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+--- Thread: Power Outages & CPAP (/Thread-Power-Outages-CPAP)
Power Outages & CPAP - DariaVader - 12-12-2014
I searched... but the words to search for power outages are really common ... I have seen a few references but not a full blown discussion
What are peoples favorite ways to prepare for overnight power outage?
RE: Power Outages - JJJ - 12-12-2014
Generator or battery backup. There has been a lot of discussion about battery backup systems here in the past. Personally, I have a natural gas powered generator on my agenda. I live in the middle of a city and I've lost power three time in the past six months. The power companies here won't spend anything on preventive maintenance and I'm sick of it.
RE: Power Outages - Ghost1958 - 12-12-2014
Overnight a battery running no humidifier or if so a marine deep cycle battery. Our power outages last must longer usually so we opt for a small gas powered generator. Heat with wood and if need be can power a fridge or freezer for a few hours a day with it also to keep things cold.
Other than that all it needs do is power 2 PRS1s with humidfiers
RE: Power Outages - justMongo - 12-12-2014
I induce antimatter into the warp drive core where there are dilithium crystals.
RE: Power Outages - PaulaO2 - 12-12-2014
Try doing a search with "power" or "battery" or "camping" but limit it to the title only vs the posts. Then leave it set to show results as threads.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-How-to-Doing-a-Forum-Search
There's been five or six popular threads with this as the topic. They can get rather lively and scientific! But basically it comes down to: avoid a computer battery backup system (won't last long enough) and test it before you need it.
RE: Power Outages - GeoffD - 12-12-2014
(12-12-2014, 06:17 AM)PaulaO2 Wrote: There's been five or six popular threads with this as the topic. They can get rather lively and scientific! But basically it comes down to: avoid a computer battery backup system (won't last long enough) and test it before you need it.
Searching on battery, this thread is particularly useful:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Battery-Powered?highlight=battery
RE: Power Outages - Peter_C - 12-12-2014
Worst case, buy a good quality "inverter" (changes 12 volt DC {think car battery} to 110 volt AC {house voltage}) and either sleep in the car, or pull the battery out of your car. I also bought a gas powered backup genny to run fridge, freezers, CPAP, and a few lights. In my area, power outages are either 1-2 minute affairs, or 2-4 days long.
RE: Power Outages - Peter_C - 12-12-2014
A lot will come down to what you want to spend vs how important this issue is to you? Resmed sells very $$$ items made just for your machine - but there are multiple ways to go about this.
RE: Power Outages - Galactus - 12-12-2014
(12-12-2014, 01:12 AM)DariaVader Wrote: I searched... but the words to search for power outages are really common ... I have seen a few references but not a full blown discussion
What are peoples favorite ways to prepare for overnight power outage?
A bottle of wine, graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate bar, propane for the gas grill, wood for the bonfire, warm blankets, and....
Oh wait you must mean for the PAP, in that case a generator hooked into the house power supply which runs all the important things like the TV the DVD Player, the internet so I can get to apneaboard.com and of course the CPAP machine so I can get some sleep!
Seriously though there are quite a few threads on this, most seem to favor the battery options, I favor the generator, mostly because power outages here can go on for as long as a week or more if it's really bad, and no matter what kind of battery system you have it is unlikely you could go that long without a generator. Besides with todays generator prices being so low it just makes sense.
RE: Power Outages - JJJ - 12-12-2014
(12-12-2014, 12:13 PM)Galactus Wrote: Seriously though there are quite a few threads on this, most seem to favor the battery options, I favor the generator, mostly because power outages here can go on for as long as a week or more if it's really bad, and no matter what kind of battery system you have it is unlikely you could go that long without a generator. Besides with todays generator prices being so low it just makes sense.
A generator makes more sense to me too. But the cheap ones run on gasoline, which is a pain, plus during a serious power outage try to find a gas station with pumps still working. If you stockpile it in your garage you have to keep replacing it because it will go bad in just a few months.
I have natural gas in my house for heat, hot water, and cooking, so it is trivial to run a pipe out to the patio in back of the house. It will be under ten feet, and the city told me that a permit is not required. And yes, I have a pressure gauge and I know how to do it properly. When not being used for the generator it can be used for a gas grill. Engines on natural gas run much cleaner, last longer, and produce half the CO that the same engine will produce on gasoline.
The only drawback is the cost. Most are gasoline powered generators converted with a kit so they will run on gasoline, propane or natural gas ("tri-fuel generator" is what to search for on the net). I have my eye on a portable with a Honda engine that puts out 7,000 watts continuously. It is rated for electronic equipment as well, which is another factor that increased the cost; about $1,600.
Instead of a transfer switch (permit required) I plan to install additional outlets in the house that are connected only to the generator. I'll put one by the refrigerator, by the freezer, in the computer/office/family room and, of course, in the bedroom for the CPAP machine. When the power fails all I have to do is start up the generator, then walk around the house and switch things from their normal outlet to the nearby generator outlet.
Now all I need is a few days free time to install all this stuff.
