Electric Blanket

Electric blanket is a modern invention, which is very helpful in winter season. If you use an electric blanket, it will keep you toasty and warm even in chilly days of winter. However, it is not suitable for pregnant women due to risk of electric shocks.

Remember, you shouldn’t keep this electric blanket at greater heights, because it may cause fire. So, always keep it low before you vacate your home. If you want to heat up your bed, just turn it on. Electric blankets are inexpensive and are worth the price.

Types of Electric Blankets

First, electric blankets were invented in 1900. And at that time, they were known as “warming quilts” or “heating pads”. Initially, they were bulky and big and were dangerous too. After that, many enhancements were made to electric blankets to improve their functionality. The latest electric blankets are equipped with many sophisticated design features, and they come with higher safety levels.

Usually, there are three types of electric blankets; they are Mattress Pad, Blankets and Duvets, and Throw Blanket; let’s take a look at each of them.

Mattress Pad

This pad is very similar to traditional mattress pad, but it has internal heating wires. Nowadays, the electric mattress pad becomes quite advanced, with factories developing models, which can be heated to different temperatures on either sides of bed. The price ranges from 50 dollars to 150 dollars and the electric blanket is a pretty useful home appliance, which doesn’t cost as much as a microwave oven and other electronic/electric appliances cost.

Blankets and Duvets: The electric blanket is very similar to a duvet or over-blanket. A duvet is a blanket, which covers the bed top and it does not go into the sheets like an electric mattress pad. You can use it to warm the bed, before you go to sleep. Moreover, you can adjust the temperature of electric blanket. In market, there are various blanket brands and the blankets with high quality have few numbers of wires with quick heat-up feature.

Throw Blanket

As aforementioned, electric blankets are bulky and large. Conversing that, this throw blanket is thin and small, and it is foldable like a traditional blanket. Considering its mobile nature and versatility, the electric throw is developed to be transportable, comfortable, and convenient. Contrasting a traditional electric blanket, it is not designed to be used on bed and these are meant to be used during journeys.

Working of Electric Blanket

Similar to a heating pad, electric blankets are supposed to use a heating element or insulated wire placed into a fabric, which heats up when plugged in. The temperature control unit is placed between the electric outlet and blanket. This maintains the electricity level maintained in the blanket.

Latest electric blankets use 24 volts supply and are equipped with a shutoff machine to avoid the blanket from catching fire or overheating. Early versions did not have such a mechanism and customers faced problems due to overheating. Older blankets have been sources of fire hazards too.

For clearer working, please see

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4913294_electric-blankets-work.html#ixzz0r1hNrZzZ

Some tips to save an electric blanket are given in the following video


Making Sure Your Electric Blanket is Safe