Who is using an electric blanket?

[Nomad57]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Many electric blankets with electronic controllers won't work on a modified sine wave inverter or an inverter that's configured to go into a low power mode at idle. But on a pure sine wave inverter with no power saving mode (so it's producing a proper sine wave no matter how low the load gets) they work fine.

Good to know, thanks.


Nomad

[Nomad57]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I’m guessing you might not have a pure sine inverter?

That was a must on my boat so that everything would work.

Quite so, Chotu. It's an el cheapo inverter that I bought for my van at a tire store for a few bucks. At the time, I didn't know the difference. It powered what I needed to power.


Regards,


Nomad

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Nomad57

Quite so, Chotu. It's an el cheapo inverter that I bought for my van at a tire store for a few bucks. At the time, I didn't know the difference. It powered what I needed to power.


Regards,


Nomad

Ahhhh. Canadian Tire? A good store though!

If you do upgrade, and you still want to keep it inexpensive, may I suggest AIMS brand?

I have been buying their inverters for many years and have never had one fail. It always ends up leaving with the boat or RV in a sale.

That’s what I’m using now.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Nomad57

Chotu,


Glad it works for you. I use similar Sunbeam products at home, but the manual warns not to use it with an inverter, power bar, or extension cord. I tried it with my inverter and sure enough, it does not work, at least not with my inverter.


Nomad

If it has a electronic control do not use it with a modified sine wave inverter. Not only won't it work, the control unit can even melt down and maybe catch fire. It will definitely get hot enough to melt the plastic and turn it black. Don't ask how I know.

[Papasail]

Public warning: old fashioned electric coil space heaters are quite dangerous…. I was working in a law firm, when we smelled burning rubber. Everyone in the office was racing to sniff it down. The (electrical resistance) had melted the first 6 inches of the electric cord rubber until it was dripping. My job then, was to assess every personal space heater in the building…. every single one of them had significant similar symptoms.

Take a moment when your heaters are really cranking, and feel the first 6” of chord. Maybe this happens with electric blankets, maybe not. If you own an old school space heater, it’s only a matter of time. Not sure if this idea would include the new ceramic style space heaters or not: I do like them better, because they have programmable heat levels (with!) a timer…. up to 8 hours with an automatic shutoff.

*I been using a hot water bottle for my feet, but I absolutely swear by the (cheap) *Sherpa Blankets they sell on Amazon. Those things are amazing! And flannel sheets! Roasty toasty!

B

[Papasail]

Addendum:

Check the first 6” of electrical cord as it comes off the wall outlet.

The Sherpa blanket is directly on top of you, with quilt/ duvet/ blanket over that.

B

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Papasail

Public warning: old fashioned electric coil space heaters are quite dangerous…. I was working in a law firm, when we smelled burning rubber. Everyone in the office was racing to sniff it down. The (electrical resistance) had melted the first 6 inches of the electric cord rubber until it was dripping. My job then, was to assess every personal space heater in the building…. every single one of them had significant similar symptoms.

Take a moment when your heaters are really cranking, and feel the first 6” of chord. Maybe this happens with electric blankets, maybe not. If you own an old school space heater, it’s only a matter of time. Not sure if this idea would include the new ceramic style space heaters or not: I do like them better, because they have programmable heat levels (with!) a timer…. up to 8 hours with an automatic shutoff.

*I been using a hot water bottle for my feet, but I absolutely swear by the (cheap) *Sherpa Blankets they sell on Amazon. Those things are amazing! And flannel sheets! Roasty toasty!

B

You know, this is some thing I take into consideration on boats all the time.

Corrosion can happen. Bad designs on electrical appliances can happen. These are fires waiting to happen on boats.

My strategy is I don’t overstress my electrical systems ever on any boat. They always have a lot of extra capacity.

For example if I’m going to use a little heater like that, I’m going to use two of them on the first setting which is 750 W. Instead of using one of them on 1500 W.

I use those on 2 different circuits.

I do the same thing all over my boat. Same with the electric blanket. I don’t put it on max. I use it about halfway. Maybe 3/4 if it’s very cold.

This way you can greatly minimize the chances of having any electrical fires.

[rslifkin]

Even on high, most electric blankets aren't particularly high powered. So unless an outlet is well beyond shot, an electric blanket isn't going to get it hot. I don't think I've seen one over 200 watts.

[dkenny64]

in truth. never heard or thought about one.
but last week I would love to have had one. we the 2 electric heater ended up on the same 15amp circuit and trip the breaker in the middle of the night. Yes I woke up cold. got up to check...both off. in the foggy state of sleep... I checked them first.. then the breaker.. changed how they were plugged and on.. then back to bed with more blankets.
oops..


-dkenny64..
ps yes the heat pump system has a problem but that is another story. solution not known yet.

[Papasail]

Sherpa blankets!
Sherpa blankets!
Sherpa Blankets! *From Amazon.

Those old cotton family quilts have long been the bar for supreme comfort, but I gotta say, warm cozy comfort ratchets way up with a Sherpa Blanket underneath a quilt on a cold winter day…. * I live in Maine!

!and cheap!

do it!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Papasail

Sherpa blankets!
Sherpa blankets!
Sherpa Blankets! *From Amazon.

Those old cotton family quilts have long been the bar for supreme comfort, but I gotta say, warm cozy comfort ratchets way up with a Sherpa Blanket underneath a quilt on a cold winter day…. * I live in Maine!

!and cheap!

do it!

I have two of those. Wait until you put an electric blanket under one.

[Papasail]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I have two of those. Wait until you put an electric blanket under one.

🤣🤣🤣…. yup!

[Nomad57]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

If it has a electronic control do not use it with a modified sine wave inverter. Not only won't it work, the control unit can even melt down and maybe catch fire. It will definitely get hot enough to melt the plastic and turn it black. Don't ask how I know.

How do you know?



I'm not 100 percent sure what you mean by an "electronic control", (mine has a button that you can press three times for increasing heat, so I guess that qualifies). You're right, it doesn't work. When I tried it, the light that indicates the heat setting just flashed. I'm not sure why they say no extension cords, though. If you're not next to an outlet, you really don't have a choice.


Nomad

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Nomad57

How do you know?



I'm not 100 percent sure what you mean by an "electronic control", (mine has a button that you can press three times for increasing heat, so I guess that qualifies). You're right, it doesn't work. When I tried it, the light that indicates the heat setting just flashed. I'm not sure why they say no extension cords, though. If you're not next to an outlet, you really don't have a choice.


Nomad

I know because I almost set my boat on fire. This was before we retired and we were weekenders in NC. We had often used the blanket to pre-warm the bunk after it having cold soaked all week in the winter. One weekend we were off the dock and decided to warm the bunk before retiring for the night. I turned on the inverter and the blanket and sat in the salon for maybe 30 minutes when I smelled overheated electronics and and burning plastic. I went into the bedroom and the control unit was a melted black pile billowing smoke. I looked at the instructions and sure enough it said no inverters. RTFM even for things as simple as an electric blanket.


Many of these circuits use triacs to switch the AC on and off. Remembering my days as an electronics technician over 45 years ago. One had to be careful about how one switched triacs as they did not like square waves and could get extremely hot. At one point I knew reasons and it had to do with RMS voltage of a sine wave and more correctly current driven by that sine wave versus the way it behaves in a square wave, but like I said it was 45 years ago and I'ld probably make some error in the explanation which would start some kind of flaming war so I'll refrain from doing so. I know it was triacs in my controller because I busted the debris apart and saw them. It was a face palm moment when I realized why it had burned up. I don't know if your controller is the same, but if the instructions say don't use on an inverter there's a good chance that this is the reason. A true sine wave inverter would probably not be a problem, but I think it likely that the lawyers that approve these warnings are thinking that the average consumer would probably not know or understand what kind of inverter they were using so it's probably safer just to say no inverters.


You asked

[Nomad57]

Thanks for the clarification, Bill. I figured it was something along those lines. I've opened up a couple of the old style controls for heating pads that had malfunctioned to repair them, (you know, the ones where the medium position was actually the high setting, and vice versa, because it's easier to manufacture them that way). That being the case, they ought to have labeled them correctly. I've spent many an evening switching between "low" and "medium", and wondering why it got so darned hot on "medium". When I discovered this, I was really annoyed. But the new ones, with a single button to press repeatedly, are most likely as you describe. I've not opened one of those up as of yet, but I'm sure if I live long enough, I'll get around to it.


Regards,


Nomad