Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Judy on June 26, 2009 at 1:31pm

I'd go w/a good surge protector. I don't need a battery backup as my hubby in an electrician and we have an easy even for me to use generator set up to keep limited "appliances" and lights running so I don't have any suggestions to make about a battery backup except that Resmeds need a slightly different battery backup set up than Respironics - something about a sine wave something or other I think I remember reading.

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Permalink Reply by BeeAsleep on June 26, 2009 at 4:22pm

So I wonder if I need a special ResMed surge protector?

Judy said:

I'd go w/a good surge protector. I don't need a battery backup as my hubby in an electrician and we have an easy even for me to use generator set up to keep limited "appliances" and lights running so I don't have any suggestions to make about a battery backup except that Resmeds need a slightly different battery backup set up than Respironics - something about a sine wave something or other I think I remember reading.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Lyons on June 26, 2009 at 5:00pm

Bee,
You, and everyone, should be powering your *PAP unit the a good quality surge protector. I do not mean a simple power strip, but a good, fast reaction surge protector. This will help protect your unit from minor fluctuations in the power. You should also carry one with you when you travel.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, will protect your electrical system and devices from a direct lightning strike. The energy released by a strike moves to fast. By the time the strip has reacted, the damage has been done.

The only thing that will protect you in this case is a good insurance policy.

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Permalink Reply by BeeAsleep on June 26, 2009 at 5:45pm

A good insurance policy...LOL! Yeah, I guess you are right. I wonder if my policy covers a direct lightening strike while using a CPAP?

I was thinking about getting a Tripp-Lite Isobar surge protector. What do you think?

Dan Lyons said:

Bee,
You, and everyone, should be powering your *PAP unit the a good quality surge protector. I do not mean a simple power strip, but a good, fast reaction surge protector. This will help protect your unit from minor fluctuations in the power. You should also carry one with you when you travel.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, will protect your electrical system and devices from a direct lightning strike. The energy released by a strike moves to fast. By the time the strip has reacted, the damage has been done.

The only thing that will protect you in this case is a good insurance policy.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Lyons on June 26, 2009 at 6:15pm

Tripp-Lite is a brand name that has been around for many years and has been known to make some good products, and some poor products. They are a brand name and usually rely of third party manufacturers and re-brand them with the Tripp-Lite name.

For your peace of mind, call your homeowners or renters insurance agent and ascertain the coverage and limits of your respective policy. The agent is there for that purpose. The time to get the answer is not after you file a claim.

Another step you should take is notifying your electrical grid provider and advise them that you have a medical device, which requires AC power to operate. This action sometimes brings your restoration of power during an outage to the top of the stack.

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Permalink Reply by BeeAsleep on June 26, 2009 at 7:34pm

Thanks so much for the info!

Dan Lyons said:

Tripp-Lite is a brand name that has been around for many years and has been known to make some good products, and some poor products. They are a brand name and usually rely of third party manufacturers and re-brand them with the Tripp-Lite name.

For your peace of mind, call your homeowners or renters insurance agent and ascertain the coverage and limits of your respective policy. The agent is there for that purpose. The time to get the answer is not after you file a claim.

Another step you should take is notifying your electrical grid provider and advise them that you have a medical device, which requires AC power to operate. This action sometimes brings your restoration of power during an outage to the top of the stack.

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Permalink Reply by Judy on June 26, 2009 at 10:38pm

Look up any of the Resmed CPAPs at cpap.com Scroll down thru the information and you will what you need to know about battery backups for the Resmed CPAPs. Better safe than sorry.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Couchman on June 27, 2009 at 1:36am

your mask is on the end of a PLASTIC hose. its not electrical at that point at all. However the application of an UPS (uninteruptible power supply) is a good idea. However i dont know how long they may last during a bad night I have experienced having my machine shut of unexpectedly its frightening

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Permalink Reply by Tim on June 27, 2009 at 8:41am

I power my CPAP both from AC power and from a Battery Geek Li-Ion CPAP battery. If the power goes out, my CPAP automatically switches to the battery -- the battery will power my CPAP for over two nights. If I am concerned about lightning, I can unplug my CPAP and battery charger and just power my CPAP from the battery. If the commercial power goes out for more than two days, I have a large deep cell AGM battery that will last about a week. If the power is out for over a week, I can charge the batteries from my car cigarette lighter. I also have some other misc 12 volt batteries I could use if necessary.

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Permalink Reply by Amy on June 27, 2009 at 1:52pm

I would buy a surger protector if you can afford it. All CPAPs have fuse so you do not have to really worry about being fried in your sleep. The nice thing about a battery back up if you live in an area like I do you can use the cpap even if you loose electricity for a couple of hours and finish your night sleep.

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Permalink Reply by BeeAsleep on June 27, 2009 at 3:34pm

Thanks to you all, I am no longer going to worry about getting zapped in my sleep.. smiles :>D I will get a battery backup and a surge protector. Thanks also for the brand recommendations.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Lyons on June 27, 2009 at 3:43pm

Bee,

Here is another thread you might be interested in.

http://www.sleepguide.com/forum/topics/backup-power-sources

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