need a cheap quiet inverter to run a CPAP

D

dave silva

New member
Oct 2, 2009
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Going camping with the scouts for a week, one of the other leaders needs his CPAP to run. There is no AC power as far as i know but i have a bunch
of gel cells- about 500 amps worth.

The CPAP draws 90 watts so theoretically i should be able get him through four nights.

So i'm in the market for an inverter. So many choices. I could probably get by with 300watts but i'd prefer to have a bigger one for future use. i'm
looking for one that either does not have a fan or only runs the fan as needed.

I have a nice 500 watt Vector but the fan runs constantly, it's annoyingly loud and it can't be very efficient.

--
Dave & Ellen Silva
Hertford, NC

76 Birchaven, 1-ton and other stuff

Currently planning the Great american Road Trip Summer 2021

It's gonna take a lot of Adderall to get this thing right.
 
I have a 200W Harbor Freight inverter that I keep around for power
outages to run my CPAP. Their web site shows it on "Clearance"

https://www.harborfreight.com/200-watt-continuous-power-inverter-66967.html

> Going camping with the scouts for a week, one of the other leaders
> needs his CPAP to run. There is no AC power as far as i know but i
> have a bunch
> of gel cells- about 500 amps worth.
>
> The CPAP draws 90 watts so theoretically i should be able get him
> through four nights.
>
>
> So i'm in the market for an inverter. So many choices. I could
> probably get by with 300watts but i'd prefer to have a bigger one for
> future use. i'm
> looking for one that either does not have a fan or only runs the fan
> as needed.
>
> I have a nice 500 watt Vector but the fan runs constantly, it's
> annoyingly loud and it can't be very efficient.
 
Many of the CPAP machines run on DC power, and use a power supply to convert household power to the required DC voltage. My Philips CPAP has a special 12VDC power cable that was quite reasonable to purchase.

Since some electronics do not play well with modified syne inverters, I suggest you consider the 12v direct option if it’s available. it eliminates the unnecessary additional power drain of an inverter running all night, and risk of damage to the medical device(CPAP) from modified syne is eliminated.

Les Burt
Montreal
'75 Eleganza 26'

>
> I have a 200W Harbor Freight inverter that I keep around for power outages to run my CPAP. Their web site shows it on "Clearance"
>
> https://www.harborfreight.com/200-watt-continuous-power-inverter-66967.html
>

>> Going camping with the scouts for a week, one of the other leaders
>> needs his CPAP to run. There is no AC power as far as i know but i
>> have a bunch
>> of gel cells- about 500 amps worth.
>> The CPAP draws 90 watts so theoretically i should be able get him
>> through four nights.
>> So i'm in the market for an inverter. So many choices. I could
>> probably get by with 300watts but i'd prefer to have a bigger one for
>> future use. i'm
>> looking for one that either does not have a fan or only runs the fan
>> as needed.
>> I have a nice 500 watt Vector but the fan runs constantly, it's
>> annoyingly loud and it can't be very efficient.
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
 
> Many of the CPAP machines run on DC power, and use a power supply to convert household power to the required DC voltage. My Philips CPAP has a
> special 12VDC power cable that was quite reasonable to purchase.
>
> Since some electronics do not play well with modified syne inverters, I suggest you consider the 12v direct option if it’s available. it
> eliminates the unnecessary additional power drain of an inverter running all night, and risk of damage to the medical device(CPAP) from modified
> syne is eliminated.

Yes, that would have been my first choice. It looks like it needs 24VDC. But this is a guy who did not know what an inverter was until i told him so
he'd probably not want me hacking his machine.

--
Dave & Ellen Silva
Hertford, NC

76 Birchaven, 1-ton and other stuff

Currently planning the Great american Road Trip Summer 2021

It's gonna take a lot of Adderall to get this thing right.
 
The problem with some inverters is that they shut off at low DC voltage so might not give you as much time as you'd think if you can't recharge the
battery.
I have a 300W inverter like that and it's a PITA depending upon your situation and battery.

--
Burl Vibert
Kingston, Ontario
1976 GMC 26 foot, Sheridan reno, don't know original model
 
Most CPAP machines have an option to run on 12V and it will actually be
much more efficient to operate on 12V than it would to convert 12V to
120V and then back to 12V. You loose power at each conversion as it is
converted to heat.

For the money that you would pay for an inverter you will probably find
the 12V cable.

My girlfriend uses a Phillips CPAP and I spent $60 for the 12V cable.
Now it just plugs in to a cigarette lighter plug instead of having
several cables/boxes and trying to find room for all the additional stuff.

--
Gerard Hickey / WTØF IRLP:3067/Echolink:529661
hickey DMR: 3102272
425-395-4554 Allstar: 531920

> The problem with some inverters is that they shut off at low DC voltage so might not give you as much time as you'd think if you can't recharge the
> battery.
> I have a 300W inverter like that and it's a PITA depending upon your situation and battery.
>
>
 
If you go inverter go true sine wave. Logic would say that square wave is less efficient as the square parts of wave only produces heat, not energy
transfer when feeding a motor or transformer in the downstream device. There is usually a pretty good selection at Northerntool. Where in most cases
you want extra headroom, in this case I would size not more than 150% max draw to get the most run time. Less is more here.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
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