Thread: New triton respirator hose adaptor

Here is one way to replace an old Triton respirator hose, using a CPAP hose and DIY adaptors to connect the ends.

Pic_0524_028.jpg

Pic_0623_032.jpg

The hose was bought online from CPAP AUSTRALIA, for $19.50 + freight, total cost $26.50. It is 1.8m long and 22mm outside diameter, with a rubber cuff on each end. A shorter 1.4m model is also available from the manufacturer, Fischer & Paykel Healthcare. I found halving the length made the hose too long, so I shortened the halves to 755mm, and this could still be too long depending on the height of the wearer.

Why use a double hose? The inside diameter of the CPAP hose is only 19mm, compared to the original Triton hose at 25mm.
This means that the cross-sectional area of the CPAP is only 58% of the original, so air flow is much less, especially when the batteries are running down. I tried a single CPAP hose, but air flow was barely adequate with the batteries fully charged.
With the double hose, the air flow is as good as the original.

The adaptors connect the new hose to the original Triton ends, which screw on to the battery pack and helmet. I just cut off the old hose as close as possible to the ends.

The adaptors were made from 3 pieces of pine glued together to make the 73mm width needed, and turned to approx. size on a wood lathe.Pic_0507_026.jpg
Without access to a lathe, the pieces could be shaped with a spokeshave, rasp and chisels. The 38mm diameter hole for the Triton end was carefully turned to a snug fit, but this soon became a loose fit due to the wood swelling and/or the plastic shrinking at Melbourne winter max temps of 11 deg C. A hole saw could probably be used instead of the lathe, as air seal was achieved using adhesive-backed foam weather strips - Raven RP14. The waste would need to be carefully chiseled out, leaving the narrow ledge at the bottom of the hole to attach the foam seal.

Pic_0717_036.jpgsorry the drawings are not very clear, I don't have a scanner.

The more the pine is shaped to allow only the necessary wall thickness, the less weight will be added to the original respirator. The pine was finished with a wax + orange oil paste, as the fumes from polyurethane would have been a concern.

So far the double hose has performed as well as the original.