Camping with oxygen?

[_DJ_1]

The time has come where I need O2 at night. I have an oxygen concentrator that plugs in to my CPAP. Really notice the difference after only 2 nights. Please bear with me as I am really new at this.

Is it even possible with the pilot lights running? I am thinking to throw some ice in the fridge at bedtime and shut the propane off at night. If it's cold I could run an electric heater.

Also my machine is the size of a large suitcase and heavy (on wheels) not real practical to take camping. And LOUD!!!! I don't mind the fan noise but it does a loud thump every couple seconds like an old locomotive sitting at the station. I had to move it down the hall in to the spare bedroom!! Does anyone have any experience with a smaller, more portable and quieter unit?

Thanks for your input.........DJ

[Shearwater]

Here is a link to portable concentrators - http://www.portableoxygensolutions.com/portable-oxygen-concentrator-comparison-guide/

Those listed as pulse only will NOT work with CPAP.

There is no net increase in oxygen when in the same room with you because the machines send the oxygen through the tubing and release the waste, which is mostly nitrogen minus the oxygen.

There is a potential fire hazard to the recipient because their clothing or bedding contains a higher than normal concentration of oxygen and any spark could start a fire.

You can check the power requirements for any given model by going to the manufacturer's website - 3 amps of power from a 120V circuit will require at least 30 amps of 12 V power using an invertor. Battery operated portables will not run for 8 hours on battery alone.









portables

[2gypsies1]

If concerned about the oven pilot light just turn it off. It's not needed to be on.

[Clay_L]

Fish 'n ' Grits wrote:
Check out the Inogen One.It's a small battery-operated concentrator. I've been using mine over two years with no problems at all. I don't leave pilot lights on anyway (too many years on boats), so I never give the propane a thought. I have Medicare and a supplement, so there was no cost to me. Get the double batteries, it comes with 12Vdc and 115vac chargers. I think you'll be pleased. Except as a satisfied user, I have no connection with this company. BTW, the flame for your frig is outside.

A friend has one that works great and we checked on one for my wife who like me uses CPAP. The Inogen is a demand type unit - that is it provides oxygen when it senses you taking a breath. According to Inogen it can't used with a CPAP machine because it doesn't provide a steady supply of oxygen at a specific pressure.

[DrewE]

tomman58 wrote:
I wouldn't worry about the O2 as the amount is minimal and you aren't in the same room if you do have a pilot. The only pilot in most trailers is on the water heater and most of the time ours is on electric.

Most water heaters these days are DSI, not pilot ignition; the same is of course also true of most fridges and RV furnaces. The gas oven (if one is there) usually does have a traditional pilot light.

Note that DSI ignition is still a potential ignition source, of course. The fact that all of these burners (except for the oven and stovetop) are outside the RV's interior space is probably more important than the ignition system.

[tomman58]

I wouldn't worry about the O2 as the amount is minimal and you aren't in the same room if you do have a pilot. The only pilot in most trailers is on the water heater and most of the time ours is on electric.

[_DJ_1]

Thanks so much everyone!!! BTW, my prescription is for 2L.

So, it is my understanding that the only pilot light on the inside is the oven, which I never use anyway. Now the search is on for a small portable that can run about 6 hours on a battery or be able to run while charging.

Thanks again!!! :C

[TyroneandGladys]

The pilot light on my refrigerator is on the outside not the inside of the RV.

[rjf7g]

My Mom camped with us when she had a 10L concentrator. Her default was 6L but we needed to crank her up on occasion. We put the concentrator in the bathtub, turned the bathroom vent on, and closed the door. This cut down on noise and prevented overheating.

Tanks dried her nose out a lot more than her concentrator with a humidifier. She was on blood thinners and very prone to nosebleeds that were nearly impossible to stop.

[CA_Traveler]

Good point about out of pocket expense. We started with oxygen tanks that were no cost and but not as portable as we wanted. But the bigger problem was getting refills as we traveled in multiple states for several months. Your mileage may vary...

[CA_Traveler]

BTW For some time we had the Respronics unit up front in the MH but tried the closet and found the noise acceptable.

[CA_Traveler]

DW has the Respronics Everflow Q which is quiet enough for us. At home it’s in the closet and I ran a tube through the wall. In the MH it’s in the open closet. It’s a power hog at 3.0A AC and hence requires planning for overnight use ie about 33A DC which is about 50% overnight battery bank discharge for the current 4xGC2 batteries with just the oxygen machine. No problem when on shore power of course. It generates substantial overnight heat which is one reason the closet door is partially open. The closet is next to the bed but we quickly adapted to the noise. It’s also heavy to move in/out of the MH. For other reasons I bought a wagon but it certainly makes moving the oxygen machine and all other MH stuff quicker and easier.

We also have a pricey Activox LifeChoice portable machine which only uses 6.0A DC or about 12% battery discharge overnight.

No concern about pilot lights.

[eubank]

Exactly why I asked about liters needed. My wife needs at least a setting of six liters for daytime use at ~5000 feet, so we got her the InogenOne G2, which maxes at a setting of 6. Nice, small, battery powered, etc. Of course, the G2 is also heavier at 7 pounds. Other models provide for less oxygen and are, of course, not as heavy.

Inogen machines are great, but they're not that cheap. We paid around $3.5K for the unit with all bells and whistles; it had to come out of our pockets as the insurance wouldn't pay for it. It was still well worth the investment!

🙂
Lynn

Fish 'n ' Grits wrote:
Check out the Inogen One.It's a small battery-operated concentrator. I've been using mine over two years with no problems at all. I don't leave pilot lights on anyway (too many years on boats), so I never give the propane a thought. I have Medicare and a supplement, so there was no cost to me. Get the double batteries, it comes with 12Vdc and 115vac chargers. I think you'll be pleased. Except as a satisfied user, I have no connection with this company. BTW, the flame for your frig is outside.

[DrewE]

There should be no real danger with an oxygen concentrator and pilot lights etc. in the same structure. The oxygen concentrator only extracts/filters oxygen present in the air and provides it to you in greater concentration, correspondingly reducing the oxygen in the air it exhausts back to the room. The only areas where there's any elevated oxygen levels are between the machine and you. (An oxygen cylinder may well be a different matter in terms of safety; certainly I'd have more concern with one.)

From an ignition point of view, an electric heater may not be particularly safer than a pilot light or fridge burner or furnace anyhow; the thermostatic switch is often not sealed and can spark when it opens or closes. You'd also be more likely to have the heater near you and your equipment, rather than rather more distant (for an oven pilot) or outside the living area (for the water heater, furnace, and fridge burners).

[Fish__n___Grits]

Check out the Inogen One.It's a small battery-operated concentrator. I've been using mine over two years with no problems at all. I don't leave pilot lights on anyway (too many years on boats), so I never give the propane a thought. I have Medicare and a supplement, so there was no cost to me. Get the double batteries, it comes with 12Vdc and 115vac chargers. I think you'll be pleased. Except as a satisfied user, I have no connection with this company. BTW, the flame for your frig is outside.