Possible suffocation during power failure
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Hawthorne, what I'm confused about is how do you know in advance when there's going to be a power outage during the night? So the alarm that Rooster suggested would take care of waking us up and then we'd hook up the battery, right? So how does the battery keep its charge if it's not used very often? Do we have to remember to plug it in and charge it periodically or is there a light or something that tells you if it needs charging? Am I asking the right questions? Thanks.
_________________
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Additional Comments: 14/8.4,PS=4, UMFF, 02@2L, |
"Do or Do Not-There Is No Try"-"Yoda"
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
That's a great one Doris.DoriC wrote: ....... Am I asking the right questions? .......
G'night,
Rooster
The fowl who still has not arranged a backup power plan
and will eventually suffer for it one night.
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Tattooyutattooyu wrote:You know, that's a feature I would love to see in my CPAP machine itself: a battery-powered, power failure alarm!
Believe it or not, some machines had them inside for that very reason.
One power failure I recall was when this awful screech went off in the night & I sat up but had no idea where it was coming from but then saw my PB330 flashing a yellow light & also realised the clock (RED LED) & street lights were out.
I hadn't realised it had this small back up battery in it until that happened.
DSM
xPAP and Quattro std mask (plus a pad-a-cheek anti-leak strap)
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Dori- Yes, Rooster's alarm thing would wake you. Mike would probably wake up without the alarm since he would sense that he's not getting enough air --I do anyway. Then you have to plug in the battery if the power is not back on within a few minutes and you want to go back to sleep and not think about it going out again. Sometimes the power is just out for a few minutes but, if I want to just go back to sleep and not worry about the fact that it could be just a blip in the power that may be a full outage for a period of time in another few minutes (That's what often happens here) I plug the battery into the machine. I just unplug the regular cord on the back of the machine and plug in the DC cord that you buy separately with the battery, into the same hole in the back of the machine. You would have turn the humidifier to zero or "off" and use the humidifier in passover mode I think. That's if you have the integrated humidifier. I think you use it in passover mode like I do most of the time anyway.
I might think that we were in for a possible power outage in the night if there were some small power outages during the evening or if we were having a thunderstorm or one was forecast for during the night. If this was the case I would plug the machine into the battery when I went to bed. If it still had a good charge, I would just sleep all night witht the machine on battery power.
According to the guide that comes with the battery, a full charge will give me 26 hours of battery power at a pressure of 12 cm (that's my 90% pressure since I am on an auto range). The guide also says that the battery will hold the charge for 6 to 9 months without recharging. That may or may not be so. I have decided that I will "top off" the charge every month and do it when I change the white filter in my machine or at some other time that I can remember.
The battery is not plugged into the machine all the time - only when there is a blip that might indicate a longer power outage or a thunderstorm brewing or expected when I go to bed.
The rest of the time the battery sits in the corner of the bedroom. At my scheduled time, I plug it into the wall outlet and let it charge. When you start to charge it, the light on the charger shows red. It turns to amber as it charges and, when it is fully charged it turns green. I unplug it then and it sits until the next "top up" charge time or I need it for a power outage.
I hope that makes sense! It's hard to explain the steps that I automatically go through!
I might think that we were in for a possible power outage in the night if there were some small power outages during the evening or if we were having a thunderstorm or one was forecast for during the night. If this was the case I would plug the machine into the battery when I went to bed. If it still had a good charge, I would just sleep all night witht the machine on battery power.
According to the guide that comes with the battery, a full charge will give me 26 hours of battery power at a pressure of 12 cm (that's my 90% pressure since I am on an auto range). The guide also says that the battery will hold the charge for 6 to 9 months without recharging. That may or may not be so. I have decided that I will "top off" the charge every month and do it when I change the white filter in my machine or at some other time that I can remember.
The battery is not plugged into the machine all the time - only when there is a blip that might indicate a longer power outage or a thunderstorm brewing or expected when I go to bed.
The rest of the time the battery sits in the corner of the bedroom. At my scheduled time, I plug it into the wall outlet and let it charge. When you start to charge it, the light on the charger shows red. It turns to amber as it charges and, when it is fully charged it turns green. I unplug it then and it sits until the next "top up" charge time or I need it for a power outage.
I hope that makes sense! It's hard to explain the steps that I automatically go through!
_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine |
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier |
Additional Comments: Backups- FX Nano masks. Backup machine- Airmini auto travel cpap |
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Hawthorne, I mentioned on another thread that your name should really be Patience! I absolutely understand this now! You knew exactly what I was trying to figure out step by step in a language I recognized. Thanks again! Dori
_________________
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Additional Comments: 14/8.4,PS=4, UMFF, 02@2L, |
"Do or Do Not-There Is No Try"-"Yoda"
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
You're very welcome, Dori! Anytime! - I'll do the best I can! As I have said, I'm just giving back for all the help I have had from the people on this forum!
All the battery talk here is confusing to me too! I'm glad I got a fairly simple one! I had some help in learning to use it here too!
By the way, I don't think my husband would describe me as patient!!
All the battery talk here is confusing to me too! I'm glad I got a fairly simple one! I had some help in learning to use it here too!
By the way, I don't think my husband would describe me as patient!!
_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine |
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier |
Additional Comments: Backups- FX Nano masks. Backup machine- Airmini auto travel cpap |
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Dear Friends,
Thank you all for your answers. It has a given me a better understanding of the situation. I think an power failure alarm is indeed a cheap and easy solution.
Cheers!
Dexter
Thank you all for your answers. It has a given me a better understanding of the situation. I think an power failure alarm is indeed a cheap and easy solution.
Cheers!
Dexter
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
I wanted to add one comment to the discussion. Any of you who use a generator to power your home during an outage please be careful about Carbon Monoxide. I would highly suggest a Carbon Monoxide Alarm for the inside of your home while using a generator. Even though the generator is outside when it is running, fumes can blow into your home. It is rare but take precautions.
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Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Dreamweaver, this safety valve is there for full face masks only, manufacturers assumed there is a risk for these since FF covers the mouth too. But there is still a serious potential problem with nasal pillows too! I experienced this once with a nasal mask when the machine stopped. It was not a power failure at all![p/b] I had posted about this many months ago:DreamDiver wrote:Most modern masks come with asphyxia-prevention valves that immediately access fresh air if the machine pressure is turned off. So while you may not necessarily die of asphyxiation, you could either wake up with a headache from a night without therapy, or you could wake up in alarm as your body senses the need for air and wakes you up to breathe, as often happens with OSA patients who find themselves in deep apnea. In other words, it seems more likely that you would die of an actual apnea than because of oxygen depletion and CO2 build-up in your mask and tubing.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33341&p=283663#p282872
I had since then designed and put in my own safety valve.
Resmed S9 Elite cpap mode, H5i Humidifier, Swift FX Bella L nasal pillows
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
Sorry for digging and old post, but this is a great concern for me.
I'm using Full Face Mask (Mirage Quattro) and every time I press the "Stop" button on my S8, there's kind a vacuum and it's really hard to breathe.
I think an power failure alarm is a good solution.
I'm using Full Face Mask (Mirage Quattro) and every time I press the "Stop" button on my S8, there's kind a vacuum and it's really hard to breathe.
I think an power failure alarm is a good solution.
_________________
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Additional Comments: Diagnosed AHI ~40 / Titrated @ 10 / CPAP8 EPR 0 |
Re: Possible suffocation during power failure
There is an anti axphixia valve in the elbow of the Quattro. Hook up your mask and attach the hose to the machine and sit and breathe. You will feel the valve opening and closing as you inhale and exhale. After a minute or two of this you would probably wake up.
_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier |
Mask: Fisher & Paykel Vitera Full Face Mask with Headgear (S, M, or L Cushion) |
Additional Comments: Back up is a new AS10. |