Home Oxygen Therapy: A Safety Checklist

Oxygen concentrators are a routine part of respiratory care for many households, and with a few sensible precautions, they're straightforward and safe to use every day.

Keep the unit away from open flames. Oxygen doesn't burn on its own, but it makes anything nearby burn more easily. That means no smoking, candles, or gas stoves within the same room as an active concentrator.

Leave breathing room around the machine. Concentrators need airflow to cool down and filter properly — placing one against a wall or inside a cabinet can cause it to overheat.

Check and clean the filter regularly. A clogged intake filter makes the compressor work harder and can reduce oxygen purity over time. Most filters just need a quick rinse and air-dry every one to two weeks.

Have a backup plan for power cuts. If you're on continuous-flow oxygen, ask us about backup battery options or a small backup cylinder for outages, especially during monsoon season.

Keep tubing untangled and check it for kinks or cracks. A pinched tube can quietly reduce your oxygen delivery without an obvious alarm.

Schedule a yearly check-in. Even reliable machines benefit from a professional look-over — our technicians can inspect flow rate and purity output during a home visit.