Connecting a CPAP machine to a battery?

[mileena]

I have been prescribed a CPAP machine for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. How do I run this while traveling if I don't have a generator or battery?

I am thinking of buying a portable jump starter like this:



I already have a 400 Watt inverter which I can connect to it and which I read is sufficient to power the CPAP machine and humidifier from what I have read. Or can I just use my car battery? Otherwise, I need a battery that is portable since I bring it inside to charge, like at a gym or library.

Also, how do you connect the jumper cable clamps of a portable battery with jumper cables of an inverter like below? It is hard to get a good connection.



Thanks for any help!

[Sam_Spade]

Bobbo wrote:
the company that makes the CPAP machine makes a cigarette lighter style 12v cord for it.

Check the plate on the CPAP and the "brick" on the power cord to be sure that it really runs on 12 V.

The first one I got did NOT; 24 V. And it looked identical to the next one which does run on 12.......until you look at the spec's.

[Bobbo]

I just got a CPAP machine this week myself. Although I have not yet bought it, the company that makes the CPAP machine makes a cigarette lighter style 12v cord for it. I see that cord in my future as soon as I run a 12v outlet to the bedroom. (Now, just WHY did Airstream build a trailer with absolutely NO 12v outlets?)

[Sam_Spade]

pnichols wrote:

I used the term "choke", which is another form of electrical circuit structure that does the same thing.

Sorry but they don't "do the same thing" at all.

The external ferrite bead does NOTHING to voltage variations or long period "spikes". They are there for RF suppression.

Chokes typically are in series with a power source and do various things, depending on the design, value and application. RF suppression of only one application for them.

[pnichols]

Bumpyroad wrote:
is that perhaps that cylindrical thingy that I note in the wire that I never knew what it was?
bumpy

Yes.

Many thanks to the explanation David provided right after your post on what the thing inside of that plastic cylinder (a bead/piece of ferrite encircling the wire) in the CPAP machine's power cable does.

I used the term "choke", which is another form of electrical circuit structure that does the same thing. The ferrite bead method is a less expensive and usually physically smaller way to accomplish the same thing - electrically "choking down" the current flow path such that high frequency disturbances can't come through - which can damage, or at a minimum interfer with, sensitive electrical circuits.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Oooops,

It is a ferrite bead. Rather than beat my arthritic fingers to swollen knots I have elected to steal an article and cut n paste.

A ferrite bead is simply a hollow bead or cylinder made of ferrite, which is a semi-magnetic substance made from iron oxide (rust) alloyed with other metals. It slips over the cable when the cable is made, or it can be snapped around the cable in two pieces after the cable is made. The bead is encased in plastic -- if you cut the plastic, all that you would find inside is a black metal cylinder.

Computers are fairly noisy devices. The motherboard inside the computer's case has an oscillator that is running at anywhere from 300 MHz to 1,000 MHz. The keyboard has its own processor and oscillator as well. The video card has its own oscillators to drive the monitor. All of these oscillators have the potential to broadcast radio signals at their given frequencies. Most of this interference can be eliminated by the cases around the motherboard and keyboard.

Another source of noise is the cables connecting the devices. These cables act as nice, long antennae for the signals they carry. They broadcast the signals quite efficiently. The signals they broadcast can interfere with radios and TVs. The cables can also receive signals and transmit them into the case, where they cause problems. A ferrite bead has the property of eliminating the broadcast signals. Essentially, it "chokes" the RFI transmission at that point on the cable -- this is why you find the beads at the ends of the cables. Instead of traveling down the cable and transmitting, the RFI signals turn into heat in the bead.



Many breathing devices have processors. Logic circuits that make decisions. This is where frequencies are generated. Like turning on a lamp and have the sound on the radio die, spurious signals can transmit to nearby devices and generate unintended consequences.

[Bumpyroad]

pnichols wrote:
For what it's worth, the approved OEM 12V brick and it's cord that I bought for my CPAP machine has an inline choke built right into the cord between the brick and the input connector in the machine. The purpose of this choke is to dampen (reduce/eliminate) any incoming voltage transients that might otherwise damage the CPAP unit.

is that perhaps that cylindrical thingy that I note in the wire that I never knew what it was?
bumpy

[pnichols]

For what it's worth, the approved OEM 12V brick and it's cord that I bought for my CPAP machine has an inline choke built right into the cord between the brick and the input connector in the machine. The purpose of this choke is to dampen (reduce/eliminate) any incoming voltage transients that might otherwise damage the CPAP unit.

[Atlee]

Thanks for this link. Didn't know they existed. Just bought one online from Amazon. About $5 more but I could get it in 2 days. Time was short because we're leaving for Florida soon.

Tiger4x4RV wrote:
CPAP.com shows a shielded DC (12V) cord for the Dream Station available for $29.95. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dreamstation-shielded-dc-cord.html

I have an older Respironics System One machine and have used the CPAP.com DC cord for it for years in the RV with no trouble. It uses a cigarette lighter type plug and the regular 12V wiring.

Read the manual on your jump starter carefully. Some of them cannot handle the sustained load of running a CPAP. Here is a link from the Stanley website for the unit shown in your photo. I'm a librarian, good at looking things up, and not an electrician, so I'll leave it to you or your electrical pro to interpret what this manual says about the sort of load your Dream Station will create.

You may need the humidifier. Humidity here in SoCal has often been in the single digits lately and my respiratory system has really appreciated having that humidifier.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

My Phillips warns against using 12V from a vehicle when the alternator is turning

Chatted with them. They are more worried about voltage transients when the vehicle is running than they are about voltage. Modified Sine Wave turns the LCD screen to Albanian (paperclip) characters.

[ktmrfs]

Dave-Sparky wrote:
I have been using a ResiMed unit with the humidifier for about a year now. For our last trip I knew we would be boon docking at least a few nights. So I picked up one of these converters.

I had to make up a cord that plugged into the typical automotive connector for the unit, but it ran just fine for several nights. Power usage seemed to be about 20 amp/hrs a night with the humidifier working. My 200 watts of solar brought me back to full power each day without a problem.

I have a resmed and have a similar (maybe the same) 12-24V dc-dc converter. And my power useage is similar to what you mention.

No humidity, airplane mode, tube heater off, draw is around 6-8AH night or less. turn on humidifier, 20-25AH/night.

200WH lithium ion battey pack last 3 night no humidity, 1 night with humidity

[Dave-Sparky]

I have been using a ResiMed unit with the humidifier for about a year now. For our last trip I knew we would be boon docking at least a few nights. So I picked up one of these converters.

I had to make up a cord that plugged into the typical automotive connector for the unit, but it ran just fine for several nights. Power usage seemed to be about 20 amp/hrs a night with the humidifier working. My 200 watts of solar brought me back to full power each day without a problem.

[Bumpyroad]

stevenal wrote:
. No humidifier, although they provide a disposable device that's supposed to harvest moisture from exhaled air. Can't say that it works.

I've got an external pass over humidifier in my system that does work.
bumpy

[stevenal]

I went for a Z1 earlier this year. It can run on it's own battery when neither AC or DC are available. My Phillips warns against using 12V from a vehicle when the alternator is turning, although I haven't damaged it yet when forgetting to unplug it for travel. The adapter for the Z1 puts out 15V, so charging voltage should not be a problem. No humidifier, although they provide a disposable device that's supposed to harvest moisture from exhaled air. Can't say that it works.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Except for outrageous cost a lithium battery would be ideal for a divorced CPAP battery.

2nd Choice a AGM deep cycle battery life a Lifeline that can see routine 70% depth of discharge (30% remaining) without killing the battery.

Way
Way
Way

Further down would be an RV flooded battery. Reminds me that I have to do some work on the toad. Twin 8 gauge charging cables and a breaker - for road charging the 31 XT Lifeline.

This is where one of Mr. Wizard's, long-ago-recommended inductive DC ammeter/voltmeter setups will be installed.

While traveling in the toad, I overnight at a 24-hour gas station. Reclining seat, Bi-PAP with max humidifier and LED reading light.

The seat tilt is what prompted me to elevate the rig and umbilical house beds by 4" at the head. Reduced apnea events dramatically.

[Johno02]

I have used both a series one and a dreamstation. Both will run on 12v, with the proper cord, available from your supplier. I have a 12v outlet installed under the bed, which is connected to the 12v coach batteries. I hve run it all night several times, don't have any idea what the maximun time is, but probably can do at least two nights without recharge.