Sizing for Medical Devices — CPAP, Oxygen, and Concentrators
Last verified: September 2026
A calm, conservative way to size backup power for CPAP, oxygen, and concentrators — and a reminder that a generator is one layer of the plan, not the whole plan. It is not medical advice. Rather have a hand with it? My number is (330) 200-8042.
Sizing for Medical Devices, at a Glance
If someone in your home depends on powered medical equipment, the guiding rule is to size conservatively and treat backup power as one layer of a larger plan. This guide walks through CPAP and BiPAP (and the heated parts that drive the draw up), oxygen concentrators as a real motor load, clean inverter power and a UPS, battery backups and supplier tanks, and registering with your utility — all in plain, caring English. It is not medical advice; always plan with your supplier and doctor. There's a printable page-by-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 How should I size backup power for medical devices?
Conservatively — give yourself more capacity and more runtime than you think you need. Read each device's label for its watts, size with generous headroom, and treat the generator as one layer behind batteries and supplier tanks.
2 Why does an oxygen concentrator drive the sizing?
Because it's a real motor load — larger than a CPAP — and it runs continuously rather than just at night. Read its label carefully and give it generous, conservative headroom.
3 How do I run a CPAP overnight on a battery?
Size for two numbers: enough watts to run it and enough watt-hours to last the night. Ask your doctor whether running the heated humidifier and hose lower is right for you — it stretches the battery a lot.
4 Does clean, inverter power matter for these devices?
Often, yes. Many sensitive devices handle an inverter's smoother power better, and a UPS bridges the seconds while a generator starts. Ask your equipment supplier what your device prefers.
5 What should oxygen users keep on hand?
Backup tanks from your supplier, which need no power at all, plus spare concentrator batteries kept charged. Ask your supplier how many tanks they recommend — that count is their call.
6 Do you give medical advice about settings or when to seek care?
No, never. I help with the power and equipment side — sizing, the safe hookup, and testing. Always defer to your doctor and supplier for anything medical, and call 911 in an emergency.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Building and testing a careful, conservatively sized backup plan for medical equipment is some of the most meaningful work I do. I'll help with the generator, the battery backups, and the safe hookup — calmly, at your pace, with nothing to sell you and no medical advice given. $99 flat for a visit, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).