An oxygen concentrator needs a dependable power supply and a plan for what happens when that supply stops. Arrange this before the first night at home. Buying a battery or stabiliser is only part of the plan: someone must know how to recognise an interruption, use the prescribed backup and get help if it cannot last.
Start with the prescription and the device
Ask the treating team what backup oxygen arrangement is needed and who should help during a prolonged outage. Do not decide that a gap is harmless because oxygen is used only at night or during activity. Keep the written prescription with the equipment, including any different instructions for rest, sleep and movement.
Give the installer the exact concentrator model and its manual. Photograph the electrical label. A broad description such as “5-litre machine” is insufficient: electrical demand and permitted power sources vary between models. Check whether the manufacturer allows the proposed UPS, inverter or external battery arrangement.
Separate power protection from stored energy
A stabiliser regulates voltage within its stated limits; it does not normally provide energy during an outage. A UPS or battery inverter can supply stored energy, but compatibility and runtime must be checked for the complete setup. The WHO concentrator guidance treats power planning as part of equipment selection and maintenance.
Watts describe real power, while volt-amperes describe apparent power. They should not be substituted for each other. A qualified installer should check running load, startup demand, output waveform, transfer behaviour and battery capacity. Ask for the assumptions in writing, including whether other appliances share the backup.
Confirm usable runtime
A battery's advertised capacity is not a promise of operating hours. Runtime changes with load, battery condition, conversion losses, temperature and the permitted depth of discharge. Ask the supplier to demonstrate the approved arrangement under realistic conditions without interrupting the patient's oxygen supply.
Record the expected runtime, how the battery is charged and how to recognise a low-charge warning. Set a review date for the backup equipment. A system that worked when new needs checking again as batteries age or household loads change.
Prepare the people as well as the equipment
Keep a short outage card beside the concentrator: the prescribed backup arrangement, who can operate it, the supplier's contact and the clinical emergency contact. Practise the handover with the supplier. Make sure the backup can be reached in the dark and that tubing will not create a trip hazard.
If a cylinder is part of the plan, ask the oxygen supplier to explain its usable reserve and refill arrangements at the prescribed flow. Do not rely on a promised repair visit as the only backup. During an outage, follow the agreed plan; severe breathlessness, confusion or inability to maintain the prescribed oxygen supply calls for urgent medical help.