Poll: How Prepared Are You Regarding A Cpap Backup Plan

[torontoCPAPguy]

What I want is a power supply for when the power is out for a week. I can manage a night, or part of a night, but not four or five nights or more.

The power is getting more stable in my neighborhood; still, in 20 years we have been without power for most of a week due to 1) a hurricane, and 2) an ice storm.

A generator seems to be the fix, as nothing else would run long enough.

A couple of heavy duty car batteries would run the power inverter quite nicely for several days without the heater/humidifier running; then you could start tapping onto various batteries IN their cars, etc. Or for max efficiency, just use a DC cable for your blower (only) if it has that capability. Of course there's nothing like a gas powered Honda generator for supplying long term AC power IF you can get the fuel for it. So that means sufficient fuel in cans in the garage or siphoning cars as without power the gas stations are not going to be pumping except for perhaps one that has generator power (unlikely). Remember New Orleans.

[jazzer4]

I have a question about battery power. There are 6 huge batteries in my golf cart, and a charger. Could I use any of this for one night, and how would I do that? I'm 70 miles north of Houston and this is suppose to be an active hurricane year.
We lose power on a good day.
I thought ResMed was coming up with something for this in July or Aug, so I was waiting.

[CynConn]

I have been a CPAP user since 1996.

CPAP machines:
1996 - First machine - Respironics silo - had to be set to a single pressure.
2005 - Upgraded to a Remstar C-Flex plus with heated humidifier, kept the old Respironics as backup.
2010 - Upgraded to S9 Autoset - will keep Remstar as backup and ditch old Respironics silo.

Masks - currently using a Hybrid which I love. Have a few Quatro masks that leak badly as backups. My insurance will cover a couple of masks a year so I will get another Hybrid and keep the current one as backup.

Hoses etc - have several on hand, will need to get a backup thermal hose for my S9.

No external power supply, seriously if my power was out that long, I would be going to a motel somewhere. Hasn't been much of a problem here in Arizona.

I do have my CPAP machine plugged into a surge protector to prevent damage from power spikes.

Cynthia

[bearded_two]

nosenabook, It wouldn't be that difficult to find an AGM deep cycle battery (not a marine battery or car starting battery) that will power a CPAP machine for about a week. I have one of the smaller Optima yellow top batteries and it will power my CPAP for at least four or five nights -- two of these batteries will power a CPAP for at least eight to ten nights. I have a li-ion battery that will power my machine for two nights (almost three nights); with my two batteries, I should be good to go for almost a week.

The Optima batteries are in the same size cases as car batteries and have color coded tops indicating what sort of use they are designed for: Red Top is a standard car battery, it is designed to start engines -- short duration, high current. Yellow Top is a deep cycle battery that is suitable for CPAP use -- long duration, low current. Blue Top is a marine battery, which is a compromise between a starting battery and a deep cell battery.

[bearded_two]

Car batteries will power a CPAP for a while, perhaps a night or two; the problem is that if a car battery is discharged to the point that a CPAP won't run, the battery will be damaged and the service life of the battery will be seriously shortened.

CPAPs should be powered from from deep cycle batteries, which are designed to tolerate being discharged like that. A marine battery is better than a car battery for use with a CPAP; it is a compromise between a starting battery and a deep cycle battery.

[ldj325]

I have, in transit, a VPAP AdaptSV which I hope to make my primary machine as soon as I can titrate for this. I also have on hand a Respironics BiPAP autoSV which I am planning on having as my back up. I also have the S9 AutoSet which will probably be moving on once I get set up on the SV machines.

[Paul254]

I've been 100 percent compliant since Day One. Personally, one night or one week without CPAP is not a life or death issue. If I lose power during the night, I take off my mask. I don't sleep as well, but I'll catch up when power is restored.

[WillCunningham]

I've been 100 percent compliant since Day One. Personally, one night or one week without CPAP is not a life or death issue. If I lose power during the night, I take off my mask. I don't sleep as well, but I'll catch up when power is restored.

I felt the same way till I tried to sleep without it during a short power outtage. I have a high pressure setting around 22/19 on my bipap so that might be the cause, the the result is that if I try to sleep with out it I just don't feel like I have enough air. I don't have a fully redundant system yet and I have not yet solved the power issue, but I am definitely going to look into the subject some more. I got lucky that the power came back on that night because I pretty much discovered that with no power I won't even attempt to sleep, at least not for a couple of days. My current plan would be to try to get to a hotel with power, but if that were not possible...my truck has a plug and I would try that and hope I got lucky. Not really a good plan the more I think about it, great thread!

[dvejr]

I'm lucky about my battery. I can easily slide it off of my CPAP to charge it during the daytime, and then reattach it to use at night on the CPAP.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Evo-AE ... -Pack.html
This comes in handy when, for example, there's no AC near the hotel bed I'm sleeping in.

dve

[KC5cychris]

I have a question about battery power. There are 6 huge batteries in my golf cart, and a charger. Could I use any of this for one night, and how would I do that? I'm 70 miles north of Houston and this is suppose to be an active hurricane year.
We lose power on a good day.
I thought ResMed was coming up with something for this in July or Aug, so I was waiting.

Jazzer4
that is a very good set up as I will suspect that those are 6 vdc batteries with a high amp hour rating, connected in series/ parrell so that they will maximize use and available power if you were to install an inverter on this set up an exstention cord through the window and you would be set for days

[Mebake]

Here is my list. I am a little surprised how much I have.

Resmed S9 Auto with humidifier slim line hose + Climate line hose and software. Main machine.

Back up machine M Series Pro C-Flex with humidifier + Respironics Battery Kit with Universal 12 Volt DC Cable (actually got insurance company to pay for) Plug in and charged ready to go.

2 new regular hoses

3 Swift FX Nasal Pillow 1 unopened (9 extra pillows 1 unopened)

4 Mirage Swift LT Nasal Pillow 1 unopened (8 extra pillows 1 unopened)

1 Mirage SoftGel Nasal

1 Mirage Liberty Full Face CPAP Mask with Nasal Pillows

1 Respironics FullLife Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear

1 Respironics ComfortGel Full Face

1 Respironics OptiLife Nasal Pillow

Multiple chin straps and hose covers and extra filters for both machines. Wow you do not relies how much stuff you collect until you write it down

[msla]

ResMed S9 - Primary
Remstar Pro - Backup wirh 12 volt cables
4 hoses
FP Ophus 360 - with 1 extra pillow
ResMed Swift - used several years
ResMed mirage vista - well used, need to get a new cushion - for those times whrn the nares are irritated
Inno Med nasal aire - used several years

Deep cycle battery on a trickle charger. I need to have it checked to make sure that the battery is still good.

[reallyneedsleep]

Great topic! Well I'm still new to this "cpap" life style but after 5 weeks and all the fantastic changes going on in my life here is how committed I have become:

3 cpaps, one in each place I live. I work out of town 4 days a week and have an apartment, one at home and one brand new...just incase

2 major ups's set up at home and apt

4 masks

Been completely life changing for me...will leave nothing to chance!
( on a 2 week work assignment in Europe and yep cpap came with me )

[jonquiljo]

I have a really naive question: What are the issues of not getting CPAP a night or two if you are used to it? I'm getting to feel a lot better in the last 10 days that I have been on it, but is this something that is essentially addictive - like taking Ambien to sleep and running out of it?

[topdragster]

The cpap back up plan is called a couch. She don't like the snoring? then she can hit the couch, lol. Really if something was to go sideways with the cpap I'm sure a few nights without it won't kill me. The couch was my place of rest for 12 years. Don't get me wrong, cpap has changed my life but OMG if i missed it for a few nights it wouldn't be that that killed me. So if a problem arises I'll McGiver it to get through. Just my two breaths.