Tips for Electric Blanket Safety
The wintry season can bring a lot of worries, but one that many tend to overlook is the necessity for electric blanket safety. While wood stoves and fireplaces provide their fair share of dangers to a home, electric blankets are unfortunately severely underestimated when it comes to being a potential safety hazard. We are going to talk about the best ways that one can exercise electric blanket safety.
The idea for the first electric blanket can be traced all the way back to 1912 to an American doctor named Sydney Russell. A basic electric blanket contains a heating device made up of various coils and wires. These are threaded into the material of the blanket, usually between the top and bottom sheets. Modern electric blankets are fitted with some sort of control device, such as a remote control, which allows one to select from various heat settings. Most blankets are also fitted with a detachable power cord. Due to the duration for which electric blankets are used for—usually seven or eight hours constantly just in one night—it makes more sense for the blanket to run off of AC/DC power rather than batteries.
While the use of typical electricity is a cheaper alternative to batteries, it also means that the blanket is able to use a higher voltage. Partner this with the fact that the elements transferring this electricity can produce quite a substantial amount of heat and are surrounded by highly flammable materials such as wool. Folding the blanket for storage purposes can result in the wires sustaining damage such as cracking, fraying, or completely severing away. But bending and folding for storage isn’t the only way these wires can be damaged. The simply tossing and turning one goes through during the night time is enough to result in normal wear and tear of the wires after a long period of time.
Safety officials advise one to keep in mind the following electric blanket safety tips to avoid heightening their chances of starting a fire. The first tip is to avoid using blankets that are more than ten years old. The technology put into blankets earlier than this are not as advanced as modern models. There is also a higher risk of coil or wire damage in older blankets that result simply from the average wear and tear these blankets sustain. In fact, in the United Kingdom it is estimated that around 5,000 household fires each year can be traced back to an old or damaged electric blanket.
Another electric blanket safety tip to bear in mind is whether one has any physical conditions that would prevent them from feeling a burn. For instance, diabetics, young children, and the elderly are at a particular risk for failing to sense a burn as quickly as others. Burning could occur from thinning of the blanket’s material, exposed wires, and, in the event that the blanket catches fire, flames. This means a delayed response time and an increased chance of sustaining a burn injury.
One should never run the heating blanket cord between the mattress and the box spring. This could cause the wire to sustain friction damage and become a fire hazard. Electric blankets should not be used on water beds of any kind, nor should they be used on beds which fold and can cause the wires in the blanket to become pinched. It is also not recommended that one allow pets near an electric blanket as some dogs and cats have a tendency to chew at the wiring.
Any evidence of a damaged blanket, such as hot or cold patches or scorch marks should be taken seriously. One should discontinue use of the blanket and search for a replacement. Some manufacturers offer a warranty period and will replace the blanket if it becomes damaged during this time. Even if the manufacturer refuses to replace the blanket, it should be disposed of properly and replaced with a new model.