GUIDE72

CPAP, oxygen and medical devices in a power outage

If someone at home depends on a device that needs power, the plan is made before the outage.

This is not medical advice: the device and how long it can run are for the doctor and the supplier. Every point has its official source at the end.

All of this, put into a plan for your home, is in the guide Ready in 7 Days.

Before the outage

  • Talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan for the device and for any refrigerated medicine.
  • Read the instructions or call the supplier or maker to find out whether the device can run from batteries or a generator.
  • Many CPAP machines and portable oxygen concentrators have their own spare battery: ask your supplier which one fits yours.
  • Tell your electric company and the fire department that someone at home has a medical device that needs power, and ask to be on the list for priority restoration.
  • Ask how long each medicine can be kept at higher temperatures, and get specific guidance for any that is critical for life.
  • Try the device on the battery once, on an ordinary night, so you know how many hours it really gives.

When the power goes

  • If the device keeps someone alive, call 911 or seek emergency services right away.
  • With oxygen in use, light only with battery flashlights or lanterns.
  • Check for water before plugging anything in.
  • When the power comes back, check the device settings: many reset to a default mode.
  • If the power has been out more than a day, throw out medicine that should be refrigerated, unless its label says otherwise, and call your doctor or pharmacist for a new supply.

Backup power

Only if the device maker says it can run from one. Check the watts on the device's label: the battery's Wh divided by those W gives the hours, minus a margin.

  • Small: BLUETTI Elite 30 V2

    288 Wh and 600 W, about 9.5 lb. Enough for a night or two of a small device, if its maker says it can run from a power station. It switches to battery in 10 milliseconds.

    Check price: BLUETTI Elite 30 V2

  • Medium: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2

    1,070 Wh and 1,500 W. For a device that runs all day, or for the device and the refrigerator with the medicines.

    Check price: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2

The large one and how to work out the hours, in the power station page.

The links go to amazon.com and are affiliate links: if you buy through them we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Never do this

  • Never use candles, gas lights or anything with a flame near oxygen.
  • Never plug in a device or a cord that is wet.
  • Never run a generator inside the home, basement or garage, even with doors and windows open.

Sources

Checked on 11/03/2026.

This does not replace your doctor, your device supplier, the instructions of the authorities or 911: if they say something different, do what they say.

The rest of the house, ready too

In Ready in 7 Days, the In depth section has “If someone at home depends on a plug”: what to settle today with their doctor or the equipment company, what to do when the power goes and when the battery is running out, and a page to fill in with their device and medicines.

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