What do you do when the power goes off?

needingu · Post by **needingu** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:31 pm

WOW! you people are awesome... So much information...I'll definetely have to digest all this and talk to sales people one on one. I do stained glass with lead soldering ..so don't want to get into trouble with lead..

Whats the neatest,,the least trouble, the most economical, the most dependable...etc, etc.

I will be traveling some.. Took cpap to Bermuda in May.. No problems.
For backup, I've never really thought much about it.. I'm learning...
Thanks

goose · Post by **goose** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:20 pm

I just read a site regarding gel cell batteries and their "special" charging requirements. It seems that gel cells require a very slow trickle charge in order not to have the gel separate and damage the internals. I seem to remember that aspect when I was doing gel cells for ham radio in the early 90's (I had to build a special charge controller for the gel cells I was using).

The new latest and greatest seems to be Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries. They have the same advantages as gel cells -- no spillage etc., but have the same charging requirements as a standard lead acid battery. They are also much more costly!!!

Here's the web site and the FAQ page.....

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Batter ... lectrolyte

I would think the neatest and least trouble is what Cliff has done and that's acquire the battery backup system for the particular machine -- in his case it sounds like an M series by Respironics.....(I'm going to look at that myself just from a convenience point).....

cheers
goose

Cliff · Post by **Cliff** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:17 pm

direct home medical dot com.....$295.00 with the required connection cable that everyone else charges another $25.00 for.....on sale.

charged it overnight and have not used it yet. I may play with it this week to see how long it will last.

Cliff

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:49 pm

The one I use, the Xantrex 400 Powerpack Plus, it's under $100 at Amazon including free shipping. It's got a sealed, non-spillable 20 amp-hour AGM battery. It looks like a boombox, but is heavier. Very handy if you don't know much about batteries and don't have a lot of time to learn. I figure 3 6-hour nights on the 12 volt using the HH in passover mode. That's on my M-series travel machine. On the classic Remstart it would last less time because it uses more power. Here's the link with more info:
http://tinyurl.com/yt9sh2

shippy · Post by **shippy** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 6:57 pm

In my thirty seven years of working in the Agricultural field i have seen a few batteries explode from sparks around them caused by hooking up jumper cables to the battery or over charging them caused by a malfuntioning alternator regulator. I sure wouldn't put a battery under my side of the bed or in my room either, the gas they give off is nasty smelling also and corrosive.

Dale

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:14 pm

Vader wrote:
needingu wrote:Thanks to RESTED GAS..
Sometimes I find Rested Gas to be an annoyance.....

(sorry, I know it was a typo, but I couldn't resist!)

ROTFL!! You know, Vader, I missed that the first time. Was hard to miss in big blue font the second time!

needingu, glad the links were helpful. You've been getting good advice in this thread, so it's about to be added to "the links", thanks to your starting the thread.

For new readers, the topics needingu was talking about are here:

LINKS to Battery operation, camping, power outage
viewtopic.php?t=9682

JennyLouWho · Post by **JennyLouWho** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:16 pm

I haven't experienced a power failure yet, but when I asked my RT (which is who came and set me up with my machine) about whether or not I should tell the power co. about my being on CPAP...thinking that I would get some kind of "special, first-to-be-fixed" treatment in the event of such a power failure....she told me that the power co. would not do anything about it because" being on a CPAP machine is not considered a 'medical necessary life-saving machine' ". HUH??????? I think she meant as opposed to say, heart/lung machines, heart monitors and the like, but.....still.......to quote that famous Caveman from TV........UHHHHHH.....WHAT?????????

needingu · Post by **needingu** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:05 am

I received the application, from power co. yesterday, to take to my doctor and if he signs as medically necessary they supposedly accept it.. Don't know.. I will ask if he thinks necessary ,,if so ..I'll follow through..or I will just sleep in my lounge chair..or get the backup battery system in place.

BATPOO · Post by **BATPOO** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:52 am

I think that the simplest solution is to buy an off the shelf uninterruptable power supply (UPS) from someplace like Best Buy in the 1000 VA range such as an APC Smart-UPS 750VA USB & Serial 120V. It will run a normal CPAP without the heated humidifier for 8 - 10 hours. If the power goes off an alarm will sound alerting you to turn off your humidifier. A good UPS will also provide surge protection but I would still unplug it and run off of the battery during a thunder storm. Cost will be about $300. (peace of mind has a price). You can run the CPAP on it all the time.

BATPOO

MidnightOwl · Post by **MidnightOwl** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:27 pm

Batteries seem awful expensive tho I'm still considering getting one for camping. For now I'm doing without which is the same thing the RT recommended I do whenever I have a really bad cold. And I'd do the same in a blackout. If really worried I'd try sleeping propped up by cushions or in a chair. The last couple of blackouts I experienced were accompanied by so much heat that sleeping wasn't really an option anyway.

However, if I also needed oxygen or if I desaturated more drastically without CPAP then I do then I would certainly consider a back up.

MartiniLover · Post by **MartiniLover** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:17 am

Take mask off, and go back to sleep.

I will probably feel terrible the next day.............. for a while.

Get over it.

If you you don't ever sleep with it, it may kill you.

Skipping part of a night is no different than taking your mask off for a couple hours because it is uncomfortable.

FASTFJR · Post by **FASTFJR** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:03 pm

The power went out at my house for 18 hours 3 months ago. I use a S8 Escape CPAP Machine.

This http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... &CatId=234
Kept my unit running for 7 hours (WITHOUT THE HUM)

Panhandler · Post by **Panhandler** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:20 pm

Can anyone think of a reason I can't run my Remstar Auto (tank) off a 12v. battery regularly (charging during the day) and run the HH off the house power? Seems like that would cover power outages only losing the heater, which I can probably handle. I just don't know if the machine will turn the HH on if it's running off 12v.

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:57 pm

I have a Respironics Battery Pack,https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -pack.html
I also have a 12 volt DC Power Cord https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -cord.html

I use the 12v cord in my RV, I have had the power go out on me in my RV. So I started using the 12v cord to the chassis battery,

I also have a 1600 watt power pack for jumpstarting vehicles that will also run my M-series Bipap Auto. My battery pack will run it for two and a half days at my settings, before I have to recharge it. Using it 5 to 8 hours each night. I usually sllep about 6 to 7 hours. on average. I can use my Bipap on my coach batteries for almost two weeks with out charging the coach batteries. knock on wood, good luck.

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:03 am

[quote="JennyLouWho"]I haven't experienced a power failure yet, but when I asked my RT (which is who came and set me up with my machine) about whether or not I should tell the power co. about my being on CPAP...thinking that I would get some kind of "special, first-to-be-fixed" treatment in the event of such a power failure....she told me that the power co. would not do anything about it because" being on a CPAP machine is not considered a 'medical necessary life-saving machine' ". HUH??????? I think she meant as opposed to say, heart/lung machines, heart monitors and the like, but.....still.......to quote that famous Caveman from TV........UHHHHHH.....WHAT?????????

Machine

Machine

What do you do when the power goes off?

Back Up Power for CPAP