User Question: When Should Inogen One G3 Columns Be Replaced?

User Question: When Should Inogen One G3 Columns Be Replaced?

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The Inogen One G3 is one of the top-rated portable oxygen concentrators on the market. Like all the others, it still needs maintenance and will require replacement parts to keep it in good working order. This vital piece of medical equipment needs to be continually working to the best of its abilities because you rely on it for your health.

One of the major parts that will need to be replaced is the Inogen One G3 columns, which are the sieve beds of the unit. The sieve bed works to filter out nitrogen from the air coming into the concentrator. It’s the second filter that the air passes through to be concentrated into oxygen.

When to Replace the Inogen G3 Columns:

The Inogen One G3 will alert you when you need to replace the columns. The “Low Priority Alert” will read: “O2 Service Soon”. This gives you 30 days to have the columns replaced before the concentrator starts to fail to function properly.

Luckily, you don’t need to call the maintenance department when it is time to replace them columns. to replace the columns you will need the owners manual, G3 columns tool and the replacement column pairs.

For full instructions on how to change the columns in an Inogen One G3, see the “Column Change Procedure” section of Chapter 6 of the user manual. Replacing the columns is just as easy as replacing batteries.

The ease of maintenance is another reason the Inogen One G3 is such a popular portable oxygen concentrator. With many other models, you would need to send it in to get repaired. The replacement columns are also inexpensive. The 30-day prior alert gives you plenty of time to order them online. You should be able to replace them long before the 30 days is up.

How Long Do New Column Pairs Last?

This can depend on how often you have to use your Inogen One G3, but the columns can last up to another year.

G3 Columns Replacement Instructional Video

Have more questions?

Updated: October 20, 2023
Published: December 4, 2018

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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.

About Scott Ridl:

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.

64 thoughts on “User Question: When Should Inogen One G3 Columns Be Replaced?

    • Great question, Nancy. Once you replace your Inogen One G3 columns, you can simply and safely dispose of the old columns in the trash. No return or pick-up necessary!

        • Thank you for your comment, Cheryl. If you are interested in recycling your sieve bed columns, you will need to contact the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Nearly all sieve bed cores or columns are recycled to the OEM or to an authorized 3rd party. The sieve bed columns are actually refilled with fresh material and sealed to the OEM’s specifications. The used zeolite within the columns is recycled in various industrial applications.

    • Thank you for your comment, Jan. We can not say one way or the other if that would be considered “normal” as we do not have the full information on your machine or situation. The machine’s brand, the year it was purchased, the remaining warranty, climate, altitude, how you store your unit, and how frequently you utilize the machine will all play a part in the “change column” message. If you’d like you can give our service department a call at 877-303-9289, they’ll be able to work through all of these questions with you to help troubleshoot your machine.

  1. I have an inogen g3 I LOVE my little machine.. But I have a guestion for you .. I rent mine through LinnCare
    which is a local oxygen disturbator here in Indiana. I notice that when my machine isn’t running off the
    battery charger I can hear a low pitched whinning .. is this normal ? I was told it was the machine
    looking for my breaths ..

    • Thank you for your comment, Sheila. Often times the cost of renting a machine is much more than purchasing one outright. If you’re looking for more affordable options give us a call at 877-774-9271 to discuss the possible solutions available to you. As for the low pitched winning sound, is this accompanied by any messages on the unit’s screen? Anything indicating “no breath detected” or even “error?”

    • Why is my machine saying,”system error”, & just shutting down? What causes it to do this? I cleaned the filters, batteries are fully charged as well. It turns off, I turn it back on and it works for a few minutes, then it does the same thing again.

      • ‘System error’ means there is an internal error with your machine. Was your Inogen dropped or hit hard?

        Other than the things you’ve tried to troubleshoot, we’d suggest performing a hard reset as follows:
        • The turn off the machine and disconnect the power adapter
        • Remove the unit from the case
        • Remove the batteries
        • Let the unit stand for 20 minutes without power
        • Plug the AC power into the machine – do not attach the batteries yet
        • Turn the unit on and use it for 10 minutes on AC power
        • The turn off the machine and disconnect the power adapter
        • Put the batteries back in and turn on the unit
        • Use the unit as normal

        If the error persists, contact your equipment provider for repairs.

        • Hi Sanket, I’m living in South Africa and imported my Inogen ONE G3 model 10-300 2 years ago. I hardly used the machine (+- 40 hours) as i’m on my home base machine most of the time.
          Now I get the “replace column” alert. I have some questions and will appreciate a reply?

          1. Do these columns expire over a certain period, and;
          2. If not, will a ‘HARD RESET’ solve the problem?
          3. Any other advice please?

          I’m a pensioner and cannot afford to frequently change columns over ‘short’ periods.
          Kind Regards,
          Bossie 😉

          • Hi Bossie, the columns have a life of more or less 12 to 15 months. If the machine is not used regularly the columns may harden and not provide oxygen at correct purity levels. Since it’s been two years since the purchase of your concentrator, I believe it’s time to change the columns. If you have replaced the columns in the last 12 months, then contact your equipment provider as your columns may still be under warranty.

        • …just to add…
          I don’t expect the ‘HARD RESET” to repair the columns per say….
          I’m thinking in terms of a ‘faulty’ alert message and that a reset may clear the error! 😉
          Thank You.

          • Correct, hard reset helps getting rid of false alarms.
            For example, you changed the columns a week ago and the unit says “Replace columns”, it’s a false alarm for sure.

            Although, the alert algorithm in concentrators are designed to avoid false alarms as much as possible, but they can still occur. And hard reset is a handy process to fix this without sending the unit in for repairs.

  2. I purchased my Inogen G3 before I went to Italy in 2015. I used it maybe a maximum of 20 hours in Italy. I then have not used it until Dec 2017. I would venture to say there is not a total of 40 hours on this unit and I get notice to replace the columns? I am curious why these columns would fail so soon. The unit has not been used. Is there a problem with the unit that would cause this premature need for maintenance? I am still within warranty so if I need to send the unit back for replacement I will.

    • Thank you for your comment, Helen. This is a common issue you will encounter if you are not running your concentrator regularly. Think of a concentrator like a car, it’s not good for a car to sit unused in a garage, the same goes for your concentrator. Feel free to give our service department a call at 877-303-9289, they’ll be able to elaborate on the proper care techniques as well as assist you in remedying the issue.

    • I have seen the term “regularly” used several times in the answers. As in the machine has to be run regularly. I am wondering what is considered regularly? My husband uses his but not sure what would be regularly. Once a week?? Twice a month??

  3. I need to purchase the Replacement columns for Inogen One G3. I want to order two (2) sets, is there an expiry to these replaceable part? Where can i go to order? I live in Manila, Philippines, can you ship these to me?
    Your early reply will be most appreciated.
    Thank you.

    • Thank you for your comment, EduardoU., Here at the Oxygen Concentrator Store we can ship anywhere within the United States. Do you have someone that can ship you the columns from the United States?

  4. I have an Inogen One G3 which is flashing the message “service soon”. What kind of service is this? Thanks for any help.

    • Thank you for your question, Dolores. If you are seeing a “service soon” message, that is your concentrators way of saying you need to change the columns. Feel free to give our Service Department a Call at 877-774-9271 if you have any further questions!

      • Dear Danielle, Ingen G3 is displaying “service soon” message three days after both columns are replaced. The device seems to work ok. Is there anything we need to do to clear the message?

        • It might be that the columns replacement procedure was not completed totally. Turn off your device and plug in the AC adapter. Do not power on the unit and press and hold the light button for 10 seconds. “Sieve Reset” message will appear on the screen. Now, press the bell button once and the screen will show “Sieve Reset Successful”. Now, power on the unit and use it.

          If the error appears again, please contact the service department of your vendor.

  5. I have an inogen one G3. I must change the Column Pair (Sieve Bed) but in Venezuela there is no representation of the manufacturer. Is it possible to replace the zeolite contained in the columns? In Venezuela it is possible to get zeolite. Is it some special type of zeolite? Thanks.

    • Unfortunately, we cannot ship outside the United States, however, if you have an address for someone in the USA we can ship them to we can sell/send replacements to them to send to you. For the G3 to work you would need to use columns filled by Inogen.

  6. I have an Oxygo POC (1-4) through Lincare. From appearance it appears to be identical to the InogenOne G3. Even the supplied manual is a xerox of InogenOne G3 to the point where some of the references were not changed to Oxygo. I am not yet ready for sieve column replacement, but it is approaching time to be concerned about replacement. Are the columns you list for InogenOne compatible with Oxygo?

    • You are correct. The OxyGo and Inogen One G3 are the same units. You can order the Inogen G3 sieve columns and they will work with your OxyGo. If you have any further questions please feel free to give our specialists a call at 888-360-9628 or if you prefer email sales@amsrco.com

  7. I have had the G3 since June 2017 and had to send it off for column replacement in Oct. It took 6 weeks to get it back under warranty. Now it’s saying to replace columns agaon. I do use the machine periodically daily when out. I don’t understand why they are havong to be replaced so fast. Help

  8. I have had my inogen 1 G3 for at least two years and am worried that I may need new columns however have not received any alerts on the screen. How do I know if it’s still working right?

    • How long your columns varies on a number of factors like climate and usage. Your Inogen One G3 will notify when it is time to replace your columns and will give you 30 days to do so. If you still have concerns you can contact our customer care center at 877-303-9289.

  9. I live offshore and I´m travelling to the us in a few days. My Inogen G3 did not pop the replace columns message. Do columns have an expiration date? Can I buy more than one set and store them for when that message appears?

    • You will get a message on the machine when it is time to replace the columns. You can purchase extra columns as they do not have an expiration date, however, the warranty is only good for 30 days from the date of purchase.

  10. I have a Inogen one saying the Columns require changing, as l changed them less than 10 months ago. I thought the life was 12 to 18 months, Reading the comments above, no matter where you are or the usage of the machine, it’s another £200 + again

    • Chris, The frequency in which the columns need to be changed depends on a number of factors such as climate and usage. People in a more humid climate like Flordia have to change their columns sometime as frequently as every 6 months where those who are in a drier climate like Arizona can go sometime years without having to change them.

  11. My elderly mother has had her G3 for approx 7 months, I know that she will need a column change sooner or later but am concerned she will miss / ignore the message alert “O2 Service Soon” will the machine repeat the alarm until the columns are changed or will it disappear?

    • Yes, the alarm will show more than once. There is a 30 days window from the first message alert until they need to be replaced. During those 30 days, you will see the message frequently.

  12. I installed a new set of columns 4 months ago, now the replace message came back again. Is this alarm triggered by a timer(working hours) or a o2 sensor(low oxygen %)? …..Thanks

    • To best help you troubleshoot the issue please contact our customer care center directly at 877-303-9289. They can access the issue with over the phone and determine if it is faulty columns or something else with eh machine.

  13. I’m buying a second hand G3 from someone that says the unit was manufactured in 2018 but that there is no warranty. Is this true, is there no warranty for a unit that was manufactured in 2018?

    • Yes, that could be true. The warranty is tied to the dealer that sold the unit and is non-transferable. So, if the pre-owned unit is being sold by a company that didn’t originally purchase the unit, the warranty would be void. If you have further questions please call us at: 1-877-644-4581.

  14. From reading these comments, it looks like people are having a LOT of trouble with the life of the G3’s tiny sieve beds. It almost sounds like a design flaw from some of these comments. When portability is not essential (e.g. for times when I’m just sitting around the house) would it be possibly to pop out the sieve beds and connect much larger columns from another manufacturer with the right sized tubing? There are Respironics sieve beds for stationary units that can last for MANY YEARS of continuous use. If I could rig up something like that and only use the small Inogen ones when I’m on the go, I could probably save a lot of money.

  15. I see the advertising on the web about the cost of the main columns for $100.00 is that means, if I pay $100.00 I will receive two of them as pairs?

    • The colums sell as a pair.
      100.00 is the average cost for a pair of columns.
      The unit uses both columns simultaneously.
      You would replace both columns at the same time.
      So to be clear, your 100.00 covers 1 exchange.

      • We have Inogen G3 columns available at $149 per pair, that is, two columns for a total of $149. The columns are user-replaceable.

  16. Interested to purchase Longfian Scitech Co, Ltd – Jay-5 model oxygen concentrator’s sieve bed – 30 nos.

    • Hi Prashant, we carry Respironics EverFlo Q, Inogen at Home, Caire Companion 5, and Invacare Perfecto 2 oxygen concentrators that supply oxygen up to 5 liters per minute. These units are reliable and low maintenance. We do not carry the specific model you have mentioned. We stand behind our products and provide unmatched customer experience. For more immediate assistance feel free to give our specialists a call at +1 (888) 360-9628 or if you prefer email sales@amsrco.com

        • The older version of Inogen G3 has a setting of 1 to 4 and Inogen G4 has a setting of 1 to 3. We do carry sieve beds for these. In order to find out what exactly you need, please reach us out at (888) 387-5914. We are open seven days a week.

    • Inogen G3 columns 1-4 are different than the 1-5. Some old Inogen G3 models have oxygen settings from 1 to 4, whereas newer models have settings from 1 to 5. While purchasing the columns make sure you check what’s the highest setting on your Inogen G3.

  17. When the my Inogen G3 has been running for a while, I can hear a faint beep, nothing the loud beep when I don`t breath, I`ve noticed that when the is a little warmer. First what is that faint beep? My unit is a rental unit. A few days after receiving it, I had the message to change the columns. I would have to check, but it hasn’t been more that 1 year.

  18. Good day,
    I purchased an INOGEN ONE G3 on end of September 2019, in South Africa where I live, and now in August 2022 the device shows the message Low Priority Alert “Replace Columns”, which is understandable. My question is : do the Columns have a shelf life? The columns are quite expensive here and I am worried that I could purchased them with already a shorten life. Is there any way to check their life when new?
    Also I would like to know if I could purchase Output Filter replacement Kit (RP-107) and filters from you, since the suppliers in South Africa do not even know what I am talking about. Thank you for the assistance,
    Bruno

    • Hello Bruno,
      The shelf life of columns is good for a year or two as long as they have the caps on. Once the caps are removed it depressurizes the sieve beds and exposes them to room air. Once the caps are removed the columns need to be used around 10 hours a month in order to prevent columns from hardening.
      In your situation, I’d suggest purchasing two pairs of columns now. Replace one and keep another one in storage.
      And yes, we have output filters available. Our Oxygen Specialist would be happy to help you out with your requirements. Please give us a call at (877) 644-4581.

  19. Innocent one g3 is a total piece of crap they lie to everyone carrying case just comes apart I caught just before it fell out the bottom power cords just crumble cause of age or junk straps break they scammed me and many others it’s a shame they suck!!!

    • The input screens (particle filters) must be cleaned weekly to ensure the ease of air flow. Other than that, Inogen has an output filter located behind the cannula nozzle fitting which can last the life of the product under normal circumstances.
      All portable units have sieve beds, also called columns, that require annual replacement.

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