Power outages

[msradar65]

I'm a newbie. Still waiting for my machine. What do you do about power outages that occur when sleeping? I don't want to suffocate on this machine if it shuts off. Do the machines have an alarm if they suddenly loose power? Do you use some sort of battery back up?

Sorry for all the crazy questions...but as I was reading about full face masks it occurs to me no flow suddenly and you would suffocate!!!

I have battery back up for my home network and computer because I work 100% from home....so I am wondering if I need to purchase battery back-up for my CPAP.

[Emilia]

There are a lot of threads on battery backup support. I bought a Belkin UPS -- surge protector with battery backup. I have my machine plugged into that so if there is a power failure, it will go into battery power and give a beeping alarm to wake me up. That will provide me time to either unmask, or wait for the power to come back on within the 15-20 minutes of backup power available on the unit I have. If the power stays off longer, I would just get up at that point. Some folks have prepared battery backup solutions for major situations---like during weather events that may leave power out for extended periods. Others want battery power for camping trips and have all the gear for that. Some machines have battery packs available that are a lot less cumbersome than hooking up a marine battery and inverter, but they are quite pricey.

Do a search on the forum for battery backup and you will find many discussions on this topic!

[lbw]

I do know that for the Resmed S9 there is a battery backup you can purchase.
I have been on CPAP for a little over 3 months. There have been a few power failures where I live during the night. I use nasal pillows and I woke up as soon as the power went off. Plus there are exhale holes that would allow ait in. I would assume even with a full face mask they would have to be exhalation holes to let air out.

[dtsm]

Sorry for all the crazy questions...but as I was reading about full face masks it occurs to me no flow suddenly and you would suffocate.

Relax; I had some concern when I first started

With power outage, you can still breathe with mask without fear of suffocation. You will wake yourself up and either take off the mask or plug in back-up power [see below].

For back-up power, do a search for Duracell 600 (at least 3 thread on this forum, and can be bought from amazon)....this backup pack will last up to 9 hours without the humidifier. Inexpensive, reliable and can be kept in the bedroom closet.

[nanwilson]

Hi there and welcome to the forum, you will learn tons of great stuff here.
Yes I have battery back-up for my cpap. When I first got my machine we had 2 rather large power outages in my area and that scared me out of my boots. I am also a camper, so did need backup power there. I now have a battery and sine wave converter to take up the slack. I have 2 masks and both have exhale relief, believe me when your cpap goes off you will know it and wake up. No air blowing on you...and everything is "too quiet".... .
Again welcome and do please do your homework and read, read, read all you can on this site......it is a complete revelation, you will learn sooooo much.
Cheers
Nan

[reitzell]

Your PAP therapy isn't life support. You'll wake up when the power goes out. If you are concerned about this point you can buy a little device that will sound like a clock alarm if the power goes out.

This device:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/relian ... light.html

Ok, so the power is out you are awake, now what? Some say backup power is not necessary or unaffordable, etc.. They just remove their mask and go back to sleep without therapy for the time that the power is out. Some will move and sleep in a more upright position like a recliner while the power is out.

Then you have the UPS crowd. You can search on “backup power” and find a lot of information on this topic. I personally recommend getting one that you can turn off the alarm and provides a “true sine wave” power output. I recommend this even if you current PAP device doesn't change because who knows what your future needs will be. Will you get a new PAP device and what will require it? Who knows but now you are covered.

This is the smallest in terms and meet all of the above that I would recommend:
APC Smart-UPS SMX750 X 750VA Rack/Tower LCD 120V UPS System
This device can cover small outages and you can add external batteries to it that increase the run time. The nice thing about this one is you can silence it via the LCD front panel.

Here is a great read on the better backup setup on the wiki here:
wiki/index.php/Battery_Backup_Setup_for_xPAP

And I do something completely different then all of these.

I don't want know if the power went out. I think the UPS solution provides backup power but it is a complex system and introduces failure itself. I had one fail.

I do something like the wiki article and added a device that allows me to hook into house power and a "wiki like solution" at the same time. The APC ap7750 is a redundant switch. You plug your PAP into it and then you can multi source power. Probably massive over kill for this problem but I don't care.

http://www.apc.com/products/resource/in ... sku=AP7750

Good luck,
Rob

[FoxNewsFan]

You don't mention what machine or mask you have or how much money you want to spend but I'll mention a few things anyway.

Recently I came back from the bathroom and put my mask on but was so tired, I forgot to turn my machine back on. I woke up several hours later no worse for wear.

I have the Duracell 600 The Duracell Powerpack 600 provides heavy duty household power anywhere. It operates demanding applications such as power tools, powers DC products that you enjoy during outdoor recreation, and provides emergency power during an outage at home. The Powerpack 600 is quiet, dependable and an easy-to-use alternative to a generator, with added features such as jumper cables. The integrated AM/FM radio and digital alarm clock provide access to music, talk radio and news. It is a modified sine wave machine.

The S8 runs on modified but you can't run the humidifier. The S9 and it's humidifier run on modified.

You can leave your pap machine plugged into the powerpack and leave the powerpack plugged into the wall so you won't even notice if there is a power failure.

During the recent hurricane the power went on and off several times. The radio was handy for forecasts and I even have a small TV that works on 110 or 12 volt. Also I used it to jump my neighbors pickup. You can get it for about $110.

Ed

[Bons]

When you get your mask and first use it, you'll notice a good air flow out of some tiny holes in your mask (and if you are like most of us newbies you'll think that's a problem and panic....). Those vents are to let air out so that you can exhale and let the CO2 escape, and fresh air can come in. If there is a power outage or if you are like me and sometimes get caught in the hose when rolling over and pull it off the CPAP, you will get enough air from those vents to breathe.

[LinkC]

Reitzell said it best.

You won't suffocate and you will wake up.

The vast majority of CPAPers don't worry about a backup. You sleep without it until the power comes back on.

I've been on the hose about 3 yrs now and have yet to have the power go out. For me it's a non-issue.

I also sleep on aircraft without it.

[bearded_two]

I have a li-ion battery for my CPAP that I leave plugged into my CPAP. My IntelliPAP can be plugged into AC and a 12 volt battery at the same time, and it automatically switches to the battery when the AC power fails. I have woken up a few times trying to figure out why the bedroom was totally dark except for the lights on my CPAP, then realizing that the power was out and that my CPAP was running from its battery.

[tony72]

you will wake up?not me i will sleep through an ambulance in my yard....i am hearing impaired.havent got my life partner(cpap)yet.

[jmelby]

Full face masks have an anti-asphyxia valve on them that opens when air stops flowing from the machine. I haven't seen any that haven't but I could be mistaken. This is different than the tiny vent holes that are for CO2 venting when the machine is running.

[physicsbob]

I have been using a 75 Amp hour deep cycle battery, that is charged by a float charger, to power my M series cpap and humidifier. In the last 6 months I have had 4 power outages at night that I know of, but my cpap just keeps working. I took it camping this summer and I got 3- ten hour nights w humidifier without any trouble. At home the float charger is hooked up continuously that keeps the battery topped up and powers the cpap. With this system no worries for me

[tony72]

do they also make cigarette lighter cords for cpaps?think about it,you are in the passenger or backseat and want to sleep just plug it in where cig lighter used to be.pap therapy IS life support imho.