Thinking about small generator for backup

[DagoRed]

<sigh> The inverter draws that. And if you use the formula I provided you will understand.
1 amp at 120v requires 10 amps at 12v at the supply side of the inverter.
Google watt converter and play with it. Anyway, good luck The OP has a solution and thats the important thing.

[avi123]

Anonymous Guest already said it, but running a generator in the garage or within a 20-foot radius of a window is asking for a one-way ticket on the Hearse express. Be sure to wear your CM-50s if you do so the medical examiner can have an exact time of death.

I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but the battery charger Archangel recommends is a trickle charger, not a float charger. If you leave this plugged in when the battery's not in use, then make sure to use only flooded lead-acid batteries and check the water level monthly.

comment,

I don't see here that you need more than 20' radius, unless you carried out your own tests:

Excerpt:

If you use a portable generator, Consumer Reports has this important caution: More than 100 people a year die from the carbon monoxide produced by portable generators and similar equipment. To be safe, never run a a generator inside a garage or shed. Always run it as far as possible from your house, ideally at least 10 to 15 feet, and away from any windows or doors.

http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/B ... 14551.html

Regardess,

Here is John Fisher's superb report on battery back up:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=49115&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... ery+backup

[Guest]

<sigh> The inverter draws that. And if you use the formula I provided you will understand.
1 amp at 120v requires 10 amps at 12v at the supply side of the inverter.
Google watt converter and play with it. Anyway, good luck The OP has a solution and thats the important thing.

sigh
so you are not drawing 30a@12V if you are using an inverter
everyone else here was talking about using 12v=straight DC
SIGH
you are the only one here who thinks you will need 30a DC to power a cpap

you do know the DC cord comes with a cigarette light plug right?
you do know that you can NOT run 30a DC thru a cigarette lighter receptacle right?
SIGH
you are the one who needs to play around with google my friend cuz apparently you have NOT
SIGH
the most important thing is that others here know that a cpap will NOT draw 30a @12v dc regardless of what it says on the internet

[DagoRed]

Read my original post, I clearly state what machine I have and whet I have observed using it.
With the machine on, at 10cm and using the humidity and the heated hose it consumes 300watts, so to provide 300 watts at 120v it must draw 30amps+ (the plus is for the loss through the inverter, fans heat and such) to supply that load at 120v. All that was there in my original post and the I clearly stated that it is an icon auto. Dont know what else I could have said to make that clearer.

[Guest]

Read my original post, I clearly state what machine I have and whet I have observed using it.
With the machine on, at 10cm and using the humidity and the heated hose it consumes 300watts, so to provide 300 watts at 120v it must draw 30amps+ (the plus is for the loss through the inverter, fans heat and such) to supply that load at 120v. All that was there in my original post and the I clearly stated that it is an icon auto. Dont know what else I could have said to make that clearer.

i give

some people are impossible to reach
you do see that everyone else has given up on you

uncle

[archangle]

My experience with my xpap, the FnP Icon Auto running off a battery.
The Icon auto, when its just plugged in will draw 60 watts doing nothing.
When its turned on and the hose and humidity are turned off it draws 90 watts.
Turn on the hose and humidity and its close to 300 watts.

I think you've got something wrong in your measurements. How are you measuring the power?

The manufacturer specifies 1.27 A rated 1.43 A max at 115V. That's 164 watts max. Even that is a maximum, not necessarily average usage over time.

If it drew 60 watts continuously just sitting there without the fan blowing, it would get really hot. Stop and think how hot a 60 watt lamp of that size would get.

Maybe it draws 60 watts momentarily warming up the water, but I don't see how it could use 60 W full time without a fan.

As for drawing 300 W continuously, my S9 autoset draws about 30W average when running full blast with humidity (no heated hose.) At that power draw, the air is pretty warm. If you're drawing 300W, it's all got to turn into heat, and the air coming out would have to be too hot to breathe.

[archangle]

I ran my CPAP last night on my Kill A Watt meter. I got 0.07 KWh in a little over 7 hours. That's about 10 W average.

The CPAP is an S9 AutoSet in Auto mode, running 14-20 cmH2O. The humidifier was turned off.

A similar test with humidifier on drew an average of 30W with the humidifier around 4. No heated hose.

Since the Kill A Watt meter only records in units of 0.01 KWh, there's some extra degree of inaccuracy, but the numbers seem to be fairly consistent with other indications of power usage.

[DagoRed]

Hey folks
I know it sounds crazy but this machine is always quite warm, I have observed the 60 watt draw for a few hours even. When its ran with the heated hose and humidity off it stays within the stated current draw on the product label. I use the nasal pillows and because my sinuses are always quite dry and sore I am most comfortable with the hose heat on 3 (max) and the humidity at 7 (max) on those settings it then consumes the 300 watt (its actually bounces around from about 325-260, 300 is an average for me). Like I have said before the Icon Auto is a pig of a power consumer, but it will let you use a song for its alarm if you buy the software..... I so wish I had been smarter and more assertive when I got this. My wife and I camp alot plus the 10 days I am camped at the air races at Reno are not easy with this machine. I only plugs into a wall socket, I wish it would run on 12v like the other machines. But hey, for a price it will play a tune to wake you up... Its by no means a green machine.
There have been other posts here about how warm these machines idle at aslo. FnP has yet to reply to any emails I have sent and my worthless DME wont look at it till it stops working, then if its under 2 years they will give me a new one.
What I measure power consumption with is the display on my inverter, it displays input and output voltages and load. It shows a CF bulb at its rated wattage so I am comfortable with its accuracy, its not lab accurate but its good enough for most uses. Interestingly enough my LCD TV when off also draws 28 watts and when on it draws its stated 35 watts.

So these are what I have observed, believe me or not.
Thanks
Bob

[nanwilson]

Bob
When i got my battery, etc. I emailed F&P and they told me t exactly what to use for my F&P 604. Deep cycle marine battery and modified inverter, works like a charm, I have used this setup in my motorhome and at home when the power goes out with no problems. Is it possible that your Icon will do the same if you use an inverter go plug into?????

[DagoRed]

Hey Nan,
I have a nice inverter and large deep cycle battery, it works great but the icon auto just sucks the juice out of the battery. When the power is out at home its no big deal as I have a backup generator that I use to power the house, so I can recharge the battery. When I am camping or away from a power source it becomes a problem, and using this machine just as a blower with no heat or humidity isnt an option for me. Its painful with out the comforts of heat and moisture.
Originally I passed on my real world experiences with the OP, not knowing that the resmed and respironics units consume alot less juice than mine does.

[archangle]

What inverter do you have that has a power meter?

[Goofproof]

Invoking the Rule of Holes, I'm going to stop digging. If your xpap uses the power you say it does, buy another that uses 12 volt, if as you say the power will pay for it in the long run. Jim

[DagoRed]

What inverter do you have that has a power meter?

Its a coleman
when I het home I will set it up amd take spme pics. Oh its a 450 watt mpdel

[archangle]

What inverter do you have that has a power meter?

Its a coleman
when I het home I will set it up amd take spme pics. Oh its a 450 watt mpdel

That's interesting, I've never heard of an inverter with a power meter. I couldn't google one up quickly, so I'm waiting with bated breath for the model number.

[avi123]

Resmed machines may need inverters for 500 watts: