Buying an Oxygen Concentrator

[tiptrinket]

I'm in need of an oxygen concentrator. I have looked on Craig's list and found one. Can someone tell me what to look for to know if it is any good? I don't want to get ripped off and I know nothing about one. In other words, how do you know it is working right, if it needs service, etc?
Can someone help me?
Tippy

[allicat]

I asked this question about 2 months ago. Do a search and it'll come up. Know there wasn't much in the way of a response; besides making sure it turns on, there apparently isn't a huge amount else to check (the screens maybe?). Oh, and the hours used.

Alli

[beckd]

Do yourself a big favor and call Kimberly at "Pyronamix" and get your concentrator from her. They come with a great warranty and they work great! I bought mine from her 4 years ago and have not had any problem's at all.

[28676bhe]

From the mouths of the repairmen...............You will probably not find a 10lpm unit for resale. If someone is using 10lpm to help them breathe at home, that person is almost at their end of life. So, 5lpms are the most common.

They should not need a repair (sieve, bed, burned out muffler) until they have around 20,000 hours on them.

Quality differs with manufacturers, but all 3 of them said the same .. buy Invacare. They said that brand rarely gives any problems and the sieve beds last a lot longer before having to be replaced.

I have had really good luck at finding units priced from $125 to $150, under 20,000 hours and in working condition. Look at the bottoms of the units - should have absolutely no rust anywhere. Wet environments will wear them out faster.

One odd thing that a guy told me, was "does yours shake/shudder when you turn it off?" Yes! He said that was good because the chambers were emptying properly.

If you get the model # and serial # you can always call the manufacturer to find out its age and history of repairs (if under warranty).

[allicat]

Now where were you when I needed that info Barbara LOL Thanx - gonna copy it for next time.

Alli

[JKeady]

Thank you for all of the information. One of mine just died and I need to replace it.

Jan

[tiptrinket]

Thank you for the info. I emailed someone from Craig's list, but they won't get back to me. They must have sold the unit or don't really want to sell it!

[Silver Moon Lampwork]

That's great information Barbara. Thanks for posting.