Adjusting the heat of an electric blanket?

pauldavis123

Hi, I have a 3 position electric blanket but even 1 is too hot for it to be on all night!

I opened the contoller and I'm thinking that chainging the resistors marked R1 & R2 may do the job.

Can anyone with more knowledge let me know if this willl work and what value resistors I should use. The ones in it are 1K ohm but I don't know the wattage.

Image of board:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aWcptgBUY86G1t9D9

Rows Grower

pauldavis123 wrote: »

Hi, I have a 3 position electric blanket but even 1 is too hot for it to be on all night!

I opened the contoller and I'm thinking that chainging the resistors marked R1 & R2 may do the job.

Can anyone with more knowledge let me know if this willl work and what value resistors I should use. The ones in it are 1K ohm but I don't know the wattage.

Image of board:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aWcptgBUY86G1t9D9

Why don't you just light a fire under the bed altogether, start with a small one and then keep building it up until you find the optimum level.

GolfVI

pauldavis123 wrote: »

Hi, I have a 3 position electric blanket but even 1 is too hot for it to be on all night!

I opened the contoller and I'm thinking that chainging the resistors marked R1 & R2 may do the job.

Can anyone with more knowledge let me know if this willl work and what value resistors I should use. The ones in it are 1K ohm but I don't know the wattage.

Image of board:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aWcptgBUY86G1t9D9

Why dont you just put a thicker sheet or matress cover between your sheet and the electric blanket, will reduce the heat flow

tuxy

An electric blanket is to heat up the best before you get in it and you should turn it off before you get in.
Having one that gets very hot will heat up the bed faster for you, sounds like you have a good one!

pauldavis123

Rows Grower wrote: »

Why don't you just light a fire under the bed altogether, start with a small one and then keep building it up until you find the optimum level.

I'd be worried about carbon monoxide...

pauldavis123

GolfVI wrote: »

Why dont you just put a thicker sheet or matress cover between your sheet and the electric blanket, will reduce the heat flow

I actually put a spare duvet underneath already, it has made it worse but it's super comfortable and the girlfriend wants it to stay!

pauldavis123

tuxy wrote: »

An electric blanket is to heat up the best before you get in it and you should turn it off before you get in.
Having one that gets very hot will heat up the bed faster for you, sounds like you have a good one!

That is fake news!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-75184-Heated-Underblanket/dp/B0052WHHES

Johnboy1951

pauldavis123 wrote: »

Hi, I have a 3 position electric blanket but even 1 is too hot for it to be on all night!

I opened the contoller and I'm thinking that chainging the resistors marked R1 & R2 may do the job.

Can anyone with more knowledge let me know if this willl work and what value resistors I should use. The ones in it are 1K ohm but I don't know the wattage.

Image of board:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aWcptgBUY86G1t9D9

Trace the circuit and draw a circuit diagram with the components and values indicated.
That might help get some reasonable response from someone familiar with such things.

Is there a discernible difference between the heat settings?

Capt'n Midnight

Don't mess with it.

Easier to use a timer switch. Like the old analog ones with 15 minute intervals.

M.T.D

The resistors do not control the heat.

The blanket has two sets of heating elements e.g a and b
The switch then selects element a or element b or elements a&b.
Giving you 3 heat settings
Are you sure you have a "keep on all night blanket" most are to warm the bed only then turn off.

cletus

M.T.D wrote: »

The resistors do not control the heat.

The blanket has two sets of heating elements e.g a and b
The switch then selects element a or element b or elements a&b.
Giving you 3 heat settings
Are you sure you have a "keep on all night blanket" most are to warm the bed only then turn off.

This. The one linked above specifically mentions it's to be left on all night. Any electric blankets I've seen are turned on a while before you go to bed, then the bed is warm when you get in.

If it were me, I'd just place it where it belongs...in the bin

Tell me how

If position 1 is too hot then it is over-speced for what you need.

Tell your GF you are doing something to help preserve environment and not using unnecessary energy. Donate it to charity and if your GF is cold I'm sure ye'll come up with some way to warm up.

(If you choose to do none of the above, check the wattage of the blanket and buy a smaller wattage one. Modifying existing one will increase likelihood of fire significantly)

tuxy

pauldavis123 wrote: »

That is fake news!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-75184-Heated-Underblanket/dp/B0052WHHES

Very strange if this is the blanket you have.
It has 4 heat setting but the circuit you showed has 3.
Also many of the reviews say it is no hot enough on the highest setting.

Thargor

tuxy wrote: »

Very strange if this is the blanket you have.
It has 4 heat setting but the circuit you showed has 3.
Also many of the reviews say it is no hot enough on the highest setting.

I got that from Argos a while back and returned it, a total piece of crap, tiny, as in smaller than a towel, not warm enough even on highest, no extra heat around the feet as promised. I doubt that's the ops one if he's complaining its too hot.

I returned it and got a silent night double, that thing can practically heat a room

gctest50

One of these - 20 settings, self adjusting


https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Velvet-Plush-King-Controllers/dp/B009K4Z7B4

tuxy

gctest50 wrote: »

One of these - 20 settings, self adjusting


https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Velvet-Plush-King-Controllers/dp/B009K4Z7B4

Is it worth importing for the U.S?
Will they work ok on our power supply?

Tell me how

tuxy wrote: »

Is it worth importing for the U.S?
Will they work ok on our power supply?

No!!!

Here's one I built earlier.
It's a 400W lighting dimmer with the output wired to a socket.

Capt'n Midnight

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Here's one I built earlier.
It's a 400W lighting dimmer with the output wired to a socket.

Something like an electric drill would probably zap it.

Lighting dimmers don't like back emf or transients.

It's for resistive loads. Haven't blown it up yet.

I made it for Missus Liamalot's jewelry kiln that has no t-stat, temp monitor or proportional control.

PS. Snubber diodes.

Capt'n Midnight

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

It's for resistive loads. Haven't blown it up yet.

I made it for Missus Liamalot's jewelry kiln that has no t-stat, temp monitor or proportional control.

PS. Snubber diodes.

Or put the dimmer in the centre of a bridge rectifier.

Ironically it's a transient generator. Phase fired control. Meh....

Johnboy1951

Oh my gosh, I just realised how long it is since I designed zero crossing controllers for heat maintenance (decades).

I best grab my Zimmer frame and leave .......

pauldavis123

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Here's one I built earlier.
It's a 400W lighting dimmer with the output wired to a socket.

Genius

Great solution, absolutely perfect!