What to do in case of power failures?

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Muse-Inc
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by Muse-Inc » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:26 pm

Hey Pugsy, don't you have a Hybrid mask? My need for humidification dropped significantly when I switched from my beloved OptiLife pillow to the Hybrid (passover all summer and "1" on recent cooler nights, tho I could live with passover I think)...maybe you'll have the same good luck if you can tolerate that lower strap for the length of the power outage (maybe try making headgear with the lower strap higher?) On the other hand, maybe the magical 'power ourage preventer' effect with kick in if ya get the generator, who knows?

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mikee
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by mikee » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:38 pm

I use a small Honda generator, 2000 watt, gas, will run for 8-9 hours on a tank of gas and it is real quiet. New will run about $1000.00 but i also use it for camping and other portable power needs around the farm.
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Pugsy
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by Pugsy » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:52 pm

Muse-Inc wrote:Hey Pugsy, don't you have a Hybrid mask? My need for humidification dropped significantly when I switched from my beloved OptiLife pillow to the Hybrid (passover all summer and "1" on recent cooler nights, tho I could live with passover I think)...maybe you'll have the same good luck if you can tolerate that lower strap for the length of the power outage (maybe try making headgear with the lower strap higher?) On the other hand, maybe the magical 'power ourage preventer' effect with kick in if ya get the generator, who knows?
Yes, I have the Hybrid. But I have relegated it for "extreme emergency use only".
I still can't get that lower strap comfortable on my bad neck and still seal the lower part of the mask adequately. I can only get it "passable" from a pain control stand point. Plus I the only time I had aerophagia was with the Hybrid and it was really, really bad. So bad I honestly think I would rather do without cpap than go through that again. Those poor people that have to deal with aerophagia have my full sympathy. I was ill the entire next day.

I could get a battery backup and try it in passover mode but let's face it. I really don't want to... I would rather take the money for the battery thing and put it towards a generator. The generator would be much more useful and besides, I would go into significant internet withdrawal if I had to be without power (not counting the other comfort features like a hot shower).

I don't go camping anymore and if I did decide to go on a horse camping trip I think I would cheat and go to one of those places that have electric or even cabins... I have done all the roughing it that I want. Time for a few luxuries. So a battery backup wouldn't really have that much use for me.

I am hoping that having the generator will work like the magic snow blower. Last winter we had a minor ice storm but only lost power for about half a day. But where we live means that ice storms can and do happen. Sometimes minor but we can have some big ones. My step sister who lives in northern Arkansas (and 100 miles south of me) had a really bad ice storm last winter and was without power for nearly 2 weeks. The day she drove 50 miles north of me to find the only affordable generator in the area, her power came back the next day 2 hours after firing up the generator. So maybe they do have some magic powers......

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SuperGeeky
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by SuperGeeky » Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:21 pm

1. Wake up (it's pretty automatic if the machine stops.
LinkC, I love it!! Though, since your on Amelia Island, wake up when the eye of the Hurricane passes over.
2. While the rest of you are finding, connecting and worrying about how much charge your battery has, I'll be reading a good book and waiting for power to come back on. When it does, I'll be sleeping before y'all get re-rigged for AC
You can read in the dark!
but will one partial night kill ya?
I wonder if I can buy a life insurance policy in your name??
But, seriously, I think way too much is made over alternative power sources. Unless you are addicted to recreational camping, I just don't see the need.
Ah my friend, you speak the truth!!
guess I could do the math and see how long it might last on CPAP, but I've really never felt the need.


Yep, when you add up the math, $400 for a travel battery from the Manufacturer or a 100 lbs. deep cycle marine battery spewing toxic fumes.

All together now! Foo Bar! Just plain Foo Bar!!

It just doesn't have to be a big deal!!

Thanks,

SG

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Hose_Head
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by Hose_Head » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:54 pm

briank wrote:
SuperGeeky wrote:I invite someone who is creative to think of an idea for a 'makeshift' humidifier during a Power Outage. (Snoredog, we hardly knew thee) Can you create a 'passive' humidifier simply by putting water before the intake?? Shut the room off and boil water before going to bed to increase humidity? Must be other ways to get humidified water into your 'brick' during an emergency.

SG
Lots of people use passive humdification by putting water into their humidifier chamber without adding any heat component. But I don't think that's going to help jweeks, who needs a 60-80% heat setting.

You do NOT want to have excessive humidity on the INTAKE because you don't want a mold or mildew problem developing on the inside of the machine where it can't be cleaned and will get pumped straight to your lungs under pressure!

The only DC humidifier unit I know of personally is the AEIOmed Everest series, but it's straight CPAP. Otherwise, I think you have to get the best inverter you can find and cross your fingers if you want to power the humidifier as well as the main unit off battery.

Edit: My Sandman, for example, will automatically switch to battery power on AC failure if the battery is plugged in, but the humidifier goes into pass-over mode.

FYI, the newest generation of Respironics M Series humidifiers also run on 12 vdc. Be careful though because there recently was a recall on those units.
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by Hose_Head » Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:08 pm

Pugsy wrote: We are looking into a portable generator to power the household. My sister got one when that ice storm struck.
I figure if we get a generator it will probably work like the magical snow blower that my mother has. Ever since she got it there has not been enough snow at one time to warrant firing up the snow blower. So I figure if I get a generator we won't need it.

Now is the time to research and purchase the generator because they will be scarce in the event another ice storm hits this area again. So I have been delegated the job of generator researcher...
I too have been looking at the generator option. I haven't decided what to do yet, but for me, it looks like it will be a whole-house generator.

If you decide to go the generator route, think hard about what other things you will want to power with it. For example, if you have extended power outages, you may want to use it to power your refrigerator, furnace, microwave, etc. If the list is long, you'll need to look for a large unit!

Do you plan to run the generator to run your xpap, directly? Or are you planning to use it to charge a battery which in turn will run your xpap overnight? Small portable generators often will only run for about 4 hours before they need to be re-fueled. Do you really want to get up in the middle of the night to add gas? If you're buying it to charge a battery, and if your power outages are less than a couple of nights, you might save money by just buying a large battery to begin with.

Also think about the type of fuel you want to use in it. For small portable units, gasoline is about your only option. However, in the larger units (starting about 3500 watts), you can find generators that run on diesel, propane, or natural gas. All are better long term options than gasoline, IF you have a source of fuel. Remember that in a widespread blackout, your local filling station also may not have power to fill your gas can!

Finally, think about your neighbours. Generators can be noisy, and very aggravating (especially to those who don't have one ). Spend the bucks to get an ultra quiet model. Hear one run before you buy it! A contractor generator is cheap to buy but it's loud enough to drive you crazy, too!
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Pugsy
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by Pugsy » Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:34 pm

Hose_Head wrote:Do you plan to run the generator to run your xpap, directly?
Nope. If I were thinking along those lines I would just do a battery thing and I don't want to give up my humidifier.

My husband wants gas generator with electric starter. It will need to manage the household but I can do some of it in stages. Gas furnace but of course fans are electric but we also have gas fireplace that will help. I know a little generator won't do the trick. I need to find out what kind my sister got. They run everything with it (some things in stages) and they even have a well pump for water.

As far as the noise goes... Hmmm. The neighbor across the alley that has all the crap in his backyard that is an eyesore from our backyard has a noisy generator. I could care less what he thinks..... But I will probably try to get a quiet one just for my own ears...

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YawnGirl
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by YawnGirl » Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:31 am

Pugsy wrote:
Hose_Head wrote:Do you plan to run the generator to run your xpap, directly?
Nope. If I were thinking along those lines I would just do a battery thing and I don't want to give up my humidifier.

My husband wants gas generator with electric starter. It will need to manage the household but I can do some of it in stages. Gas furnace but of course fans are electric but we also have gas fireplace that will help. I know a little generator won't do the trick. I need to find out what kind my sister got. They run everything with it (some things in stages) and they even have a well pump for water.

As far as the noise goes... Hmmm. The neighbor across the alley that has all the crap in his backyard that is an eyesore from our backyard has a noisy generator. I could care less what he thinks..... But I will probably try to get a quiet one just for my own ears...
Hey Pugsy, did you ever get your generator? We have one but it will only run 5-6 hours on a tank of gas. I had been considering an alternate power source for my apap. I too was in the middle of the horrible ice storm last year (no power for 6 days).

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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by bearded_two » Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:42 am

A large-ish AGM battery the size of a car battery will power most CPAPs for a week. AGM batteries do not spill and they very seldom out-gas. With a properly connected li-ion or AGM battery, you can sleep right through a power outage without your machine missing a beat.

I am considering getting another AGM battery and inverters to power my computer and networking equipment during a power outage; I am currently using UPSs to power them during a power outage.

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YawnGirl
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by YawnGirl » Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:47 pm

bearded_two wrote:A large-ish AGM battery the size of a car battery will power most CPAPs for a week. AGM batteries do not spill and they very seldom out-gas. With a properly connected li-ion or AGM battery, you can sleep right through a power outage without your machine missing a beat.

I am considering getting another AGM battery and inverters to power my computer and networking equipment during a power outage; I am currently using UPSs to power them during a power outage.

Uh. what? Speak "how to google it" language please. Wouldn't I need an inverter or something? Could I set it up to automatically come on when the power goes out?
I found this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PNR6P8

I would ask my husband these things (he's a gearhead) but he is giving me the silent treatment right now.

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carbonman
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by carbonman » Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:45 pm

YawnGirl wrote: Uh. what? Speak "how to google it" language please.
'Girl, visual aids.

This is my camping/emergency power option.
Optima Blue top /marine deep cycle 55AH battery
12v adpt.
Mseries 12v adpt.

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YawnGirl
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by YawnGirl » Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:18 pm

ok. I SEE!

Perhaps I will use the battery from our RV as we store it in the garage during the winter anyway!

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timbalionguy
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by timbalionguy » Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:54 pm

Whole house generators are a great idea in areas where power outages are a common problem, but they take some real planning to install.

You need to size the generator to your needs and what you have to power with it. You will also need a 'transfer switch' to connect the generator to your loads automaticlly when the power goes out. These can either be 'distributed transfer switches' that independently switch a number of circuit breakers, or a 'main transfer switch' that transfers your entire house at once. You will probably have to have this profesionally installed unless you are extremely competent with doing heavy-duty electric wiring.

The generator itself typically sits in a soundproof enclosure, sometimes called a 'blimp'. These generators therefore run very quietly. They are available for a variety of fuels, depending on what you have available. They also often have a 'generator exerciser' that runs the generator periodically to keep lubricants where they belong, etc.

Any generator requires regular periodic maintenance (filter changes, oil change, belts, etc.) to keep it functionally optimally.

If anyone is interested, I have a 20 kW diesel generator available, but it is three phase (won't work well in most residential applications. If I could use it I would be using it!). It is a high reliability unit, designed to run refrigeration gear in railroad cars. 900 or 1200 RPM Detroit diesel engine. This generator would be best in an enclosed shed. It does not include a transfer switch, an expensive accessory.

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YawnGirl
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by YawnGirl » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:17 pm

We have a gas generator for power outages (they are more frequent than I would like). The thought of having to go to the garage bring out the generator, start it, run the cord, just to run my cpap for a few more hours, I probably won't go to all that trouble. However, a sealed car battery might just be what I need.

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Gerryk
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Re: What to do in case of power failures?

Post by Gerryk » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:30 pm

SG am I missing something here? I have an M series and the electric plug goes to a brick that plugs into the back of my machine. When the maching is attached to the humidifier the brick gets plugged into the humidifier then the humidifier plugs into the machine. Are the older machines not the same way? I believe mine works off of DC completely. I am not familiar with the older M series.

If this is the case, I could use one of those battery jumper boxes for jump starting cars. Mine has outlets to plug cigarette lighter plugs into. I would have the check and see how big the battery is on the jumper.


Gerry