OT-CPap + No Electric

[Bigahh]

My cousin uses a C-Pap Machine to sleep. He asked a question that I thought I might be able to find an answer from you guys so here goes......

He has no Electricity at his cabin, too far off the beaten path, and his generator lasts 3 hours, does not like to run a Generator all night anyway. He has an extra power cord for it. Is there a way to run the machine off a Marine battery? Can he somehow get an AC/DC power converter? Please explain if you know of a way.

[JReed]

AC/DC converters suck down a lot of juice. Is there a way he could put in a small wind mill or solar set up?

[Rusty]

My CPAP has a 12V DC plug. I've used it in a road tractor before with a cigarette lighter plug. I also went to radio shack and bought an adapter that has two clamps for clamping onto a 12V auto battery, the other end is a cigarette lighter plug. I use this at home for when my power fails.

[kimwcook]

This is what I do when I go camping, etc.. and I'm off the grid and have to use my CPAP. I use a good deep cycle battery and an inexpensive inverter. I usually go a couple of nights before I recharge the battery, although I think I could go longer. I just don't want to end up with a dead battery and no CPAP during the middle of the night. I'm sure your cousin can easily recharge the battery within his three hours of generator run time.

[JReed]

Actually you can pair up a deep cycle battery with one of those solar mats that you can get to charge your car battery. That way he would never have to kick on the generator to charge the battery.

[AJMD429]

The 'motor' is basically not much more than an aquarium air-pump, so uses very little electricity. There is usually some bit of 'computer' circuitry on them these days, so that part needs a nice smooth power source. If your unit has a 12v DC input jack that would be best, but you could use a battery to an AC converter, then plug it in to that; just not very efficient.

You might be able to trade for one with a DC input jack, or even if you own it, find inside what the post-transformer/rectifier voltage is, and make a battery pack of that voltage, then just add your own jack. It would likely void any warranty though!

[Rimfire McNutjob]

My older ones all had auxiliary 12v inputs on them. I didn't even bother to look at my newer Respironics unit but I would bet that it has a place for a special plug for 12v portability. A decent 12v deep cycle would probably run one of these things for days. Mine has a heater for the humidifier and that would affect the run time to some degree. I would bet that he'd be fine just charging daily off of a solar cell or a generator for a few hours and then using the unit from the battery at night.

[mod71alaska]

Having looked into using a Res-Med AutoSet II C-pap off of a DC system on a boat, the solution is an inverter that produces at least 500 watts of true or pure sine AC for safe function of the c-pap machine. Hope this helps.

[Blaine]

Plus 1 to the above. I'm surprised at how many use the CPAP. I thought I was a lone ranger of sorts. In general, I feel more rested using it.

[Bullard4075]

Gosh I love this place.
Had to Google CPAP.
The more I learn the more I realize how dumb I am.

[Blaine]

Gosh I love this place.
Had to Google CPAP.
The more I learn the more I realize how dumb I am.

Yeah, I have to Google Hobie's big words all the time.....He must have been a 2Lt to be that smart.

[Rusty]

My new one is set up to run on 12v all the time. The std. powercord has a stepdown on it before it hits the unit.

[Bigahh]

Thanks Guys! I knew you would come through for me.

[2X22]

My CPAP has a 12V DC plug. I've used it in a road tractor before with a cigarette lighter plug. I also went to radio shack and bought an adapter that has two clamps for clamping onto a 12V auto battery, the other end is a cigarette lighter plug. I use this at home for when my power fails.

Excellent info.

My wife needs one and since we aren't hooked up to the grid, so to know that they make one with a 12V DC plug will remove another reason why she won't get one..........

2x22