battery powered backup

[andy5805]

hi guys - I am looking back into "Plan B" for CPAP

I'm thinking deep cycle battery, plus inverter, would run a F&P icon for 2 maybe 3 days then trickle charge it back up - am I correct?


cheers

[nanwilson]

Perfect, when I needed a backup system 4 years ago, I emailed F&P and that is the exact reply I got back from them. I have a deep cycle marine battery and a modified inverter, have used it for a couple of power outages and camping when I haven't been hooked up to electricity. I just keep using my brick F&P whenever I need to use the battery system, it works just fine.

[andy5805]

thanks for confirming, I think a Plan B is the way to go in life -I also have a plan C - an emergency backup machine!

[Guest]

thanks for confirming, I think a Plan B is the way to go in life -I also have a plan C - an emergency backup machine!

Plan A should have been to read the many posts on this forum already discussing using backup battery power. Lots of good info.

[chunkyfrog]

Thank you for reminding me--gotta set up something similar for my DeVilBiss, except minus the inverter.

[rsp5820]

Did the manufacturer say their device required a "full sine wave" inverter? Some electrical devices are intolerant of cheaper "modified sine wave" inverters. Sometimes the voltage of modified sine waves appears way high, sometimes way low, always electrically very noisy. On RV forums, there are plenty of stories from sensible posters of various appliances and devices refusing to operating, self-destructing, and in rare cases, overheating to the point of risking a fire. My thumper massager, a heating pad, and one (name-brand) laptop computer power brick (!) would not work on a modified sine wave inverter. This was not a cheap device - it cost $2-3k, part of a big diesel RV, and it ran the microwave, tv, and dvd ok - go figure. I remember some cheap devices being ruined. I finally paid $3-4k to replace it with a pure sine wave unit.

I was thinking of getting a UPS designed for a PC. I'll use a Kill-A-Watt to measure the actual power draw when I get my CPAP then figure out what size UPS. Deep cycle batteries are cheaper, but you have to assemble the thing yourself and figure the price of the inverter, charger, a Rubbermaid Brute tray to store the thing. Plus with a UPS, switchover is automatic.

If you are going to buy deep cycle batteries, look at 6V golf cart batteries from Sams (two in series to get 12V) as this used to be the best value for RVers. And remember to check the battery water level every 3-6 months.

Rick