges from 87% to 96%.

  6. I have a home oxygen concentrator (set at 3) hooked up to my c-pap hose. I am concerned that my c-pap machine ( set at 17) is not allowing the oxygen to get to me.

    • Please consult with your respiratory therapist to determine the correct oxygen setting to be used with a CPAP machine set at 17.

    • The resulting blood saturation depends on many other things like activity the patient is doing and the amount of liter flow. Please consult with your doctor.

  7. Bought an everflo q home unit ser#1 0078704 w/5 yr warranty and need to send for servicing. It is putting out high air but no oxygen, checked with oximeter. Need to find where to send it and instructions.

    • The zeolite is in the sieve beds. The life of the sieve beds (also known as columns), varies by unit, location of the unit and the usage of the unit. If a unit isn’t used on a regular basis or if it is in a high-humidity area, the sieve beds will need to be changed more frequently. You can refer to your product manual for more information on the life and warranty of the sieve beds.

  8. As you mentioned, if you are feeling more fatigued or winded with activities that use to be easy, it might be time for an oxygen purity test. My father-in-law was just diagnosed with COPD, and needs to get an oxygen concentrator. I will have to keep an eye on this, to make sure everything is in working order.

    • Our Oxygen Specialist would be happy to help you out with your requirements. Please give us a call at (866) 993-8067.

  9. Have a oxygen concentrater and it will work for a couple hours then the low oxygen light will come on. Checked tubing and connections but still can’t figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions?

    • The sieve beds (also called columns) that filter air to supply medical-grade oxygen needs to be changed. On portable units, columns need to be changed around every 12 months. Please contact your equipment provider for repairs.

    • Hello Merle, Radon is a noble gas which means that it doesn’t react easily but under certain conditions. Radon is also a radioactive gas, we recommend getting the radon levels at your home checked as high levels are harmful to the lungs.
      Concentrators only filter nitrogen gas out of the air to deliver medical-grade oxygen. Most concentrators detect low oxygen purity and give an alert. If you are not sure about yours get the oxygen output purity of your concentrator checked at your home.

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