Visit our Popular Forums

michaelmrc · 08-08-2009, 19:35

does anyone use an electric blanket onboard in the winter months? are there any safety issues do they work well?

highseas · 08-08-2009, 19:50

A good way to warm the mattress,but I wouldnt sleep with one.I prefer another warm body.

**David M** · 08-08-2009, 20:09

I would say get one that is UL listed. I'm sure they put it through the safety gamut including spilling liquids on it.

Captain Bill · 08-08-2009, 20:37

If your going to be powering them with an inverter it must be a true sinewave inverter. So called modified sinewave inverters are incompatible with the temperature control circuits. They overheat and present a fire hazard. The reason I know is that I tried this a couple of winters ago and woke up to smoking temperature control units. It takes them a while to get that hot so the failure mode is not immediately apparent. If you read the warnings that come with the modified sine wave inverters it warns you about not using them with similar devices. Unfortunately I noticed that after I fried the control units.

**David M** · 08-08-2009, 20:43

Good point Bill. I had an old modified square wave inverter which "let the smoke out" of a couple power converters. You really do have to be careful with what you plug in to these types of inverters.

**GordMay** · 09-08-2009, 04:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by David M

Good point Bill. I had an old modified square wave inverter which "let the smoke* out" of a couple power converters...

* “Magic Smoke” refers to smoke released by malfunctioning electronic circuits.
The magic smoke is observed to come out of electronic components when overheated, often through exposure to an extreme electrical current usually caused by the application of excess voltage through some failure of the circuit.
Manufacturers put a little bit of magic smoke into every electronic component, and it is this smoke which makes the device work.
In support of this theory, once the magic smoke has been released, the device lacks its key component and no longer works. The smoke thus can be thought of as an essential part in the device's function.
It is also noted that once let out, the magic smoke cannot ever be put back in.

michaelmrc · 09-08-2009, 06:06

would only be powering the blanket via shore power not though my invertor. gotta admin been guilty a couple of times myself of "letting the smoke out "

zeehag · 13-08-2009, 19:47

i choose to use feather quilts--more efficient and less electricity to use them.....and a warm body and a kat...LOL

michaelmrc · 13-08-2009, 19:48

thats all good but what if you dont have a warm body and a cat

zeehag · 13-08-2009, 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelmrc

thats all good but what if you dont have a warm body and a cat

then winter lasts waaay tooo long and one should try to get to a warmer climate lol....feather throws and quilts work great....nice n warm.....

michaelmrc · 13-08-2009, 20:00

i thought down was a no no on boats due to moisture and mold issues ? am i mistaken here.

zeehag · 13-08-2009, 20:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelmrc

i thought down was a no no on boats due to moisture and mold issues ? am i mistaken here.

mine are fresh and nice despite the boating atmosphere--the ones i used on my ericson got a bit stale after one season, but on my formosa, there has been no problem and the 2 i have now are great!! they also are machine washable--take to laundromat and clean in the huge front loading machines....have fun--i love mine......use cold water and woolite!!.--i have been using feathers and a feather bed for 6 yrs now--all on board----i finally got rid of the feather bed--was awkward on board--and heavy--but the quilts and throws are well used and my formosa doesnt sweat or have condensation problems..lots of fresh air inside....

in lost angeles, i used 2 heating pads to heat my bed --left them on all day on low---my critters--2 cats at the time--would lie on them while i was at work!!!--kept the bed nice and warm!!

michaelmrc · 13-08-2009, 20:17

hmm interesting. ive used down sleeping bags from years of mountaineering they are the best in cold climate but lose all their insulating properties when they get wet. the climate im in now is very damp in the winter months lots of rain in the pnw