Electric blankets
As the weather turns colder, more of us will be dusting off our electric blankets to keep us warm during the night.
However, an electric blanket contains heating elements that can be dangerous if broken or allowed to overheat.
This page contains some basic advice to help you look after your blanket and understand what can go wrong and how to prevent problems. All electric blankets should conform to BS EN 60967 - if yours doesn't you should definitely replace it with one that does.
Top tips to prevent a fire caused by your electric blanket
- Ensure that it has a mechanism to cut the power if it begins to overheat.
- Check whether yours is an over-blanket or under-blanket type and use it only for that purpose - the two are very different and should never be interchanged.
- Never get into bed with an under-blanket switched on as damage to the elements and overheating may occur.
- Never lay on top of an over-blanket when it is switched on as damage to the elements and overheating may occur.
- Keep it flat and dry at all times - take care if you must fold or roll it for storage and follow the manufacturer's instructions for doing so.
- If the blanket is not new, have it serviced before use and again every two to three years, or according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- The plug should conform to BS 1363 and contain a 3-amp fuse that conforms to BS 1362.
Stay warm and stay safe!
