Batttery pack ? for dummies, like me

[CPAPhope]

Okay, I was recently reading about battery packs and got totally flummoxed. How about a "Battery Packs for Dummies" tutorial? Because of a recent wind storm (yesterday), we lost power for about 6 hours. I was grateful that the power came back on before I went to bed, but it got me wondering what I would do if that weren't the case. How do you power your CPAP without home electricity? What do I need to purchase? No details, please, about amps and whatnot. Just the basics would be much appreciated. (And since I know you're going to ask, I use a ResMed system one.)

[chunkyfrog]

FYI; you have a Respironics, not a ResMed machine. Lucky you. This brand is relatively easy to use
on 12VDC power. Even a car battery. Or a pack from our sponsors.
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-battery-power ... cables.php
The ResMed machines are designed to require an extremely proprietary 24volt source and oddball connectors.
Sorry about the volt speak, but suffice it to say, your solution is easy.

[TangledHose]

I use this Bad Boy for power outages.....I can run my ResMed with the DC power cord for a full night on this battery .....it basically has a AGM sealed car battery inside so it's a bit heavy but does the job and jumps the car too!

http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinum-p ... kType=G102

[onthefreeway]

Tangledhose, can we talk? Maybe you can email me? I live in earthquake country and since I was diagnosed in 2013, I've been concerned about an earthquake causing a major and long-term power outage. I too have a ResMed and would like to have a backup system, but I just can't bring myself to spend $700 (more than the machine?) on the ResMed battery. How do you connect the Sears DieHard battery to the machine? I am completely clueless when it comes to the technical stuff. Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Amenite]

One thing to be aware of with any battery system is that the heated humidifier & hose is a power hog. In an outage if you want your batteries to last you'll want to keep that turned off unless you have an easy battery recharging solution like a generator or solar panel(s). And if the battery you're using isn't big enough you won't even get a full night out of it with the heated humidifier turned on. I've had good results with a pretty simple auto jump starter device with 12 volt DC cigarette lighter adapter.

[TangledHose]

Two ways to run your ResMed with the Sears battery jump starter I mentioed above. The unit has a built-in inverter so you can simply plug in your normal power cord just like you'd plug into a wall socket. The downside of using the unit this way is the built-in inverter also uses power and will substantially reduce the amout of time that the battery will run your cpap. The other way is to purchase the ResMed DC power cord for your model (I bought mine from cpap.com) - with the DC power cord you plug it into the Sears unit in one of the DC outlets (looks like cigarette lighter socket) and that way you don't have to use the built-in inverter and you'll get substantially more battery time. The ResMed DC power cord is about a hundred bucks or maybe a bit less, but worth the investment if you have to use battery power often because of the almost double battery time.

As a previous poster stated the heated humidifier and heated hose use a lot of power so if you go on battery power you should turn off humidifier and heated hose so to extend the time available from the battery.

I live in a neighborhood that experiences about three or four power outages a year that often last for six hours or more. The last two times I got lazy and just left my humidifier heat and heated hose turned on an I still got more than six hours on the Sears jump starter and it still had about thirty to forty percent power left over. Based on that I think I could probably get two full nights without the heated humidifier and heated hose running.

You can look for the DC power cord for ResMed machines on cpap.com, be aware that different models use different cords, for instance the DC power cord for the S9 is different from the DC power cord for the new AirSense A10 machine.

[OkyDoky]

OP post points to a Respironics 550 model but not sure which model is correct, a Respironics or a ResMed. This makes a difference in their setup. I'm not sure what is available for the 550. I have a Respironics 760 and the 12 volt cord was less than $30.

[sleep_quest]

Okay, I was recently reading about battery packs and got totally flummoxed. How about a "Battery Packs for Dummies" tutorial?

I was feeling the same way and had a long conversation with forum members who provided me with a good education so I could design my back up power system. My needs were for short and longer term outages and required a plug and play solution; hopefully you can benefit from the discussion.

You don't have to read all the posts (100 of them); on page 5 I gave an update of what I eventually put together along with prices and vendors who provided the component.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=101194&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I also went through the storm and was comforted by knowing I was all set in the case of an overnight power outage.

[CapnLoki]

Okay, I was recently reading about battery packs and got totally flummoxed. How about a "Battery Packs for Dummies" tutorial? Because of a recent wind storm (yesterday), we lost power for about 6 hours. I was grateful that the power came back on before I went to bed, but it got me wondering what I would do if that weren't the case. How do you power your CPAP without home electricity? What do I need to purchase? No details, please, about amps and whatnot. Just the basics would be much appreciated. (And since I know you're going to ask, I use a ResMed system one.)

OK, here's exactly what I setup recently - its similar to a few others:

Battery:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N414YMC/
Although it says "pair" its only one. AGM is leakproof and safe for the bedroom - think of all the folks using scooters in the retirement homes. It big enough to run with humidity for a night, or up to a week with no humidity. Maybe three nights if you turn off the heated hose and turn down humidity. There are a wide variety of smaller and larger batteries, but the U1 size seems to be a "sweet spot" for our needs and is relatively cheap and not too heavy to lug around. Should be available at local scooter shops.

Charger:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068XCQU
This is the medium power tender - if you only need short term (i.e. occasional partial nights) the Junior version will do. 10 year guarantee, can run 24/7, will not overcharge.

Cables:
The Battery Tender comes with almost everything including fuses (get spares), but you'll need a "cigarette lighter socket" (or maybe two)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041CDPQO
If you want to charge while using (UPS mode) and/or add on a cell phone charger or whatever, you want a splitter:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L643KS

Case:
Prevent accidental shorts:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006RKCO3I

Total cost is about $150. It has 35 Amp-Hours, as opposed to about 20 for the Sears jump starter, and the charger is top rated. The only assembly is bolting the color coded ring connectors to the battery (bolts are included). The quick connectors are "idiot proof." I normally don't run off the battery, but if a storm is threatening I can simply plug in my 12V cord. I can leave it charging (UPS mode), or unplug the charger to be isolated from surges.

If you have Respironics get the 12V cord; if its Resmed get the 12/24 convertor. Use an inverter only as a last resort, since they are only about 60% effecient.

[Guest]

Tangleshose has what I think is the easiest way to power your cpap. The battery case is already built - all you need to do is buy the correct DC power cord for your machine (whatever it is). Then the only thing you have to do is charge the battery (that is pretty much automatic) and connect the DC power cord to the cpap and battery and you are on "EASY Street".

I use this Bad Boy for power outages.....I can run my ResMed with the DC power cord for a full night on this battery .....it basically has a AGM sealed car battery inside so it's a bit heavy but does the job and jumps the car too!

<link removed>

Some folks leave this model jump starter plugged in all the time to keep it charged and power the cpap (while they use it) much like a UPS without the buzzers and beeps going off when the commercial power fails. What is easier than that?

You just missed an xmas sale of sorts on this Sears Jump Starter. Search this forum for a thread titled "Another Battery Option" for more reading on the Sears 1150 Jump Starter.

[TangledHose]

Easy Peazy................Works Fine...........Lasts a Long Time.................

[TangledHose]

in the picture above the 96% value was battery charge in the Sears battery because I wasn't using the inverter (plugged into 12V DC socket).........as you can see there are two 12V DC sockets and two AC (inverter) sockets available. Also a USB socket for charging cell phone/tablet etc.

[CapnLoki]

There are two problems with the Sears jump starter. First, the battery is only 20-22 Amp-hours, and for about the same money you can get a 35 Amp-hour battery, or you can choose what size seems appropriate
Second, the reliability of these units seems rather poor - both the Amazon and Sears reviews show a large percentage of "one star" reviews, not what I want to see on my emergency backup equipment. On Amazon the "one stars" equal the "5 stars" - I'd rather put my trust in the Battery Tender Plus where the 5 stars outnumber the 1 stars by 27 to 1! This problem is typical of "all-in-one" devices build to the lowest price point.

I'll admit that this means that some folks had a great experience with the Sears, but it also means that a number had a terrible experience.

[TangledHose]

I'll admit that this means that some folks had a great experience with the Sears, but it also means that a number had a terrible experience.

Or there are a few Bone-Heads that don't read and follow the directions

So Captain, I don't doubt you at all, and your recommendations are sound for someone that wants to be a bit more involved in their back-up system, but I am curious.....I can't find the 20-22 Amp Hour rating for the Sears AGM battery in this unit, where did you come up with that figure? I am sure you are right, I am just curious.

[TangledHose]

Oh....disregard, I found the specs on the back of the manual.......22 AH rating.