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Sometimes lightning does what it darn well wants to, but the increased risk from using CPAP is miniscule.

The mask is electrically insulated from the hose. Unless you have a heated hose, the hose is electrically insulated. The machine electronics are insulated from the power lines. Since it's medical equipment, it's probably better insulated from the power line than most electrical equipment. Even if a power surge gets into the the machine, it's mostly going to be "differential" mode and not a "common mode" spike between power and ground that will electricute you, even if you get connected to it. If lightning hits your house, most of the current will find a much easier path to ground than your body, so the shock is not likely to get to you. Even if the voltage gets through everything, and gets to your body, it won't hurt you unless the current finds a way to get from your body to ground. You're probably fairly well insulated from ground by your mattress, box springs, and bed frame.

It's also rather unlikely to get a lightning strike directly on your house. Power surges into the power line that damage electrical equipment are reasonably common, but that tends to damage equipment, not people. Generally, you're pretty well insulated from the AC power in your home.

However if the lightning is really intense and close, I'll sometimes unplug the machine to protect the machine. If it's really bad, I probably won't be sleeping for a while anyway.

Stevoreno_55 wrote:I live in a part of the country where there are many thunderstorms which have lightning. Can anyone get electrocuted while sleeping on a CPAP or a BIPAP machine during an electrical storm?

Well, you're less than two hours from me, and yeah, believe me, I know about Katrina.

I, too, have a whole house generator.

I use a Calamari surge suppressor.

My mask is plastic. I don't THINK it is likely to conduct current from the machine to me.

I am CERTAIN my body shouldn't do without my Beastie!

Stevoreno_55 wrote:Thanks for the replies. I'll be leaving soon to go to the lab for my titration; I hope everything goes good tonight. One thing I won't have to worry about is bad weather because none is in tonight's forecast.


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
06/04/14

Well I had my titration last night and as I suspected my pressure went up; all the tech would tell me was I reached 20cm and once the doctor interprets last night's titration results I might have to return for a second titration; the second one will be all night on a BIPAP. I should get a copy of my titration report in about a week.


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
06/05/14

A casual discussion with an outdoor utility worker can be an eye opener.
Many of us have no idea of the safety systems in place to protect us from lightning and power surges.
We should still respect downed lines, as it can happen with severe storms or vehicle accidents.

library lady wrote:I never worry about the "what ifs" of things; life is too short as it is, and I'd rather enjoy my time on earth than spend it worrying about things that may never happen.

Learn from others who figured this out even 100 years ago. Telephone operators would remove headsets and leave the room with each storm? Of course not. So that lightning did not enter via their ears, buildings had installed a properly earthed 'whole house' protector. Then a surge is never inside the building hunting destrucively for earth via appliances - or operators.

This solution is only installed if the homeowner asks for it. The 'beefy' computer grade protector is simply a three dollar power strip with some ten cent protector parts. With a massive profit margin. And would not be acceptacle even 100 years ago to protect operators. The other (and properly earthed) solution also costs tens of times less money.

Not really a cause for concern. I live in the lightning capital of the world --tampabay. We have the most and the baddest of them all. Furthermore I worked in electrical protection for florida power for 40 years. Repaired a lot of damage and had a lot of close calls . Electrical manufactures bring their stuff here for testing. We did a lot of research to protect our equipment and people . Your setup sounds real good to me.
You are very safe in the bed with the cpap on , no wires are close to you , the hose is insulated very well-- air does not like to pass electrical energy-- water reservoir is not a problem . You simply don't have a path lying in bed . Stay off the wired telephone ,stay away from the sinks and the showers during the storm . Don't mess with the cable tv connections or any wired device during that time, that includes stoves ,refrigerators, hair curlers, electric blankets etc.
I am in a stilt house 28 feet in the air by the river and cpap is not a problem at all.
A wired telephone is dangerous if you are on it. Have a good nights sleep.

I figure if I'm hit by lightning because I am using a CPAP then it's my time to go. As others have pointed out. there's plenty to worry about in this life without worrying about your CPAP being hit by lightning.

I'd say the chances of getting shocked using your cpap is less than the chance of having a heart attack or stroke because you weren't using it.

chunkyfrog wrote:As FDR said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

FDR would have liked us to believe that. We really had a lot to fear from FDR - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_ ... _Roosevelt .

Have no idea why you would get electrocuted. The pathway from the machine to your face has extremely high resistance, and you are not electrically grounded. As others have stated, if you want to worry, worry about your CPAP breaking or not getting power.

I think the original question was more about if it is a possiblity than about the degree of likelihood. I know next to nothing about electricity. But from what I'm reading, am I correct that as long as it isn't a heated hose, electricity cannot be transferred from the machine to the user? What about if the nightstand has metal legs and is up against metal bed rails? Since I am only in an area prone to lightning part of the year, it has less concern to me these days, but I'd still like to know if it is scientifically possible. It's about having all the information to make an informed risk assessment. I'm skittish about electricity around a bed anyhow. Never want a headboard with an electric clock radio or lamp on it. Had a cousin whose bed went up in flames when lightning ran in on her radio on the headboard. Even if there is a risk and I chose to not sleep with my machine, I wouldn't take the chance of laying down and sleeping without my machine. I would risk sleeping sitting up. Everyone's risk tolerance is different.

Lightning can jump from a cloud four miles away to a man on a golf course who has no wires connected to the cloud.

Anything is possible.

As far as saying the OP is "worrying", kteague is right that you can educate yourself and take reasonable precautions without worrying.

Physician wrote:Have no idea why you would get electrocuted. The pathway from the machine to your face has extremely high resistance, and you are not electrically grounded. As others have stated, if you want to worry, worry about your CPAP breaking or not getting power.

Physician:

My 7 year old CPAP machine is broken; I just completed a 2 night sleep study last week which my insurance company required me to do before they would agree to pay for a new machine. I'm waiting on my titration results to come back from the lab's sleep doctor but in the meantime my DME loaned me a gently used ResMed S9 Elite CPAP machine with a HH 2 months ago which I'm still using. As for the other question about losing power; that's shouldn't be a problem here at my house unless there's an interuption to my underground NG supply. After Hurricane Katrina I had a whole house NG generator installed to take care of that problem. I lost power today for about 2 hours after a line of severe thunderstorms moved through my area. The generator kicked on within 30 seconds of my electricity going out today and then it shut off when my main power came back on. Installing that whole house generator was the best investment I ever made on this house after Hurricane Katrina.


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
06/11/14

kteague wrote:I think the original question was more about if it is a possiblity than about the degree of likelihood. I know next to nothing about electricity. But from what I'm reading, am I correct that as long as it isn't a heated hose, electricity cannot be transferred from the machine to the user? What about if the nightstand has metal legs and is up against metal bed rails? Since I am only in an area prone to lightning part of the year, it has less concern to me these days, but I'd still like to know if it is scientifically possible. It's about having all the information to make an informed risk assessment. I'm skittish about electricity around a bed anyhow. Never want a headboard with an electric clock radio or lamp on it. Had a cousin whose bed went up in flames when lightning ran in on her radio on the headboard. Even if there is a risk and I chose to not sleep with my machine, I wouldn't take the chance of laying down and sleeping without my machine. I would risk sleeping sitting up. Everyone's risk tolerance is different.

Kteague:

I agree with what you're saying but to this day if the weather is bad like it was most of yesterday I will not go to sleep on my machine. First thing I'll do is disconnect my machine from it's electrical outlet if it's storming; lightning and thundering outside because I'd rather be awake during that time so I can listen for the freight train sound associated with tornadoes than try to sleep on my machine. I have never been able to sleep during bad weather period.


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
06/11/14

Guess if you're staying awake during the storm and unplugging your machine then there's no risk of lighting hitting your machine or in sleeping without the machine.