Portable vs continuous duty
Two engineering classes of hydrogen machine — the home-format portable and the professional continuous-duty system. They look similar; they aren't.
Specifications at a glance
| Portable | Continuous duty | |
|---|---|---|
| Intended duty cycle | Daily sessions | Back-to-back / all-day |
| Typical weight | 6 – 15 kg | Floor-standing platforms |
| Cell sizing | Sized for the rated output | Oversized for sustained output |
| Thermal management | Passive + fan | Heavier ventilation, larger heatsinks |
| Outlets | Single + Y connector | Multi-outlet manifold |
| Typical setting | Home, bedroom, office | Clinic, spa, retreat |
| Maintenance cadence | Monthly user maintenance | Annual professional inspection |
| Typical warranty | 1 – 2 years | 1 – 2 years, with commercial service options |
Specifications describe hardware and engineering parameters. They are not medical or therapeutic statements.
Key similarities
- Both built on PEM / SPE cell technology
- Both produce high-purity hydrogen on demand from water
- Both share the same accessory ecosystem (cannulas, Y connectors)
- Both carry hardware certifications (CE, FCC, RoHS)
Key differences
- Duty cycle: daily home use vs sustained commercial use
- Cell sizing: matched-to-rating vs oversized for headroom
- Footprint: portable bench unit vs floor-standing platform
- Outlets: single+Y vs multi-outlet manifold for concurrent users
Which one fits you?
Solo or two-user households, bedroom or home-office placement, daily protocols of 30 – 120 minutes. The P58, QY-A900, QY-A1200, QY-A1800 and W30 sit in this class.
Clinics, spas, wellness retreats, hotel wellness floors and high-utilisation home setups with three or more users. The QY-A3000 and the QY-F-series step into this class.
Both classes carry CE, FCC, RoHS and ISO 9001 / ISO 13485-aligned manufacturing. Certifications describe hardware and manufacturing standards, not therapeutic status. Continuous-duty machines are not registered medical devices unless explicitly stated.
View all certifications →Portable machines: user-level cell rinses on the cadence in the manual, periodic cannula replacement. Continuous-duty: add an annual professional cell inspection and a documented feedwater regime — clinics should follow a written maintenance log.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use a portable machine in a clinic?
- Occasionally, yes — for a small practitioner room with light utilisation. For back-to-back sessions across a working day, choose a continuous-duty platform like the QY-A3000.
- Is a continuous-duty machine overkill for home use?
- Usually yes — unless three or more people will share daily sessions, the portable class is the better fit for a home.
- Do continuous-duty machines run quieter or louder?
- Often quieter, despite higher output — bigger ventilation panels and tuned acoustic damping. But the floor footprint is much larger.