CPAP 12 volt options

[Whangler]

Used to travel without my cpap and be okay, but have found I must now use it all the time. BTW, I'm mostly dry camping and have 350 watts of solar available. Trailer has two 6 volt golf cart batteries.

There appears to be 3 choices for me to power it:
1. Buy a cpap battery pack for ~$300
2. Wire and fuse a dedicated 12v line direct to the 2 6v golf cart batteries.
3. Just plug it in to the inverter.

What's the best way to power the CPAP?

Thanks

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Found by trial no error...

This sounds foolish but it isn't. Seven years running...

When bedroom temps drop to <60F. The machine gets a dish towel draped over the humidifier section. A manufacturer recommended insulator for the flex hose.

Result? -65% reduction in ampere hours for humidifier. The heating disc SYSTEM has three separate fail-safes (Respironics). And I used a lab grade thermal measurement system with loud audio alert.

Medical UL is a different animal than standard UL. Expensive components and design.

Do your own test during the DAY, and check machine temp by hand.

And OF COURSE the manufacturer would NOT recommend this.

Unfortunately humidification is an absolute necessity for me. Maxxed out on 5, and even that wasn't enough so a hose insulation and humidifier insulation was needed. On forty degree nights, the machine gets covered by blankets.

Scared? Go online and buy a battery powered temp alarm.

[stevenal]

I avoid hookups and generators, and have no PV; so efficiency is of great concern. Plugging the CPAP brick into an inverter means you have loses at two conversion points that can totally be eliminated by plugging your 12 V DC CPAP (such as Respironics) directly into your camper's DC supply. Dedicated circuitry is not required, tapping into the bedside light circuit works just fine. The humidifier stays home.

[SCClockDr]

SidecarFlip wrote:

time2roll wrote:

Whangler wrote:
There appears to be 3 choices for me to power it:
1. Buy a cpap battery pack for ~$300
2. Wire and fuse a dedicated 12v line direct to the 2 6v golf cart batteries.
3. Just plug it in to the inverter.

What's the best way to power the CPAP?

Thanks

I would go with #3 until there was an issue.

I'm a number 3 person as well because you can use the inverter for other stuff besides a CPAP.

If you consider your CPAP akin to life support go with #2. Use wire and fuse rated for double the expected load. When it is critical, simple is best.

[SidecarFlip]

time2roll wrote:

Whangler wrote:
There appears to be 3 choices for me to power it:
1. Buy a cpap battery pack for ~$300
2. Wire and fuse a dedicated 12v line direct to the 2 6v golf cart batteries.
3. Just plug it in to the inverter.

What's the best way to power the CPAP?

Thanks

I would go with #3 until there was an issue.

I'm a number 3 person as well because you can use the inverter for other stuff besides a CPAP.

[Whangler]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Hmmm, does not the issue have a make-or-break limit with regard to the level of personal effort needed to supply power? Effort is not cost.

Well, it's not a big job to wire the dedicated 12v outlet to bedside. My biggest concern is having enough charge on the house batteries left after using the cpap. The house batteries will get charged daily with 350w solar however.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Hmmm, does not the issue have a make-or-break limit with regard to the level of personal effort needed to supply power? Effort is not cost.

[time2roll]

Whangler wrote:
There appears to be 3 choices for me to power it:
1. Buy a cpap battery pack for ~$300
2. Wire and fuse a dedicated 12v line direct to the 2 6v golf cart batteries.
3. Just plug it in to the inverter.

What's the best way to power the CPAP?

Thanks

I would go with #3 until there was an issue.

[RSD559]

Sorry, here's the link.

[RSD559]

j-d wrote:
This little guy on Amazon looks promising for a portable rechargeable pack. $140-something. Claims 40800 mAh

It's limited to 100 watts on the AC circuit. 150 watts surge. I don't think that would work with my CPAP. I'll have to check it out. A similar one said in it's description that it would work for CPAP. They wouldn't fib, would they?

[pianotuna]

40800 mAh = 40.8 amp-hours. Probably not pure sine wave on the inverter side. Cost or a link would be useful.

[j-d]

This little guy on Amazon looks promising for a portable rechargeable pack. $140-something. Claims 40800 mAh

[SidecarFlip]

Goal 0 stuff is pricey and bulky. I can carry 2 LI cpap batteries in my day pack when spike camping with no issue. Size and weight are important to me when packing in, especially at 10K feet. Every ounce counts. Guess thats why I have a $5.000.00 dollar lightweight carbon fiber stocked titanium action hunting rifle, ultra light mountain tent and KUIU down bag.

For me, an RV is nice but not the only way to go.

[RSD559]

Looked at the CostCo page for the 1000. Pretty pricey! But one of the pictures was of a guy with a CPAP in a tent plugged into the machine. So I'm guessing it will work.

[dennis1]

Lithium batteries don't give off gas so you can sleep next to them.