Electric blanket safety

[Bob Willson]

My wifes mother is getting quite old and no longer has complete control of her bladder. She uses an electric blanket that is rated for continuous usage but it is now several years old.
SEQEB (now Energex) in Queensland used to do free testing of electric blankets but when my wife phoned to ask about the service she was told it was no longer available.
I myself had a VERY bad experience with an electric blanket that caught fire due to a faulty switch. It burnt out the bedroom before I could get it under control.

So my question is: Is it worth getting a blanket tested in view of the fact that generally only a megger test is done and no other physical testing is possible other than a visible inspection for burnt or otherwise worn areas?

[Bunyip]

Bob,

I hate them personally, but my wife likes to get into a warm bed :rolleyes:

I do a visual on ours, looking for areas of wear, cable condition etc. Never fold a blanket up, always roll it.

Testing will only tell you whether it is OK at the time of testing. For peace of mind, we have a low voltage blanket that runs off a transformer. More expensive initially, but as you found out, cheaper than a fire or worse ...

If it is older and in regular use, I would replace it with a low voltage one.

[jackiew]

They aren't that expensive ( cheaper than a new mother in law or a funeral ) so if you have any doubts I would replace the blanket ( and destroy the old one ).

As your mother-in-law has bladder control problems I would also contact the local organisation that handles incontinence advice( i know we've got one here in Victoria ... not that i need the info myself I hasten to add ) and ask them about the best electric blanket ( if any? ) to use where it is likely to get wet. If the subject is one that can be raised with your mother-in-law ( and she may be very touchy about it ) she may find that the incontinence advice centre can give her information about products and strategies to help her cope with the problem. If they can't help with info on suitable blankets you might also ask for advice at the local palliative care hostel.

[Eastie]

Do a visual and run your hand over it - as per the manufacturers recommendations. If you want to go further you could get it tested and tagged by a sparky. They will check for earth continuity, continuity of insulation, etc.

Most of the manufacturers and fire brigades around Australia have stated that electric blankets should be turned off before going to bed. This removes risks associated with:

overheating; and
incontinence.
I guess she'd have to freeze to death then!
I'm not sure how the low voltage/constant use stack up, but I would expect there is similar concerns with them being left on as it's too easy to get out of bed in the morning and leave it turned on. See the link for general info:

http://www.mfbb.vic.gov.au/default.asp?casid=233

As for nursing homes and hospital beds - perhaps they use low voltage with some sort of timer switch to overcome the problems, or perhaps you're on the money with the one you've got if it's constant rated?

[Iain]

How about a waterbed that has controlled temperature?
Waterproof too.

[davo453]

good idea Iain, they also prevent/reduce pressure sores.

[Rocker]

What about using a hot-water bottle instead of an electric blanket? You could also use a space-heater to warm the bedroom to a temperature at which an electric blanket would be unnecessary.

Rocker

[multinut]

im with rocker on this one
a hot water bottle
im not incontenant :eek:
but i do sleep on the wet spot quite often :D
cheers
multinut
http://www.ubeaut.biz/crowd.gif

[DarrylF]

I'm amazed nobody has said anything - maybe I'm just in a mood tonight.

You're WORRIED about your mother in law????? :confused: Some would be rigging the electric blanket and dry cleaning the suit :D

[Caliban]

Darryl
I'm shocked! :eek:
How could you????????
It's disgusting
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you beat me to it!

[silentC]

Never mind the mother in law, why do you need an electric blanket in QLD at all? I thought it was beautiful one day, perfect the next?

[Ian007]

Having a Wife that likes a warm bed & a father in law that was in the fire brigade for 38 years and hates eletric blankets with a passion
we had to find another way

we heat the bed up for a few seconds with a hair dryer then jump in and continue to warm it up while in bed for about 30-60seconds

then remove the hair dryer problem solved

Ian

[jackiew]

the thinking woman's solution to cold beds ....send male of your choice to bed first with instructions to lie on the woman's side of bed. Allow ten mins or so to elapse while reading book in the only warm room in the house. Get ready for bed. Tell him to move over on to his side. Get in. Result nice warm bed to get into AND a convenient everlasting hot water bottle to put my extremely cold feet on :eek: And if you're really lucky he'll get out of bed first in the morning and return with a nice cup of tea. :D

[Bob Willson]

Never mind the mother in law, why do you need an electric blanket in QLD at all? I thought it was beautiful one day, perfect the next?That is entirely correct silent; Our perfect nights drop to about 4 or 5 degrees in the city and drop perfectly to freezing in the outback. Just the way we love 'em. :)

jackiew
Unfortunately that is no longer an option for her. Also, I can forsee problems with your method of bedwarming in that the bedwarmer may decide not to move and you would then have to lie either on top of or under said warmer. Still, all in all the bed would get quite warm one way or another. :D


I'm amazed nobody has said anything - maybe I'm just in a mood tonight.

You're WORRIED about your mother in law????? No Darryl, I'm not worried about my mother-in-law, I'm worried about my wife's reaction and what will happen to me if I cannot find a solution to the problem. :D

Iain: I used to have a waterbed myself and found every movement in it to be a struggle. (not that I did many movements in the bed. I'm not the incontinent one. :) )

[Iain]

The later models have better baffling and don't move.

[Caliban]

The later models have better baffling and don't move.


I always said older women were a better bet! :D :D :D

[silentC]

My wife turned 40 recently. She still moves a lot but I've always found her a bit baffling... :D

[Caliban]

Darren
That's not a baffle
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it's a golf club. :D