The parts of a CPAP machine fall into three groups: the machine on your nightstand, the mask on your face, and the tube that joins them. This guide uses labelled diagrams to walk through every component in each group, what it does for your therapy, what goes wrong when it wears out, and how often each one is normally replaced in Canada. Where a part has its own category in our store, the link takes you straight there.
A good share of the “my machine isn’t working” calls we take turn out to be a single part: a cushion that has gone slack, a filter nobody has changed since the machine arrived, a water chamber with a hairline crack. Knowing the names and jobs of the pieces makes those calls shorter and saves you buying things you don’t need. When a part does need replacing, every consumable on this page is in our CPAP supplies and replacement parts category.
The Three Sections of a CPAP System
A study of more than 50,000 Canadians aged 45 to 85, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health in 2024, estimated that roughly 28 percent were at risk of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea and that nearly 93 percent of those at high risk had never been diagnosed. Everyone who does get diagnosed and treated ends up with the equipment on this page. Every setup, whether it is a fixed-pressure CPAP, an auto-adjusting APAP or a bi-level BiPAP, is built from the same three sections. If you are still deciding which of those you need, our comparison of APAP vs CPAP vs BiPAP explains the difference. The parts below are common to all of them.
- The CPAP machine, which generates the air pressure and usually humidifies it.
- The CPAP mask, which delivers that pressure to your airway and seals against your face.
- The CPAP tube, which carries air from one to the other.
Section 1: The CPAP Machine
The machine sits on the bedside table and does one job: it draws in room air, filters it, pressurizes it to your prescribed setting, usually adds moisture, and sends it down the tube. CPAP machines are licensed medical devices in Canada, which is why they need a prescription and why you should only buy from a Canadian retailer that sells current, licensed models. Health Canada’s Medical Devices Active Licence Listing is the public register.
Housing and blower
The housing is the plastic shell. Inside it is the blower, a small, quiet motor that creates the pressure, along with the control board and the display or buttons. Modern home machines run at roughly 27 to 29 dBA, about the level of a whisper, and travel machines run a little louder at 32 to 35 dBA. You never service the blower yourself; if it gets noisy or struggles to hold pressure, that is a warranty or replacement conversation. Our guide to CPAP machines in Canada compares current models on noise, humidification and size.
Humidifier and water chamber
Nearly every machine sold today has a built-in heated humidifier with a removable water chamber (also called a tub or reservoir) that slides into the side. Warm, moist air prevents the dry mouth, sore throat, nosebleeds and sinus irritation that unhumidified pressure causes, especially through a Canadian winter. Use distilled water to avoid mineral build-up, empty the chamber each morning, and replace it when it clouds, cracks or the seal starts to leak (replacement chambers are in our CPAP humidifiers category; for the AirSense 11 it is the AirSense 11 humidifier chamber). Our article on CPAP humidifiers covers settings and troubleshooting.
Air filter
The filter sits at the air intake, usually a small slot on the back or side, and stops dust, pet hair and pollen before the air reaches the blower. Most machines use a disposable fine filter, some add a washable foam pre-filter, and some brands offer hypoallergenic versions. A clogged filter makes the machine work harder, run louder and deliver less pressure than it reports. It is the most-forgotten part on the whole system and the cheapest to replace; CPAP filters are sold by machine model, such as the AirSense 11 standard filters 5-pack and the DreamStation 2 ultra-fine filters 6-pack. Check your manual for the filter location and the brand’s replacement interval.
Power supply and connections
Most machines use an external power brick with a detachable cord, which is the arrangement we prefer: if the brick fails you replace a part rather than the machine, and a cord that pulls free is safer than one that drags the machine off the table. The same port usually accepts a DC converter for a vehicle or a CPAP battery for camping, power outages and travel. Replacement bricks, cords, converters and batteries are all under power options. If you travel often, a dedicated travel CPAP is lighter than packing a full-size unit and battery.
Section 2: The CPAP Mask
The mask decides whether therapy is comfortable enough to keep using. It comes in three styles, full face, nasal and nasal pillow, and our mask types comparison helps you pick one. Whichever style you use, it is made of the same four parts, and the mask is the one section that does not need a prescription to buy. Replacement cushions, frames and headgear are sorted by mask style under CPAP mask parts.
Frame
The frame is the rigid or semi-rigid skeleton that the cushion clips onto and the headgear attaches to. It carries the exhalation vents, the small holes that let the carbon dioxide you breathe out escape, and on most masks the elbow where the tube connects. Frames last a long time; they are replaced when a clip breaks, the vents get blocked by mineral deposits, or the manufacturer discontinues the cushion that fits it.
Cushion
The silicone cushion is the only part that touches your skin, and it is the part that wears out fastest. Skin oils and daily cleaning soften the silicone until it stops sealing, and the usual response, tightening the straps, causes the red marks and pressure sores people blame on the mask. A fresh cushion on a looser strap seals better than an old cushion cranked tight. Cushions are sized, so order the size printed on your current one.
Headgear
The fabric straps hold the frame in place and set the seal pressure. Good headgear has adjustment points on each side so you can centre the mask rather than just tighten it; our mask fit guide walks through the sequence. The elastic stretches with washing and loses its grip over months, which shows up as a mask that drifts and leaks by early morning no matter how it was set at bedtime. Hand wash in mild soap and replace it when the straps no longer hold their tension.
Chin strap (optional)
A chin strap does not hold the mask; it holds your mouth closed. Nasal mask and nasal pillow mask users who sleep with their mouth open lose pressure through it and wake with a dry mouth, and a soft strap under the jaw solves that for most of them. Full face mask users rarely need one. It is a small accessory, and the first thing to try before switching mask styles.
Section 3: The CPAP Tube
Hose body
A ribbed, flexible tube, typically 1.8 metres long, with a 22 mm cuff at each end on standard hoses and a slimmer 15 mm cuff on slimline versions. The cuff size has to match your machine’s outlet and your mask’s elbow, so check compatibility before ordering a replacement tube. Tubing is replaced when the ribs crack, the cuffs loosen, or it no longer comes clean. Standard, slimline and heated hoses are all under CPAP supplies and replacement parts.
Elbow and swivel
Where the tube meets the mask, a rotating elbow or swivel lets the hose turn without twisting the mask. It is what lets you roll over without pulling the seal loose. On many masks the elbow is a separate part you can replace on its own if it cracks or the quick-release stops clicking.
Heated tubing
Heated tubing has a fine wire running the length of the hose that keeps the air warm between the humidifier and the mask. Without it, warm moist air cools in a chilly bedroom and condenses inside the tube, which is the “rainout” that gurgles and splashes your face at 3 a.m. Heated hoses are brand-specific because the machine powers and controls them through the outlet connector: the ClimateLineAir 11 fits the AirSense 11 and the ClimateLineAir for the AirSense 10 fits the 10 series. Never cut, kink or try to repair the wire.
Hose covers (optional)
If your tube is not heated, a fleece hose cover insulates it and cuts rainout for a fraction of the cost. Covers are mostly universal, but check the length and whether yours is made for standard or slimline tubing.
How Often to Replace the Parts of a CPAP Machine
These are the intervals manufacturers and Canadian insurers generally work from. Consumables (cushions, headgear, filters, chambers, tubing) are grouped under CPAP supplies; add-ons like batteries, covers and comfort items are under CPAP accessories. Your plan’s replacement allowance usually mirrors them, so following the schedule keeps both your therapy and your claims in order. Manufacturers publish their own intervals for specific models, and the manual that came with your equipment is the final word for yours.
| Part | Typical replacement | Sign it is due |
|---|---|---|
| Mask cushion or nasal pillows | Every 1 to 3 months | Leaks, red marks, silicone feels sticky or soft |
| Disposable fine filter | Every 2 to 4 weeks | Grey or discoloured |
| Reusable foam filter | Every 6 months (rinse weekly) | Won’t come clean, crumbling |
| Tubing | Every 3 to 6 months | Cracked ribs, loose cuffs, smell after cleaning |
| Headgear | Every 6 months | Straps stretched, mask drifts overnight |
| Mask frame | Every 12 to 18 months | Cracked clips, blocked vents |
| Water chamber | Every 6 months | Clouding, cracks, mineral scale that won’t lift |
| Machine | Around 5 years | Noise, pressure complaints, end of warranty and support |
Daily and weekly cleaning stretches the life of every consumable but does not replace the schedule; our cleaning and maintenance guide covers the routine. When the machine itself reaches the end of its life, the cost guide and our page on refurbished CPAP machines cover what a replacement runs in Canada.
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Sign Up Free →Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main parts of a CPAP machine?
The machine itself (housing, blower, filter, heated humidifier with water chamber, and power supply), the mask (frame, cushion, headgear, and an optional chin strap), and the tubing (hose, elbow or swivel, and optional heating wire or hose cover).
Which CPAP parts need a prescription in Canada?
Only the machine. Masks, cushions, headgear, tubing, filters, chambers and accessories can be bought without one. Your insurer may still ask for the original prescription when you claim supplies.
Are CPAP parts interchangeable between brands?
Standard 22 mm tubing fits most machines and masks. Everything else is brand- and model-specific: cushions fit one mask family, water chambers fit one machine, and heated tubing only works with the machine it was made for. Filters and hose covers are usually universal within a size.
Why does water collect in my CPAP hose?
That is rainout: humidified air cooling inside the tube and condensing. A heated hose, a hose cover, lowering the humidity setting a step, or keeping the machine below mattress level so water drains back all help.
How do I know which part is causing a leak?
Start with the cushion, since it wears fastest. If a new cushion still leaks, check the headgear tension and the elbow connection, then the tubing cuffs. A leak that appears only after a few hours of sleep is almost always a stretched headgear or a worn cushion rather than a fit problem.
Need to replace a worn cushion, hose, or water chamber?
The three parts that wear out first, for the machine most of our customers own. No prescription required, and orders over $150 ship free across Canada.
Different machine or mask? Browse all CPAP supplies and replacement parts in Canada.
Final Thoughts on CPAP Parts
Once you can name the parts, most CPAP problems stop being mysteries. A leak is a cushion or headgear question, dryness is a humidifier question, noise is a filter question, and the machine itself rarely fails. Keep the consumables on schedule and the system will run quietly for years.
If you are not sure which part you need, or which size, send us a photo of the part number and we will match it. Call 1-855-492-3316 or email [email protected], seven days a week from 9 AM to 9 PM. Orders over $150 ship free across Canada.
This guide is here for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Follow your prescription and your care team’s instructions for pressure settings and therapy use, and consult your machine’s manual for part-specific cleaning and replacement guidance.
