Nothing can be better than an electric blanket to keep you warm at a dry winter night.
But it is of utmost importance that the blanket is safe to use. Earlier this month, a woman was injured by an overheated electric blanket while sleeping.
The Consumer Council conducted a safety test on 15 samples of electric blankets. All blankets tested were single-size under-blankets; 10 of them were purchased in Hong Kong while the other 5 were bought in Shenzhen ("the Mainland samples"). The retail prices of the samples ranged from RMB47 to HK$1,090. The Mainland samples were significantly cheaper.
It was found under normal situations all samples were safe to use, but each of them had room for improvement in different areas.
All the samples were tested against the latest IEC standard (IEC 60335-2-17) on electric blankets. The Mainland samples were further tested against the GB standard (GB 4706.8).
Test items include protection against accessibility to live parts, heat and fire resistance of material, insulation distance measurement, marking and instructions.
Highlights of the test results are:
- The transformer of one sample was installed with only one single capacitor as protective impedance. The standard requires at least 2 components connected in series for such purpose.
- The insulation distance between the transformer's primary and secondary windings of the above sample was also found to be shorter than the standard requirement.
- Only 7 samples met all the requirements on material's resistance to heat and fire. The other samples were found to have parts failing to comply with the requirement of glow-wire, needle-flame or ball pressure tests.
- No sample was found to have fully met the latest IEC requirements for marking and instructions, especially the warning against the use of electric blanket by infants and very vulnerable persons. However, it is noted that such IEC standard requirements were introduced in early 2012 only after the samples had been purchased.
Consumers are advised to take heed of the following when using electric blankets:
- always read and follow the product instructions;
- do not use an electric blanket once it gets wet;
- do not fold an electric blanket otherwise it may be overheated;
- never insert pins or sharp objects through the blanket;
- do not pull the power cord;
- check the blanket regularly for signs of damage, such as burn or damage in the wires of the blanket; stop using it if any of these is found;
- persons insensitive to heat and infants are not recommended to use electric blankets;
- unplug or switch off the blanket when it is not in use;
- for long term storage after the cold season, store the blanket properly in the original packaging or in a plastic storage box.
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