How To Operate The EverFlo Oxygen Concentrator By Philips Respironics
Are you ready to use your oxygen concentrator and wanting to be sure you use it safely and correctly ?
Today you’re going to get all your questions about the Philips Respironics EverFlo Concentrator answered.
We’ll go over everything from powering it on and using the accessories to using it safely and securely.
In the event that you are working with some other type of stationary concentrator, the information here will probably address everything you will want to know to operate your machine safely and properly.
Oxygen Concentrator Instructions From A-Z
The first thing you’ll want to do is ensure that your concentrator is at least 6 to 12 inches away from any furniture, walls, curtains or anything that might limit the airflow to the oxygen concentrator.
Your concentrator needs to have good airflow to draw in air and concentrate the oxygen.
Make sure there are no clothes, towels or anything else on the concentrator that might cover the vents on the back of the machine and impede the airflow.
Now you’re ready to plug the concentrator in and switch it on. If you’re using an EverFlo the on/off switch will most likely be on the upper left top area of the concentrator.
When you turn it on 3 LED lights will light up for up to a few seconds and you’ll hear the high pitch alarm beep for a second or so. If the EverFlo is working correctly the green light will remain on and the other 2 lights, one red and one yellow, will shut off and the sound from the alarm will be silent (cease).
If the yellow light remains lit, coupled with the alarm beeping periodically and a flashing red light, there are a few things that could be wrong.
1st check to make sure there isn’t anything blocking the airflow into the concentrator. Move it away from anything close to it, or remove any items, like towels, clothing, etc. covering any of the vents on the concentrator.
If that doesn’t solve the problem check to make sure none of your hoses are kinked.
Make certain your flow meter knob isn’t completely turned off; Turn it counter clockwise till the ball is set to the recommended liters per minute flow we go over here, or the setting that your medical professional advised.
One of these measures should get your concentrator functioning normally again, but if the warning signals persist turn the machine off and contact us.
If the red light stays illuminated after several seconds and the alarm stays on, you’ll want to unplug the concentrator for about 5 minutes and replug it in. If the warning persists try a different electrical outlet. This will normally solve the problem. Contact us if it doesn’t.
Once you’ve got your oxygen concentrator switched on and all is functioning the way it’s supposed to, you’ll need to connect your nasal cannula directly to the oxygen outlet port, the extension tubing that’s currently connected to the outlet port, or the bubble humidifier if wish to use it. We’ll discuss these options below.
The oxygen outlet port is the small nozzle that’s located near the front upper left side of the machine if you’re using the Philips Respironics EverFlo.
One option is to use your oxygen concentrator without the humidifier. If that’s what you prefer to do, attach the nasal cannula tubing to the oxygen outlet port, put the 2 pronged nose piece into your nose, and put the tubing around your ears. If you haven’t done this previously, refer to the image on this page, or see how in the video.
You can wrap the tubing around your ears in a way that the tubing comes out behind your head or in front of your body. When you’re lying down you’ll need to wrap it so the tubing going back to the oxygen concentrator is in front of your body.
You can also use the concentrator simultaneously with someone else. To do that, connect the extension tubing you have directly to the oxygen outlet port, or the bubbler depending on whether you are using the bubble humidifier or not.
Connect the Y splitter to the other end of the extension tube, and connect your nasal cannulas to the 2 ends of the Y spitter. When connecting all of your tubing you won’t need to force anything in real tight. Just ensure each piece is snuggly inserted into the corresponding port, splitter or extension you are using.
Setting Your Concentrator To The Correct Liter Per Minute Flow For You:
Now we’ll go over how to properly set the liters per minute according to your requirements. We’ll discuss the settings for when 2 people are using the oxygen concentrator together and for when it’s just you.
There is a knob towards the upper part of the EverFlo concentrator near the middle. You can turn this flow meter knob to set the liters per minute flow from under 1 all the way up to 5.
If it’s just you using the machine you’ll really want to set the liters per minute flow to somewhere between 1 and 2. If you are using the concentrator at the same time with another person, you’ll want to set the liters per minute in the range of 3 to 4.
These settings are very good for most people that are wanting to get extra oxygen for supplemental purposes or for relieving the symptoms of altitude sickness.
It’s possible to get too much concentrated oxygen, and it does create negative side effects, so stay with what’s recommended here unless your doctor specifically suggests a higher LPM to you.
Provided you stay in the range we’ve recommended on this page you’ll get to take advantage of the concentrated oxygen safely.
2 Important Things To Keep In Mind When Going Back And Forth From 1 To 2 People Using The Oxygen Concentrator:
You’ll need to change the LPM flow to the appropriate setting when you are changing from 1 to 2 people or back from 2 people to 1 person using the concentrator. It’s particularly important when you are going back to a single person using the machine so you never end up having anyone get too much concentrated oxygen.
Furthermore you’ll need to disconnect the Y splitter and reattach your cannula directly to the oxygen outlet port, the bubble humidifier bottle or the extension tubing. This way you’ll be getting the amount of oxygen you’ve set your LPM to.
Next Let’s Take A Brief Look At Using The Bubble Humidifier With Your Concentrator For A Bit Of Moisture With Your Oxygen Treatment:
First off, you’ll want to use distilled water in your humidifier bottle and you’ll want to fill it to a little bit over the minimum line on the humidifier bottle. The distilled water will enable you to receive moisture with no impurities, and filling the bottle about 1/3 full or just a little over the minimum level will keep you from getting an excessive amount of moisture.
Getting a lot of extra moisture won’t hurt you, but you might experience water running down your chin or dripping from your nose if you over fill the bottle.
Once you’ve added water to the bottle you’ll want to ensure that the lid and knob on the bottle, where the tubing comes out of, are secured snugly so no air escapes.
You’ll use the velcro strap to fasten the bubble humidifier securely back to the concentrator.
The last step is connecting your nasal cannula straight to the nozzle or outlet port on the side of the top of the bubbler bottle. If everything is attached properly you should see the water in humidifier bottle bubbling when the oxygen concentrator is turned on. If you don’t see bubbles being created in the water you’ll want to tighten up the lid and knob on top of the bottle.
If there aren’t any bubbles the bottle is probably not air tight and you won’t be getting the concentrated oxygen you are desiring to get.
Make sure all of your tubing has no crimps so the oxygen can easily flow through them.
Now you’ve got all the information you need from plugging in your concentrator to using it in a safe manner alone or together with someone else. You can start benefiting from the concentrated oxygen any time you need or desire to.
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