I read the Medicare publication on emergencies on page 15 it states:
If you use Continuous Cyclic Peritoneal Dialysis
(CCPD):
If you use a cycler, you may want to purchase a gasoline powered
generator that makes 110 volt AC alternating current.
This is correct a power generator comes in a few sizes
a standard size is about 4000 watts and has a 4 gallon gas tank to last about 6-7 hours.
a standard lawn care gas can is 5 gallons, so to operate the generator for 24 hours you would need 15 gallons or 3 - 4 gas cans in storage
it goes on to say:
Or, if you have a car, you can run your cycler off
the cigarette lighter by using a 12 volt DC to a 110 volt
AC inverter (available at electronics stores).
— THIS STATEMENT IS WRONG !!! -----
A cycler takes 600 - 700 watts of power
this requires 12 volts at 65 amps of power required for the inverter
to give the 120vAC @ 700 watts
the cigarette lighter has a 15 - 20 amp fuse and the safe maximun is 10
amps.
hooking up a inverter to the cigarette lighter can give you only 100 watts
In order to use you car to run the high power you need to connect the inverter directly to the battery using 4 gauge inverter cables.
depending on your car you will need to know how much power the alternator can supply. FOR EXAMPLE: A 2008 Ford Escape has a 150 amp alternator. but a 2005 ford escape has a 130 amp alternator. a Toyota Camry Alternator has only 70 amps, this is not enough to run your unit.
With everything turned off in the car, heater, A/C, headlights, the minimum
amount is the 100 amp alternator.
it goes on to say:
If the car is in a garage, make sure there is plenty of fresh air and
good ventilation.
— THIS STATEMENT IS WRONG !!! -----
The car must be running to use the inverter and never, have a running car in the garage. You would need to have a special muffler exhaust fume hose system installed, as one used in a auto repair shop. Running the car only with the garage door open is not enough to keep the carbon monoxide (CO) fumes from staying in the garage and seeping into the house, if it’s a attached garage.