Backup Battery with Solar charging option

[lodusblossom]

Hey Folks,

I'm new here, though I've had my cpap for 4 years. I'm looking for help with setting up an emergency backup system. I've spent the last couple hours going through the threads related to this, and there is so much info my head is swimming. I'm hoping someone can give me a very easy to understand, clear recommendation.

Note, I do not understand electricity. Watts, amps, voltage, etc I see the words and numbers, but they do not make sense to my brain. So please, if you are going to start talking power, please explain what you are referring to, or just talk to me like I'm five. That is part of why my brain is swimming, most of the posts are complete gibberish to me. Thank you for understanding!

I have: Philips Respironics System One REMstar AUTO 560
I live in LA. We occasionally get wind/fire power outages, not to mention at some point we're gonna have an earthquake related one. I did not sleep during the last extended outrage, which was luckily less than 2 full days for me.

I am looking for a recommendation for:
- Backup battery that is compatible for my cpap
- That can be charged by a solar panel, in case of an extended power outage.
- As well as a compatible solar panel
Most of the time I have plenty of sun available. I am looking for a simple, reasonably priced, off the shelf, buy x,y, and z solution.

That seems like the simplest options to me, though I am open to other simple back-up suggestions as well. The Emergency backup system listed in the basics section was not simple to me!

Other notes: I very rarely use the humidifier and I do not use a heated tube.
Let me know if there is other info that would be helpful.

I really appreciate any help with this. Thank you!

[palerider]

Start here:
viewtopic.php?p=1129137#p1129137

Then get a solar panel.

[lodusblossom]

I appreciate the link. However, that is one of the threads I spent hours looking through that left my head swimming in confusion. There is so much technical information that I do not understand, it's not useful to me. I've spent hours trying to understand and compare the different links and I'm just tired and frustrated. I am hoping someone will be kind and simplify all this for me.

For example on that page one person mentions my issue, earthquake with potential for a long outage. But I don't understand the answer.

"I want to be prepared for the Big One!" The scooter battery system is generally good for several nights, but if you're concerned about long outages, a week or more, you can get larger batteries. A 100 Amp-hour battery cost about $80 for a basic flooded, or $160 for an AGM. They can be kept separate or wired together into a large bank so solutions for several weeks or more can be put together. The care and feeding of such a large system is bit beyond this post, but I will add that whole house generators are the solution picked by some who live in areas where the grid can go down for more than a couple of days

What is a scooter battery system? I do not know what AGM is, and googling it has not helped. I do not know how to choose a100 amp-hour battery (or what exactly 100-amp hours means). Is any 100-amp hour battery I find ok? or are there other specifications i should look at?

There is something about the intangibility of electricity that I find difficult to understand it. I can build you a bed, bake you bread, do minor repairs to my car, and cook and host a 3 course dinner party for 25 people all by myself. But I can't see electricity, so all the numbers and terms are meaningless to me.

I hate asking for help, I am usually able to figure out what I need. I would be deeply grateful to anyone who would be kind enough to simplify this for me.

Thank you

[palerider]

I appreciate the link. However, that is one of the threads I spent hours looking through that left my head swimming in confusion.

Did you actually READ that link? I didn't say anything about the thread, or did you just say "I don't understand electricity" and quit?
It tells you *exactly* what to buy, and how to hook it together.

What is a scooter battery system?

detailed on the link that I sent.

Just read, and follow that *one post*.

[lodusblossom]

OK, I spent a lot more time on that thread. Originally I read from just above where you sent me to the beginning of the second page. Your link was not to the beginning of the thread.The very first post did give me some of the definitions that I was missing. But it was not enough, all the posts on the first page assume you know a lot more about all this then I do, and I was still very confused. It was not until page 3 that there was actually truly useful info. Since you gave me a link to a specific post within the thread, I did assume that was where the info was that you felt would be useful. I did not think you expected me to read all 15 pages, If you had sent a link to the very top of the thread, I probably would have made that assumption. Obviously I was wrong. I do understand better now, though it's still not totally clear to me.

I do feel the need to defend myself from the tone of your posts. The newbies section makes a couple things clear, that you all welcome newbies and will be nice, because you were all newbies once, and that newbies should start a new thread if we have a question. In fact, it encourages us to start a new thread instead of adding to an old one. I felt like I was clear that I was feeling frustrated and needed a bit of hand holding, and was asking for someone to be nice and help me out. I did not feel welcomed or like you were being nice by your posts. While you seemed frustrated that I hadn't read 15 pages of posts, It didn't feel like you had read my 2 posts. Maybe you didn't mean to come across as rude and dismissive, but that it is what it felt like. This was my very first time in this forum and it will be my last. I'm sure you will think I'm overreacting and completely dismiss me. That's fine, because if this is how you "welcome" people and are nice to them, I'm not going to be too concerned with your view of me.

[Pugsy]

Don't feel alone. I have been on cpap coming on 11 years now and my eyes still glaze over when I see talk about batteries and power and such. I just can't wrap my head around it. I doubt very seriously if I am ever going to change so I just accept it.

The direct link to the post in page 3....is more like a shopping list and where to start with your shopping.
It's impossible to give you exact criteria because battery life is tied to pressure needs...the more pressure you need or use the more battery power it will consume.

Also important is how much a person wants to invest in this stuff. I would need a light weight solution myself because I simply couldn't move a big heavy battery that might last several nights. Would the added cost of the light weight lithium batteries be worth it to me? It might. I don't always have hubby hanging around to do my heavy lifting for me.

We opted for a gas powered generator that would power the necessities of the house in case of a prolonged power outage.
We live out in the country...SW Missouri...ice and bad thunder storms are fairly common.

[JayDee]

I am looking for a recommendation for:
- Backup battery that is compatible for my cpap
- That can be charged by a solar panel, in case of an extended power outage.
- As well as a compatible solar panel
Most of the time I have plenty of sun available. I am looking for a simple, reasonably priced, off the shelf, buy x,y, and z solution.

I don't know of anyone who makes a "plug-n-play" solar battery backup for CPAP. Is this something that needs to be easily and readily portable, or will you set it up in your home and rarely if ever move it?

Do you understand the basics of electrical connections (ie, you know the difference between a positive terminal and a negative terminal) and can work basic hand tools (pliers, screwdrivers) then you have options.

Every person's situation, budget and needs can be different and there is not likely a pre-configured "one-size-fits-all" package you can buy.

If you are faced with a DIY solution, this should be a GENERAL guideline of the major components you may need (provided here just to give you ideas).

Get an automatic solar charge controller, example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q820UK/

Get a suitable solar panel that fits your charge controller, example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W81BZTO/

Get a sealed, 12 volt battery with a suitable power capacity, example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VN5ZGMZ/
I'm no expert on sizing for CPAP, but a battery sized to provide 35ah (amp-hours) should be enough "cushion" to get you through. If it's not enough, you can get another battery and expand your capacity.

Get a power inverter that converts 12 volts DC to 110 volts AC, example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774SCCND/

You may need some miscellaneous additional hardware (appropriate sized wire, electrical ring-connectors, a mounting bracket for the solar panel, etc)

Connect it all up and plug your CPAP machine into the power inverter.

Good luck with it!
-JD

[palerider]

Get a power inverter that converts 12 volts DC to 110 volts AC, example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774SCCND/

You were doing great right up to then... you do NOT want an inverter, they're very inefficient, and will waste up to half the battery power.

Just get the appropriate 12volt cable for the CPAP... (just like a radio, run it off 12volts).

[JayDee]

Get a power inverter that converts 12 volts DC to 110 volts AC, example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774SCCND/

You were doing great right up to then... you do NOT want an inverter, they're very inefficient, and will waste up to half the battery power.

Just get the appropriate 12volt cable for the CPAP... (just like a radio, run it off 12volts).

That's a good point... It pays to be mindful of efficiency when you don't have unlimited battery capacity and limited charging.

What I would love to see is something like a stand-by UPS, with 12vdc and a few USB power outputs (use what you need). What the heck - add a 110vac outlet in case you have some other non-12v device and you are in a jam and need it desperately. You should be able to expand capacity by simply connecting more batteries. It should be smart enough to detect when a cloudy day drops solar power too low & auto switches to wall-power if available (and vice-versa). And it shouldn't cost a fortune (this may be impossible).

But seriously, I think they could sell just the control & power distribution box without any batteries and let me buy/build my own battery bank. And have the charging logic be able to detect the battery type for the correct charge control, or at least make it selectable between the main battery types, which hopefully will include the lithium flavors. For all I know, something close/similar may already be out there and available on AliExpress or Wish, guaranteed corona virus free, direct from Mao's Guangzhou big-rock-candy-mountain industrial manufacturing center, shipped direct to my door in only 4 months...

-JD