Equipment · 5 min read
Choosing an oxygen concentrator: 5 litre or 10 litre?
The wrong flow rating is expensive in both directions. How to match a concentrator to the prescription.
Paras Homecare ·
Start with the prescription, not the sales pitch. The treating physician specifies a flow rate in litres per minute, and that number decides the machine.
When 5 LPM is right
The large majority of home oxygen prescriptions fall between 1 and 4 LPM. A 5 litre unit covers these comfortably, costs less to rent, uses roughly half the electricity and is quiet enough for a bedroom.
When you need 10 LPM
Severe COPD, post-COVID fibrosis and some interstitial lung disease can require sustained flows above 5 LPM. A 10 litre unit is also the right choice when a physician wants headroom for deterioration, or when two patients in the same household need oxygen through a flow divider.
The detail people miss
- Purity falls as flow rises on smaller units — a 5 litre machine run at its ceiling may not hold 93% concentration.
- Always keep a filled cylinder as backup. Concentrators need mains power, and power cuts do not check the weather first.
- Check the noise rating if the machine will sit in a bedroom. Above 50 dB, nobody sleeps well.
- Clean the intake filter weekly. It is the single most common cause of a concentrator underperforming.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Always follow the advice of the patient's doctor.
