Electric Blanket Repair

[Ed in Tx]

This thread cost me money! With this discussion, I gathered up the old Sunbeam electric blanket I bought in the early '80s (it's now in the To:Salvation Army bag, I figure they'll know what to do with it). I replaced it with a new "Soft and Warm" low voltage DC blanket. A bit expensive, but sure is nice! No more sleeping with an AC electromagnetic field around me. And I don't have to wonder if it will catch on fire.

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

This thread cost me money! With this discussion, I gathered up the old Sunbeam electric blanket I bought in the early '80s (it's now in the To:Salvation Army bag, I figure they'll know what to do with it). I replaced it with a new "Soft and Warm" low voltage DC blanket. A bit expensive, but sure is nice! No more sleeping with an AC electromagnetic field around me. And I don't have to wonder if it will catch on fire.

[Ed in Tx]

Actually it's called SoftHeat. It should be safer than the old Sunbeam, but whether it will still be working in 5, 10, 20+ years like the old Sunbeams, who knows since it has a 16V 3.5A switch-mode power supply to derive the 16V DC it operates on. I suppose it could run on a big battery if all else failed..

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Actually it's called SoftHeat. It should be safer than the old Sunbeam, but whether it will still be working in 5, 10, 20+ years like the old Sunbeams, who knows since it has a 16V 3.5A switch-mode power supply to derive the 16V DC it operates on. I suppose it could run on a big battery if all else failed..

Could also find an appropriate printer power brick, or a beefy stepdown transformer....Heater wire don't care if it gets 16VDC or 16VAC (rms).

I don't think low voltage or DC operation makes the new ones safer (if the PS has enough overload, etc. protections built in IT might make it safer)....If you have ever had a starter motor short out in a BIG old American car and seen the sparks thrown off by the terminals, or built an output-transformer-less tube amp using 8 6AS7 tubes (with a heater draw of 2.5A @ 6.3V for each tube) and ran the 20A of heater current through wire rated for 11A (it was a temporary proof of concept test build) and watched it smoke, short and catch fire you would not find the low voltage alone to be more fire safe....

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Could also find an appropriate printer power brick, or a beefy stepdown transformer....Heater wire don't care if it gets 16VDC or 16VAC (rms)...

I doubt the controller unit between the power supply and the blanket that varies the heat, detects problems with the elements, and auto-shuts off after 10 hours would like AC.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

I doubt the controller unit between the power supply and the blanket that varies the heat, detects problems with the elements, and auto-shuts off after 10 hours would like AC.

I figured the controller was part of the power supply and would get tossed with it upon failure....Not hard to rectify and filter AC.
Last time I had a heating pad (not a full blanket) was in the 90's, and that was a 60's or 70's model.

[Dubis7]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

And I don't have to wonder if it will catch on fire.

What's a heating blanket if it doesn't make things hot?

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Dubis7

What's a heating blanket if it doesn't make things hot?

Hot, but not to kindling point hopefully!

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

This thread cost me money! With this discussion, I gathered up the old Sunbeam electric blanket I bought in the early '80s (it's now in the To:Salvation Army bag, I figure they'll know what to do with it). I replaced it with a new "Soft and Warm" low voltage DC blanket.

Ah man.....