battery backup

[Lou Cypher]

Yes i know a old topic that goes on forever........

Way back when , many moons ago, after reading and participating in the search for a battery backup , I finally settled on a Black and Decker electromate 400.

It has done well for me,,,,, I usually only use it for when the power is out.... but it has finally bit the dust and can't hold a charge any more......

This item has been discontinued so I can't buy another of the same to replace it.......

So I am asking for the short version of what should I replace this with,,,,,,, please don't suggest anything that you haven't used satisfactory.......

I am not an electrician so using words in Electric speak is beyond me and will only confuse me........

[HoseCrusher]

If... and this is a big IF,

you happen to have vehicles that occasionally difficulty starting, you can get this...

https://no.co/gb150

In addition to starting distressed vehicles, you can get at least 1 night of CPAP use from it. I tested it and it works great.

It is expensive as a stand alone solution to a power outage, but as a combination tool I think it is great.

[Okie bipap]

The owner's manual says to return the unit to them for battery replacement. Or, you could replace it your self. If you don't want to try it yourself, see if you can find a local handyman willing to change it out for you. You should be able to find a replacement battery at your local Batteries Plus store.

[CapnLoki]

... I finally settled on a Black and Decker electromate 400.
It has done well for me,,,,, I usually only use it for when the power is out.... but it has finally bit the dust and can't hold a charge any more......
...
I am not an electrician so using words in Electric speak is beyond me and will only confuse me........

This "jump starter" (and many similar units) use an AGM battery. This is a sealed, heavy, lead battery, the same style as used in UPS backup supplies and mobility scooters. The battery in this particular unit is 17 Amp Hours (sorry for the tech lingo, that's a measure of its capacity). It is replaceable (about $45?), but they don't make it easy to open up - the official line is that the user can't do it. You might have a friend who would take it on as a mini project - it should only take an hour or two and Amazon certainly has the battery.

There are any number of similar units you can get for under $200. They are sold as jump starters so they like to list "cranking amps" but the key spec for a cpap user is the amp-hours, which will be somewhere between 14 and 22, and you'll have to dig into the manual to find the spec. Frankly I never liked this style of device - a battery wrapped in a mess of fancy looking dials and switches but built to be sold cheaply. Definitely check the reviews and don't get anything with more 1-star than 5-star ratings.

For the more adventurous, you can "build your own" and get twice the power and twice the quality for about $130. In my battery thread:
http://http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopi ... ttery.html
skip down about 10 posts for a detailed description of the setup. It looks a bit geeky, but the assembly is literally screwing 2 color coded cables to the battery. Honest. And you can use the battery to jump start a car.

[Lou Cypher]

Thanks all for your help.

I think i wel try to open it up and see what happens

[CapnLoki]

Thanks all for your help.

I think i wel try to open it up and see what happens

Good for you -
You'll probably find several little rubber plugs that have screws under them. The battery inside is your guide - my guess is that something like "Universal Power Group 12V 18AH" will be an exact fit. Check the terminals - this is probably a screw on tab, as opposed to the push tab found on smaller AGM batteries.

BTW, if it doesn't work with a new battery, the battery can be used in the setup I recommend with the addition of a small BatteryTender charger ($25 for the baby version) and a socket and the apporpirate DC cable for your pump.

Good luck and please report you findings.

[Chilibit]

I think the 150 is Lithium Ion. The ones I have, not for CPAP, are.