Surge protectors and CPAP machines

I just had my CPAP machine plugged into a surge protector. I am thinking that with the chip and all the equipment it might be a good idea to have your machine plugged into a surge protector.

Both weather and old wiring in older houses can cause electrical spikes that can damage equipment.

The CPAP supplier didn't mention it, but I think it would be good to have the machine on a surge protector.

this was covered in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89628&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... +protector

I have a surge protector on all things that have chips in them in addition to a whole house surge protector.

hobbs wrote:I have a surge protector on all things that have chips in them in addition to a whole house surge protector.

I thought that using a surge protector on a surge protector was NOT recommended?

StuUnderPressure wrote:I thought that using a surge protector on a surge protector was NOT recommended?

Daisy chaining power strips is a threat to human life. Has previously caused fires. This applies to both power strips that are protectors and power strips that are not protectors.

StuUnderPressure wrote:

hobbs wrote:I have a surge protector on all things that have chips in them in addition to a whole house surge protector.

I thought that using a surge protector on a surge protector was NOT recommended?

Whole house surge proctor stops surges from the power grid from entering the house and stand alone protectors inside protect against internal surges.

hobbs wrote:

StuUnderPressure wrote:

hobbs wrote:I have a surge protector on all things that have chips in them in addition to a whole house surge protector.

I thought that using a surge protector on a surge protector was NOT recommended?

Whole house surge proctor stops surges from the power grid from entering the house and stand alone protectors inside protect against internal surges.

Surges are mostly caused by lighting or by phase shifts (i.e. squirrels shorting out one of the 3 power phases driving the other two up).

Lighting will find a path through whole house surge protectors but they may not be able to absorb all the energy. In that case, things with additional surge protectors will offer additional power protection but don't go overboard with surge protection extension cords. There are also different types such as lighting protectors which are different than normal surge protectors.

If you're in the US (or Cananda or Japan), you will have 120V power from the wall and all major providers have world wide power supplies that are quite happy with at least twice that. My resmed hasn't had a problem with 265VAC which means peak voltages of 375V 50 times a second. A UPS can also be considered.

If you are running your cpap machine when there is lighting or storms in the area and you don't have a surge protector, you can offer lighting a a shorter path through something else such as a cheap fan and have it plugged in as close to the fuse panel as you can get it. Induction motors (as used cheap fans) can absorb a fair amount of surge energy.

-tim wrote: Lighting will find a path through whole house surge protectors but they may not be able to absorb all the energy. In that case, things with additional surge protectors will offer additional power protection but don't go overboard with surge protection extension cords. There are also different types such as lighting protectors which are different than normal surge protectors.

An effective protector does not stop a surge. A protector rated at hundreds or a thousand joules will do what with a surge that is hundreds of thousands of joules? Only ineffective and undersized protectors stop a surge; absorb that energy.

A surge passing through a 'whole house' protector is not absorbed by an effective protector. A surge passing through a 'whole house' protector does not enter a building.

Are Interior generated surges routinely destroying electronics inside dimmer switches, GFCIs, and clocks? No? Interior generated surge is a myth invented by advertising. Due to protection already inside every appliance (including CPAP), then interior generated surges are only noise.

An interior generated surge is maybe tens of volts. How high must 120 V rise before any protector even sees it? A let-through voltage number is on its box: maybe 330 volts. That means tens of volts created by a "surge generating" appliance is ignored by protectors. And made irrelevant by protection already inside each appliance.

A protector and protection are different devices. A protector either connects a destructive transient to protection - earth ground. Or read its specifications. It only claims to protect only from tiny surges.

If a CPAP needs protection, then so does the refrigerator, TVs, dishwasher, dimmer switches, air conditioner, routers, and smoke detectors. Earthing a 'whole house' protector means protection for everything from all types of surges. Protection even of a CPAP machine means a surge is earthed BEFORE it enters a building.

No way would I use a surge protector.

It may be the only way I can get a new machine with better firmware from my insurance before the five years are up.....

Come on squirrel and lightning!

Surge protectors are a good idea. Put one right at the CPAP machine, even if you already have a whole house surge protector.

Plugging one surge protector into another one does no harm in general.

Many surge protectors may stop protecting after a while. Think of it as the surge protector sacrificing itself absorbing small surges over time. They usually have a light on them that will go out once the surge protection fails. Read the instructions and figure out how the light works, and check the light every so often.

When the surge protection fails, the power will still go to your device in most cases, so there's no obvious indication of failure other than the light.

Don't put too much faith in them, even when new. They stop or reduce some surges, but not all.

There are big differences between surge protectors and the degree of protection they provide. Most of the cheap ones do some good. A lot of the expensive ones are just fancy looking stuff for dumb people who buy things like $100 HDMI cables for their TV. There are some really good surge protectors, too.

westom wrote:

StuUnderPressure wrote:I thought that using a surge protector on a surge protector was NOT recommended?

Daisy chaining power strips is a threat to human life. Has previously caused fires. This applies to both power strips that are protectors and power strips that are not protectors.

That shouldn't hurt anything. What matters is amount of current pulled by the total number of devices plugged in. And the circuit breaker should protect against drawing excessive current. e.g. - 100 one watt devices isn't anymore dangerous than 1 one hundred watt light bulb.

westom wrote:A protector rated at hundreds or a thousand joules will do what with a surge that is hundreds of thousands of joules?

Please stop infecting this forum with your usual drivel about surge protection.

For others here. "Westom" is well known, under that user name and various variants, across multiple web forums/topics over many years now, for posting largely meaningless pseudo-technical misinformation.

Do a Google (or similar) web search on "westom surge" and you'll soon see multiple instances of a troll in action

JeffL wrote:

westom wrote:Daisy chaining power strips is a threat to human life. Has previously caused fires. This applies to both power strips that are protectors and power strips that are not protectors.

That shouldn't hurt anything. What matters is amount of current pulled by the total number of devices plugged in. And the circuit breaker should protect against drawing excessive current.

Total current is a major reason why daisy chaining power strips (any type) is a human safety threat. Circuit breakers are only another (and required) layer of protection. But do not always trip on overcurrent. For example, normal (defined by manufacturer specs) is a 20 amp circuit breaker conducting over 25 amps for as much as two hours without tripping. And conduct much higher currents for shorter times without tripping. That required circuit breaker is one layer of protection that assumes other safety rules (including OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303) are not violated. Daisy chaining any power strip is a safety threat.

Daisy chaining power strips caused a nearby kennel fire killing some 20 dogs. Circuit breakers worked as designed.

Maybe daisy chain when the connection is only temporary and operates under human supervision. Supervision does not exist when one is asleep.

westom wrote:

JeffL wrote:

westom wrote:Daisy chaining power strips is a threat to human life. Has previously caused fires. This applies to both power strips that are protectors and power strips that are not protectors.

That shouldn't hurt anything. What matters is amount of current pulled by the total number of devices plugged in. And the circuit breaker should protect against drawing excessive current.

Total current is a major reason why daisy chaining power strips (any type) is a human safety threat. Circuit breakers are only another (and required) layer of protection. But do not always trip on overcurrent. For example, normal (defined by manufacturer specs) is a 20 amp circuit breaker conducting over 25 amps for as much as two hours without tripping. And conduct much higher currents for shorter times without tripping. That required circuit breaker is one layer of protection that assumes other safety rules (including OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303) are not violated. Daisy chaining any power strip is a safety threat.

Daisy chaining power strips caused a nearby kennel fire killing some 20 dogs. Circuit breakers worked as designed.

Maybe daisy chain when the connection is only temporary and operates under human supervision. Supervision does not exist when one is asleep.

I'm not buying it. If you daisy chain 10 power strips together, it's the same as an extension chord, only with 10 sets of outlets along it's length. If the breakers are working, the house wiring is in good condition, and able to handle the current for which the breaker is rated, there shouldn't be any fire. We might just have to agree to disagree.

JeffL wrote: I'm not buying it. If you daisy chain 10 power strips together, it's the same as an extension chord, only with 10 sets of outlets along it's length.

Well, then I guess those dogs did not die in a fire - that the report said was created by daisy chained power strips. I guess OSHA really did not create those safety rules.

Some safety standards limit a numbers of receptacles to six. An extension cord with 10 outlets along its length typically would sell without safety listings.

Standards also define an extension cord as temporary when used for less than 90 days. Obviously that cord should not be under a rug or located where tripping might occur. Many obscure safety rules apply.