Do you need a 3-prong outlet to use a CPAP machine?

My sleep center had me do an at home test that said I have sleep apnea, and they are going to schedule me for an at-home titration once the equipment is available.

I have a question--a brochure they gave me from one of the CPAP manufacturers says you have to "plug the CPAP into a 3-prong outlet." I don't have 3-prong outlets. I have a very old apartment with very old wiring. My landlord says it is very expensive to upgrade the wiring and he won't do it. I had an electrician I know look at my outlets to see if I could use an adaptor. He checked it out but said the original wiring was not done up to code and that it woud not be safe to use an adaptor.

My insurance company won't pay to re-wire my apartment. My landlord won't pay. Do I have to move to a new apartment to use a CPAP if all CPAP machines need 3-prong outlets?

No, mine only has two prongs.

nanwilson wrote:No, mine only has two prongs.

Most cpap machines I know only require a 2 prong outlet.

However comma

New Question wrote:My landlord says it is very expensive to upgrade the wiring and he won't do it. I had an electrician I know look at my outlets to see if I could use an adaptor. He checked it out but said the original wiring was not done up to code and that it woud not be safe to use an adaptor.

after learning the wiring is "not safe" from an electrician, how will you ever sleep there again? HOW?

Buy a strip outlet. Those come in different sizes and have 2 prongs to plug in, but the outlets on the strip have 3.

The old wiring in your apartment has just 2 wires -- a hot (live) wire and a neutral (return) wire. There is no separate ground wire. It is not safe to add a 3-prong outlet to a 2-wire system because devices with a 3-prong plug are designed to have a separate ground. It is unsafe to use such a device without a ground. The ground wire (typically connected to the metal case of a device) gives stray current a path back to ground that has less resistance than flowing through a person. Since many devices now have non-conductive plastic cases, 3-prong plugs are not as prevalent as they once were.

djr1215 wrote:Buy a strip outlet. Those come in different sizes and have 2 prongs to plug in, but the outlets on the strip have 3.

Such a device is not safe because it creates the same condition as wiring a 3-prong outlet into a 2-wire system.

I believe that it is permissible to add a 3-prong GFI (ground-fault interrupter) outlet to a 2 wire system. There still is no ground, but the GFI does not need one to operate and adds a measure of safety. A GFI compares the current entering and leaving the outlet. These currents should be equal. If they are not, current must be flowing somewhere it shouldn't, and the device shuts the power off.

All that said, my ResMed S8 only has a 2-prong plug. So you probably won't have a problem.

But a 2-wire system is pretty old. My parent's house, built in 1960, had 2-wire outlets, but there was a ground wire present in the box. So 3-wire outlets could be retrofitted safely. Your system is older than that. If your apartment building has knob-and-tube wiring, I would seriously question the safety of the building.

We have 3 pronged outlets in our home and many electrical things we have use 3 pronged outlets - not so the cpap machine. I have used cpap for 8 years now and all the machines I've had have 2 prong cords.

I would, however, be concerned in the wiring in my home was not considered safe by a qaulified electrician. I hope you have a smoke detector at least.

When you, move out, narc them out to Building and Safety.
It is a crime to put people in peril by not repairing dangerous wiring.

If a qualified electrician told you that even the original old wiring was not installed to code, it doesn't sound safe to me and should be reported to some housing authority. I wouldn't be afraid of being a whistle blower either because your landlord probably knows his building is not safe. I don't mean to alarm you but I'd be nervous about having a cpap machine or any electrical equipment running all night while asleep without proper wiring.

DoriC wrote:If a qualified electrician told you that even the original old wiring was not installed to code, it doesn't sound safe to me and should be reported to some housing authority. I wouldn't be afraid of being a whistle blower either because your landlord probably knows his building is not safe. I don't mean to alarm you but I'd be nervous about having a cpap machine or any electrical equipment running all night while asleep without proper wiring.

Yes, this.

CPAP machines are double insulated and do not need three prong outlets.

chunkyfrog wrote:When you, move out, narc them out to Building and Safety.
It is a crime to put people in peril by not repairing dangerous wiring.

You'll likely just get a blank look. 2 wire systems were neither unsafe nor illegal when originally installed. The GFCI power strip is a good idea and will work fine.

Take a deep breath and exhale.

Old 2 wire electrical service can be safe if it was properly installed and has been maintained. Questioning the safety of the building just because it has knob and tube wiring is fear mongering.

The critical issue is was the wiring done in accordance with the code in effect when it was constructed and not the current code. Your “electrician” may be assuming that because it is not to current code that it is unsafe. Properly maintained older wiring should be safe.

If you have a real concern ask the city build department to inspect the wiring in your apartment. If it is a hazard the landlord will be required to repair it but this would not require that it be upgraded to 3 wire. It is likely that the greatest benefit is that you will sleep better because you will not worry so much. I believe building departments do these types of inspections all the time. While the landlord may not appreciate the added cost it will be a lot cheaper than finding a new tenant.

My 3 prong APAP plug is plugged into an adapter which is plugged (2 prong) into a timer which in turn is plugged into a 3 prong outlet. I do not worry about my wiring.

3 wire systems do provide added protection and are desirable but they are not essential.

The existence of a smoke detector does not say anything about the safety of the wiring.

Take a deep breath and exhale.

Slartybartfast wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:When you, move out, narc them out to Building and Safety.
It is a crime to put people in peril by not repairing dangerous wiring.

You'll likely just get a blank look. 2 wire systems were neither unsafe nor illegal when originally installed. The GFCI power strip is a good idea and will work fine.

I lived in an apartment once that did not pass inspection because of this situation. I have lived in apartments that were inspected once a year. Is that abnormal?

Jaylee wrote:I lived in an apartment once that did not pass inspection because of this situation. I have lived in apartments that were inspected once a year. Is that abnormal?

Jaylee,

It all depends on where you live. In Minneapolis, in order to rent a unit, you have to have a license to rent out each individual unit. The local rules where that you had to meet code as of the last time any work was done on a given system. For example, if an electrical permit was pulled, you had to update to meet the code as of that date. In another suburb of the twin cities, one has to meet all current codes each year to get your rental license renewed. In a city north of the twin cities where a friend has some rentals, there are not licenses at all, and no inspections.

Another factor as a landlord is insurance. In order to get a decent rate, I went with an insurance company that had higher standards. They required an inspection when the policy was issued. One big thing with them was that they didn't allow fuses, you had to have circuit breakers. A 2 wire system would be out of the question, and GFI's were required in the kitchen and bath. In contrast, at a 49 unit complex that I deal with, the insurance company never even visited the site. They were satisfied that the city inspected the place when it was built in 2002.

As far as the original poster goes, I would not connect a device to my face that uses both electricity and water without it being a known good 3 wire circuit, or a properly installed and grounded 2 wire system. Since there are doubts that the 2 wire system was installed correctly, there is no way I'd use CPAP in that place, not even on a bet. I probably wouldn't want to take a shower there, either. Life is too short to risk your hide over something silly like bad wiring.

-john-

I wouldn't worry about it. THE NEUTRAL IS A GROUND! Just put a good two-prong computer surge protector between the wall and the CPAP machine. The plastic tubing between your CPAP machine and face will not conduct electricity.

If you don't believe that the neutral is a ground, look at the main electrical panel in a house. The green grounds and white neutrals connect to the SAME BUS. You can also ask your power company to confirm that in older buildings the neutral wire from the power company is grounded. That's why CPAP machines can do without a third, separate grounding prong on the plug.

My house had the original knob-and-tube wiring without a grounding electrode at the house for 60 years and never had a problem. Before escrow closed, the house passed inspection with that old wiring and lack of grounding electrode at the house. We have pretty strict building codes out here in California. The seller was required to install smoke detectors but was not required to do anything about the original two-wire electrical system.