Q. Any recommendations for a power supply for a CPAP during a power outage?

—J.F., Pittsburgh

A. I am passionate about this topic because my BiPAP (a version of CPAP with two pressure levels) has made such an amazing difference in my life. Dear readers, if you suspect you have sleep apnea, please do a sleep study. Treating my sleep apnea is one of the best things I have ever done for myself!

If I sleep without my BiPAP I suffer, and besides my whole-house generator I do have a portable battery-powered power station backup. Plan on spending over $250 because otherwise the power station may not have enough stored capacity to get you through the night. (Usually the product listings will say how long the station can power the CPAP.) I use an Anker Solix C1000 Gen 1 which is rugged, charges very quickly, has tremendous capacity and can run a CPAP machine for an amazing 18.6 hours on a charge. The C1000 can power many other things as well, including running a refrigerator for up to 14 hours. You can set it up as a backup so it will run your CPAP or refrigerator while the power is out, and switch back to the outlet when power is restored. If it saves a single refrigerator full of food it could pay for itself, and the batteries are rated to last a long 10 years. The C1000 is a high-tech, premium-quality product and an excellent value at $429. At the time I wrote this it was on sale for $399, with a code on the manufacturer website for an additional $31 off. ankersolix.com

Check and see if your CPAP machine's manufacturer offers a DC power supply cord for a 12V accessory socket. Many power stations (including the C1000 Gen 1) have this socket, and if you use the socket with a DC cord your power station's battery charge will last 10% to 30% longer.

Another tip for CPAP/BiPAP users is to get your own water distilling machine. I only use distilled water and am very strict about it, and at first bought my distilled water at the store. However, I would often run out at an inopportune time and have trouble finding it in stock. I finally got frustrated enough to buy a Vevor water distiller, and it has been a fantastic investment. You fill the stainless steel tank up to the line with water, put the top on, set up the receiving bottle and press start. A few hours later you have a gallon of freshly distilled water. I usually transfer it to an empty bottle immediately, then make another gallon so I always have a gallon in reserve and never run out. The current Amazon price for the Vevor distiller is $66.90, and I have never seen a coupon code or checkbox coupon offered.

I also bought an eight-pack of Aquapap 8-ounce bottles of distilled water on Amazon for approximately $23. One bottle in the humidifier tank is sufficient for a single night of sleep, so if I am going away for three days I pack three of the 8-ounce bottles in my suitcase. When I received my order from Amazon there was a note from the seller saying I could save next time by ordering directly from their website, but why in the world would there be a next time? Those little bottles of water work out to $46/gallon! Now that I have the bottles I just bring home the empties in my suitcase, refill them with water from my distiller and I'm ready for my next trip.

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