use cpap through 12 volt in a car

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
drzman49
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:20 pm

use cpap through 12 volt in a car

Post by drzman49 » Sun Jun 24, 2018 5:14 am

I have a respironics series m cpap, will this run through the 12v power outlets in a 2018 rav4, given the rav4 power specs?

I had to put in new 12v outlets in my subaru because the output from the electrical system was not sufficient to power the series m. Will the rav4 be able to handle the draw?

are there newer travel machines that are more friendly to cars with a lower outputs (I think in relation to amps or watts)?
Using respironics system one 760p
or respironics m series auto

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CapnLoki
Posts: 1162
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:26 pm
Location: North East

Re: use cpap through 12 volt in a car

Post by CapnLoki » Sun Jun 24, 2018 6:06 am

drzman49 wrote:
Sun Jun 24, 2018 5:14 am
I have a respironics series m cpap, will this run through the 12v power outlets in a 2018 rav4, given the rav4 power specs?

I had to put in new 12v outlets in my subaru because the output from the electrical system was not sufficient to power the series m. Will the rav4 be able to handle the draw?

are there newer travel machines that are more friendly to cars with a lower outputs (I think in relation to amps or watts)?
First, I must say that the car starter battery is not a deep cycle battery and is not designed to run a device like a cpap for extended periods. If the battery is new there's a fair chance it will work on occasion, but there's also a fair chance it will damage the battery. There are much better solutions if you're sleeping in a car.

That said -
The output of the 12V socket is generally fused at 10 Amps on older cars, and many newer cars are more -up to 20 amps. The actual load of a modern cpap pump bounces between 0 and 2-3 amps, with an average of about 0.5 to 1 amp. So there really shouldn't be any problem if you run directly with a DC cord and don't use an inverter.

If you're using an inverter, however, there could well be a problem. If you're using humidity, this can easily be too much for a small system. And if you're using humidity and powering through an inverter, this is a formula for a dead battery.

It would help if you could explain you full system, and I'm curious what you meant by "new outlets in the Subaru" - was the socket faulty? did you re-wire it? change the fuse?

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: Quattro™ Air Full Face Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Pressure 9-20, average ~9.5; often use battery power while off-grid
Hark, how hard he fetches breath . . .  Act II, Scene IV, King Henry IV Part I, William Shakespeare
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