Electric Blankets

What are electric blankets? Is it safe to use? An electric blanket, or sometimes called heated blanket, is a cool blanket with an integrated electrical heating device usually placed above the top bed sheet. It usually have a control unit which adjusts the amount of heat the blanket produces. The electric blanket may be used to pre-heat the bed before use or to keep the occupant warm while in bed.

Electric blankets use grids of thin, insulated wires to generate heat internally. Earlier electric blankets used adjustable thermostats to control temperature, but modern electric blankets (after 1984) use rheostats. Rheostats not only measure the heat generated by the blanket, but the body heat generated by the user as well. This results in a more even heating and fewer hot spots.

Electric blankets can be a nice warm comfort during the winter months. A misused or damaged blanket, however, can easily become an ignition source for a fire. Electric blankets that are too hot or kept on one area of the body for too long also pose a real threat for burns. This is especially a concern for infants, the elderly, or anyone who might have difficulty sensing hot temperatures or moving the blanket if it gets too hot.

Here are list of electric blanket safety:

• Only use electric blankets that have been approved by nationally recognized testing agencies (like Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.).
• Always buy new electric blankets; second-hand blankets may not be safe.
• Replace all electric blankets that are more than 10 years old. Most fires caused by electric blankets are caused by those older than 10 years.
• Replace any electric blanket that is worn or torn, where the electric cord is frayed, or where the temperature control is damaged.
• Turn your electric blanket off when not in use. Many older models have no internal temperature control to shut the blanket off when it gets too hot; if your blanket has no such internal control, consider replacing it with a newer model.
• Turn your electric blanket off before you go to sleep (unless the blanket is made specifically to be used all night).

These are only few and there are still lots of safety tips provided in the net.