Well, today I experienced my first pod failure. I was vacuuming and when I stopped the vacuum all I heard was that lovely noise coming from the pod. When I called Omnipod they said that it failed because of static (and of course they are sending me a replacement).
Now I am afraid to vacuum the rest of the house. Does anyone have any suggestions for me on keeping my pod safe while vacuuming? My husband will appreciate it since I may make him vacuum from now on 
Sounds like you have a great out now! 
Sorry, Iâd love to vacuum, but you knowâŚthis POD.
In all seriousness, though, perhaps putting something over it while vacuuming may help? If itâs on the arms/legs, perhaps like a sweat armband (if worn on the arms)? Or perhaps an ESD device somewhere to draw the electrical current away from the POD? Maybe something like UEETEK Anti-Static Wrist Strap Adjustable Grounding Wrist Strap Band?
@Lisa - Any Omnipod rep that tells you why a pod failed, over the phone, is violating Insuletâs rules and likely isnât too informed. They cannot know why it failed until they have gotten the pod back to evaluate it. I seriously doubt it died due to static from vacuuming. I would just go about your chores without worrying about it.
In my use of the Omnipod, I have seen oddball failures, and Insulet was never able to determine why. I saw them fail with âempty reservoirâ when they had over 50u in them; die in 12 inches of seawater when they claim it is waterproof to 1 meter; and even from âlow battery.â But I can almost guarantee you that the vacuuming did not kill the pod.
It just goes to show why they tell you to always have spares on hand. And if you need a few, just ask. I am glad to share my extra supplies.
@kmichel, are you sure about this? Weâve had plenty of reps tell us why something failed in the past (based on Error number received, etc.,). I would think the company would be very strict on their reps if they did this and it wasnât permitted. Are you certain about this being a violation? If so, weâve had a lot of reps breaking the rules in the past!
They can tell exact errors that have occurred based on error numbers. @Millz laid out a good wiki that lays out how these errors are defined, here.
I heard that duct tape may help with static. Maybe I will give that a try next time I vacuum. I am not finishing today because I donât want to deal with 2 failures on the same day!
@ClaudnDaye - when there is an error number, it is a good sign of why the pod failed, but not a guarantee. As I said, I had one fail for âout of insulinâ while there was more than 50u in it. The rep kept insisting it was empty, but I had just filled it (I was using 80u at the time.) I had to go past the rep to engineering to get the pod evaluated, and the actual failure came back as a stuck plunger in the vial (occlusion). Actual occlusions can occur at the pump, giving an error, but often it is the absorption of the body, infection of the site, etc.
They can say âit sounds likeâŚâ and tell you to change the pod, but there is no way for them to know the real failure reason without a physical evaluation. That is why they always require you send it back to them.
But people are people. Despite what they are allowed to say, often it is easier to tell a customer âit failed because ofâ and get the customer off the phone.
Thanks for the clarification! They donât always ask us for our pods back though! Only the ones where they tell us they need to be investigated further. We have only had to send one back out of the last 5 error pods. Sounds like a lot is just based on who you are speaking with when you call!
maybe there was nothing wrong with vacuuming with the pod. maybe try vacuuming again and see what happens. if this repeats itself, you might have a confirmed answer and can know how to go forward with your future vacuuming. (for example, your husband or changing to a different pump.)
best of luck
@kmichel, I am not so sure in this case. I heard the CEO of Insulet speak about the static problem on a podcast and I also discussed it with my Omnipod contact. It seems to be a well known problem and the rep was very confident from the error code that it was static. Especially since I was vacuuming which creates a lot of static (more here in Montreal).
Anyway, whatever it was, they are sending me a replacement, so all is well (except for the vacuuming, of course).
I think I will opt for the husband!
@Lisa - I live in Minnesota, so I understand the static. My comment on vacuuming is just my opinion. Try it again, then tell your husband you arenât allowed to vacuum anymore either way 
Thanks for the offer btw, I really appreciate it, but I am all set with spares.
@kmichel, this is sheer genius!
Weâve had a number of failures and havenât had to send them back. Maybe itâs because ours havenât had an error code?
Also, regarding staticâŚmaybe vacuum when youâre in the middle of a pod change? You could probably keep your BG low with all the vacuuming.
Or what about anti static shoes?
Or dryer sheets on your shoes?
I hate static. Sorry this happened!
Thatâs a great idea! Or I can vacuum when my pod is beeping and ready for a change, that way if it deactivates it wouldnât matter 
Lol! Vacuuming while the beep is happening is about the only activity where it wouldnât be annoying!!! 
I can see it now! Beeping starts. You drop what youâre doing and rush to grab the nearest vacuum!!!
@TravelingOn - I learn something new everyday here! I thought every alarm would have an error code in the PDM Alarm history?!?!
@Millz Oh my goodness. I misunderstood something @kmichel said and posted something untrue.
When I read:
I erroneously took that to mean that our Pod failures were not coded, as weâve never once been asked to return a Pod that failed. Iâve never felt the need to figure out why they failed honestly. So, itâs been revealed to me that ALL errors are logged in the PDM Alarm History. So sorry for the confusion.
I think they only ask rarely. We have never had to send ours back either.