Julie…I can’t answer your question. I have no personal experience with a machine failing due to not being run for long periods of time. This is because I make a habit of running mine regularly, even if I don’t need it to run my torch. What I have read is that the sieves need to run regularly to stay healthy. I realize that this begs the question: “how is this accomplished from the time that they are manufactured or overhauled and when they are put into duty”?..Rob
Hi,
Ok!…I was re-reading old post comments…
regarding the point about “running the unit”,k to keep the unit in good condition/ keep the “sieves” healthy…
so far, i have picked up the following insights:
- at least 20 minutes a month
- about an hour a week
- about an hour every few days (from a unit tech)
julie
I am not sure why you need it if you are only running it for 20 minutes a month. I am also sure that I have had a week, maybe two, go by without running mine. If I do, I just run it leaving an O2 valve open on one of the torches connected to it for a few hours. These machines are made to run 24/7 for a long time. They also sit not running between when they are manufactured or reconditioned and put into use. I don’t see those in storage running in the shop when I stop by for filters. The next time I am at the shop, I will ask about how often and for how long they should be run and if there is a storage protocol that will keep the sieves healthy…Rob
I checked with the people who sold me my current machine. They said that the better machines like the Invicare Platinum XL that I have can go 3 months. Smaller, less expensive, machines should be run more frequently. I hope this helps…Rob
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Hi Rob,
Thank you!
i was just wondering “if” i had it off, for an extended period of time, for some unknown reason…ie: vacation…illness…artistic mental block…what the general rule of thumb was for best practices…so i don’t accidentally ruin a pricey piece of equipment through my inaction.
i did see replacement filters and sieve bed prices on a website…that is good to know too…
julie
I don’t lose sleep over my O2 concentrator. I use it a lot. If I discover that I haven’t run it in a while, I just turn it on and open a valve on a torch and let it run. Worst case, if I have to replace it for some reason, right now I have a local source for a reconditioned unit in the $300 range…Rob
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