08-18-2014, 02:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-18-2014, 02:28 PM by snuffles.)
RE: Battery Powered!
I'll just throw this in as food for thought.....
We sail, and I like to spend a few days away from home on the boat and needed my CPAP machine. I have looked at those power backups/packs and found they are expensive for what you get. In the end I went to National Battery and the folks there told me the guys who go hunting use a 100AH 12V sealed battery they sell for $100. It lasts 3 nights usually running a CPAP machine so they told me. I bought one to have it now on our boat.
When at shore it's connected to a "Battery Tender" so when we go out it's ready to go. As it turns out because I use a Resmed S8 on the boat without the humidifier my battery would last for almost a week. The S8 only draws about 1 Amp on it's own when measure even though it says 2.5 Amps on the bottom.
I know this isn't a solution for some here who want to fly, or have convenience but it's a cheaper and more durable solution for hunting, camping, boating, than using something like a C-100 at $500.
All you need is the battery and then go to an auto supply place and get the female cigarette lighter plug with either hard wire ends or alligator clips to attach to the battery and then get the male attachment for your machine. I was able to pickup the 12 Volt power supply for the Resmed S8 for $25. (for the S9 you need an inverter which is slightly more $65 I think)
So... $500 (C-100 - 2 battery system) for maybe 2 to 3 days
or
$100 (battery) + $3 (female end) + $25 (power supply) for 5 to 7 days depending on your machine and pressure.
It's just something to think about.
RE: Battery Powered!
What is the weight and size of the battery you got? Does it have a brand name?
PaulaO
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
RE: Battery Powered!
Holy cow. That's kinda heavy. I'll keep an eye out for one of that AH. Thanks for letting us know.
PaulaO
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
RE: Battery Powered!
For power outage backup (not for travel), another option is to just get a normal UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for computers, and plug your CPAP power supply into it. I have an inexpensive UPS (~$50) that will keep my machine running for a couple hours. They come in all different sizes, so you can decide how big to go. The advantage is it will be completely seamless in switching to battery in case the power goes out during the night, you wouldn't even know a power event happened. And UPS's are all surge protected, so it'll also help keep your CPAP equipment safe.
RE: Battery Powered!
How long will it keep your Elite going? Is the humidifier on?
In terms of power usage, 7 is a low draw. But I don't see the average cost UPS running it for a few hours.
I keep meaning to use mine one night to see how long it lasts.
PaulaO
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
RE: Battery Powered!
Hmm... Just ran some numbers and you're right, I think I overestimated how long the UPS would last. Anyway I'll run an experiment and report back with actual data.