"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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Power Outages
Bit of a scare this morning - power went out in my house about 5 in the morning. Nothing like waking up without air! Friends suggest I get an Uninterruptible Power Supply - seem to be several available online, not too expensive. Probably a good idea; I'll order one later this week.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gordon Osmond on
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I bought mine from the computer shop. You don't use data in a black out.
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Permalink Reply by liz4cps on
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I plug my autopap into a battery backup with the (separate) humidifier plugged into the surge protect side. It does beep if the power goes out but that doesn't wake me up! It does wake up my husband, but thankfully, our power does not go out very often.
I also have marine batteries which I got for a camping trip (they are heavy to carry!). I used them with a power inverter and that set up lasted about 4 1/2 nights. The power requirement on the back of the autopap is the maximum draw which is a lot bigger than normal running.
Our power did go out for 3 days after the remains of hurricane Isabel came thru a few years ago. I took the batteries and the charger to a nearby fire station which did have power to recharge them as it had been a while since I had charged them at home and I wasn't sure if they'd last thru the 2nd night. The folks at the station didn't mind and even had a generator, so probably would have helped even if their regular power is out. I feel pretty comfortable with what I have now.
Before I had the battery backup, I did wake up after power outs -- I agree, you startle awake very quickly. When that happened to me, I stayed up until my power came back on which was quite boring!
You can call your local power company and tell them to give you priority as someone who uses electrical medical equipment at home though I have not felt the need to do that. My batteries allow me to manage just fine.
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Permalink Reply by Michael F. O'Brien on
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I had no idea that there are those who 'cannot' live with their CPAP. I am a 13 and have been on a CPAP for twenty one months. I live on Hawaii's Big Island and traveled to Maui for two night a year ago and did not take the CPAP with me. I slept as well as I do with the CPAP. I recently had a viral infection and one night I was so sick that I went without the CPAP. Until the past four or five months I napped without my CPAP. So, what happens with you when there is a power outage? I also near folks needing a humidifier. I like the way my CPAP dries out my nasal passages when I have it on. Nor do I understand those who get water built up in the nose mask. This has never happened to me.
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Permalink Reply by M'Lady Wench on
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I get really tired and don't function well when I haven't used my cpap while sleeping. Before I had mine, it sure seemed like I would sleep and sleep and sleep and never feel rested. Some of us just can't function as we stop breathing too often and/or too long for our bodies to rest. *shrugs* Just me I guess....I know my partner has this same issue too when he hasn't had his cpap or his mask slips while he sleeps. Our humidifiers help keep our nasal passages from getting too dry and we end up with bloody noses. I don't have mine on too high as I have trouble breathing in high humidity situations. The water in the mask is from the condensation from the warm air coming through the hose to the mask from the humidifier. Most wonderful you don't have too much trouble...That is always a plus. Take care darlin!
Michael F. O'Brien said:I had no idea that there are those who 'cannot' live with their CPAP. I am a 13 and have been on a CPAP for twenty one months. I live on Hawaii's Big Island and traveled to Maui for two night a year ago and did not take the CPAP with me. I slept as well as I do with the CPAP. I recently had a viral infection and one night I was so sick that I went without the CPAP. Until the past four or five months I napped without my CPAP. So, what happens with you when there is a power outage? I also near folks needing a humidifier. I like the way my CPAP dries out my nasal passages when I have it on. Nor do I understand those who get water built up in the nose mask. This has never happened to me.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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I guess folks on vents would have generators in place. A generator sounds like the easiest fix for me. I understand there are some that run on natural gas.
Mary Z.
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Permalink Reply by Les Blatt on
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Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. What I've found essentially backs up what everyone has been posting:
--UPS, while an inexpensive option, only keeps the CPAP running for a few minutes (and the alarm will wake you quickly);
--Marine or car battery options require a fair amount of setup and have other negatives;
--Standby generators are possible, but generally expensive and require gasoline or some other fuel;
--ResMed makes a battery pack that lists for about $300 and may be the best - if expensive - solution.
It would be nice if there were a more inexpensive and elegant solution...but I haven't found one yet.
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Permalink Reply by RL on
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Just wondering how any members in the mid-atlantic snow storm this weekend are doing. Did anyone have this power outage issue? How did you cope? This sort of thing can happen to any of us any time. Our power was out for about 24 hours last August due to a "rare for the area" tornado like storm (before I was Dx with OSA/CSA) in the suburbs of west Denver, not to mention the occasional car running into an electric pole and knocking out power for some period.
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Permalink Reply by Tim on
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I live in Northern VA, near DC and MD. Our power hasn't gone out, but a lot of folks across the river in MD are without power (their power always goes out).
I finally got out to get a few groceries today and the Safeway store had many empty shelves, although they had the things that I needed; produce, milk, whole wheat tortillas, and cheese. I worked for three days getting my car dug out because the snow plow in our condo parking lot dumped a 4 foot high, five foot wide berm in front of my car -- this is in addition to the two+ feet of snow that was dumped on top of my car.
The road into our condo complex is horrible to drive on; the usually good, wide road is now a slushy, rutted one lane road. It doesn't help that the people around here don't know how to drive in snow.
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Permalink Reply by Yorkieman on
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6" to 12" comming tomorow. High winds after the storm. God plese don't let the power fail.
RL said:Just wondering how any members in the mid-atlantic snow storm this weekend are doing. Did anyone have this power outage issue? How did you cope? This sort of thing can happen to any of us any time. Our power was out for about 24 hours last August due to a "rare for the area" tornado like storm (before I was Dx with OSA/CSA) in the suburbs of west Denver, not to mention the occasional car running into an electric pole and knocking out power for some period.
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The government offices in DC were closed Monday and are also closed Tuesday -- this is HIGHLY unusual. My office was closed Monday and are opening at 10 AM Tuesday; they haven't announced early closing YET. My boss has told everybody to work from home Tuesday; this isn't so odd because we have a very liberal work from home policy.
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