C-PAP machine and a TC?

[BugsRLB]

Wife recently got a C-PAP machine. We are going away for three weeks and was wondering how the C-PAP is going to operate if we do not have shore power? Any suggestions on what to do?

Thanx

[BugsRLB]

Follow-up report:
Before we left I wired in a cigarette lighter adaptor to the DW's side of the bed. Snaked the wires down through cabinets and over the freshwater tank to the fuse panel/battery charger. Two nights out and CPAP performed perfectly! (heat element turned off) 4 bars on the system monitor/battery when we went to bed and 3 bars when we got up. DW is HAPPY!

[Pangaea_Ron]

I bought a Z-Quiet oral appliance (as seen on TV) and shared it with my Sleep Center Physician. He said to give it a try. We were traveling in Africa in tented camps without electrical power and did not have many options. It worked reasonable well. I also used an ear loop surgical mask that helped to retain the humidity in my nasal passages. Fortunately we were in humid environments.

A custom dental appliance ($800+) would certainly perform better, but my $50 option was adequate under the circumstances.

[mdpay]

I could not tolerate a CPAP. I have had great success with a CUSTOM mouthpiece like these types in link. My paramedic training likes the concept of the mouthguard. It fixes the root cause problem by performing a jaw thrust maneuver and opens the airway. A CPAP just RAMS air past the restriction.

It took many months to get comfortable, gradually increasing the forward movement of the lower jaw.

Best part, no electricity, no cords, no hoses.

I found a local dentist who specialized in these appliances to custom fit me.

http://www.dentalsleepapnea.com/Oral_Appliance_Therapy.htm

I also tried a $50 TV mouthpiece, same premise but not even close for comfort compared to full custom.

[JumboJet]

My inverter connected to 2 Group 31 batteries ran two C-PAP machines all night long with the blower for the heater and cranked the generator the next morning.

[Indy_Bob1]

Reddog1 wrote:
Be interesting to know what kind of charging system that could charge the two batteries in thirty minutes. My charging system cannot do that. I'm guessing the two CPAPS are using a minimum of 5 amps, and the two fans another 5 amps. Collectively that would be 10 amps times 8 hours, or 80 AH.

the type of charging system that you get when you're working, on the phone, and get what you were typing for one report in the posting you were doing as a brain break. It should have read three hours. No, that wouldn't completely re-charge the batteries, but being new at the time they would sufficiently charge for another nights use. For the two months that we full timed across the country we had no problems with the CPAPs when we boondocked for days at a time with a mix of long and short drives between stops. My point was that using CPAP while on the road is a rather simple and reliable process.

[Reddog1]

Be interesting to know what kind of charging system that could charge the two batteries in thirty minutes. My charging system cannot do that. I'm guessing the two CPAPS are using a minimum of 5 amps, and the two fans another 5 amps. Collectively that would be 10 amps times 8 hours, or 80 AH.

[Indy_Bob1]

with two Wal-Mart deep cycle batteries (aH escapes me right now) and an 800w inverter we could run two CPAPs and two 12v fans for 8+ hours with no noticeable loss of function. A thirty minute drive was usually sufficient to re-charge the batts. Been doing it this way since '09 and slept well every night.

[polarbare21]

Last year we did 6500 mile month long trip West.
My wife also uses a CPAP.
So I just plugged a 350 watt invertor into the 12 volt plug that is on the TV antenna switch.
She never had any issues, the truck was started at least once every 3 days for some driving.

No extra batteries, no special wiring.
$25.00 for the invertor.

[Dakota98]

vetteman76 wrote:
I used an inverter for years with my ResMed machine. Problem was that it was noisy and with the constantly running cooling fan it drew a lot of power.
Until I looked closely this past year I never realized that my machine was a 24 Volt unit and at home it ran through a 120V AC to 24V DC converter.
My supplier was able to sell me a 12V DC to 24V DC converter and it works great. It's absolutely silent and my draw on the camper battery is under a third of what I was drawing with the inverter.
I don't use my humidifier although I leave it in place set to off. The airflow over the water humidifies the water enough for me. Dave

A very valid point, the fans on inverters can be noisy for sure. If you don't already have a good inverter & you must buy one, you're better off, getting the direct 12 volt adapter for ResMed @ about $90

[vetteman76]

I used an inverter for years with my ResMed machine. Problem was that it was noisy and with the constantly running cooling fan it drew a lot of power.
Until I looked closely this past year I never realized that my machine was a 24 Volt unit and at home it ran through a 120V AC to 24V DC converter.
My supplier was able to sell me a 12V DC to 24V DC converter and it works great. It's absolutely silent and my draw on the camper battery is under a third of what I was drawing with the inverter.
I don't use my humidifier although I leave it in place set to off. The airflow over the water humidifies the water enough for me. Dave

[BugsRLB]

Dakota98 wrote:

BugsRLB wrote:
Thanx to everyone for all the great info!

Looks like I will wire in a cigarette (is it still called that) lighter outlet next to the bed and plug in a 400 watt inverter. Will see if the battery holds up for a night on the CPAP machine without heat and go from there. I that doesn't work, option B will be a seperate rechargeable battery pack.

Have hope !!!

Depending upon the 12 volt female receptacle you use, be certain you have the wiring correct, double check it before connecting anything to it. You may also want to use an inline fuse on the positive side.

Also, use a volt meter & check voltage at the battery prior to going to bed & then once again in the morning. That may help "somewhat" in determining the overall power usage throughout the night.

Excellent suggestions! Will do.

[Dakota98]

BugsRLB wrote:
Thanx to everyone for all the great info!

Looks like I will wire in a cigarette (is it still called that) lighter outlet next to the bed and plug in a 400 watt inverter. Will see if the battery holds up for a night on the CPAP machine without heat and go from there. I that doesn't work, option B will be a seperate rechargeable battery pack.

Have hope !!!

Depending upon the 12 volt female receptacle you use, be certain you have the wiring correct, double check it before connecting anything to it. You may also want to use an inline fuse on the positive side.

Also, use a volt meter & check voltage at the battery prior to going to bed & then once again in the morning. That may help "somewhat" in determining the overall power usage throughout the night.

[markchengr]

Hi, my wife uses a CPAP and I use a VPAP. We both use the humidifiers most of the time. We can dry camp for days even with some furnace use and watching a movie at night BUT we have 200 watts of solar and 220 amp/hrs of batteries. We power both units with a 300 watt inverter. If you are running only one CPAP, you can probably get by with 2 or 3 nights on a single battery especially if you can get by without the humidifier.

[Reddog1]

Keep in mind, a separate rechargeable battery pack will also has to be recharged. If you cannot recharge your existing battery, I can't see the benefit of an additional battery pack. Do you have a means to see the charge (AH) in your existing battery?