Electric Blankets?
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: NJ where fun comes to die
Electric Blankets?
Does anybody know about electric blankets. I was thinking the gf and I could save money if we shut the heat off at night and used an electric blanket. Are they too expensive to run? Any health draw backs? Thanks.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Iowa
They don't cost too much to run. The only health related issue is that you might wake up with a sore throat from breathing in cold air. Depends how cold it gets at night. I know this because I've done it. 
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: So Cal
They work great. If you have a wife, get a blanket with dual controls so you can have your heat and she can have hers. My wife likes it roating hot and I like it just warm, so I would die in a puddle of my own sweat if she had the only control.
There are some "sky is falling" types who believe the electric field put off the blanket can cause physical damage to the body. I have used one for over 40 years and I am OK other than I drool a lot and am known for my musical appitude after a good meal.
The amount of power they pull is less than a light bulb or two and easilly offset by the savings you will have by not heating your house or even the room. The cat likes it too.
Just my opinion,
Jim Henderson
There are some "sky is falling" types who believe the electric field put off the blanket can cause physical damage to the body. I have used one for over 40 years and I am OK other than I drool a lot and am known for my musical appitude after a good meal.
The amount of power they pull is less than a light bulb or two and easilly offset by the savings you will have by not heating your house or even the room. The cat likes it too.
Just my opinion,
Jim Henderson
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Northern MD
The only thing I didn't like about the low heat/electric blanket idea was my face would get very cold. Sometimes it felt like my eyeballs were freezing. But if that doesn't bother you, then get a blanket and sleep tight!
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Originally Posted by jim henderson
.... get a blanket with dual controls so you can have your heat and she can have hers. My wife likes it roating hot and I like it just warm, so I would die in a puddle of my own sweat if she had the only control.
Last edited by aerocolorado; Oct 13, 2005 at 11:54 AM.
Post Fiend
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
aerocolorado- We've done that before! 
We've got heated mattress pads- like them better than electric blankets.
We've got heated mattress pads- like them better than electric blankets.
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Elder User
Joined: May 2003
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From: Broken Arrow, OK.
I had one for about 10 years and I loved it, you hear rumors of them causing cancer or causing problems, much like living under power lines but so far I'm not growing any new appendages so I would say go for it, nothing like getting in a warm bed on a cold night!
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From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
Originally Posted by polarbear
aerocolorado- We've done that before!
We've got heated mattress pads- like them better than electric blankets.
We've got heated mattress pads- like them better than electric blankets.
And I took it one step further, and put it on a timer. I set it so it comes on about 30 minutes before bed time to pre-warm the bed, then it shuts off about 1AM (the down comforter holds the heat through the rest of the night). I won't tell you how low I have my furnace's thermostat set at night, as you won't believe it, but I did get a call from the utility company once, wondering why my usage was so much less than their average customer.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
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From: The hills of No. Calif.
I used one when I was a kid, then I got a heated waterbed. Haven't used that for some time, and last winter I bought an electric blanket again. We keep the heat turned down to 55 at night, but it gets much colder than that in my room. I like a toasty bed in a cold room...I just hate getting up the morning. Teaches you to get dressed and on the move fast, though!
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When I was in college 20 years ago I lived in an old garage apartment. It was very drafty and had no insulation. It was heated with two gas space heaters. I would leave the heater on low in the bathroom with the door shut so the bathroom was toasty when I woke up in the morning.
No heat on in the rest of the apt. and slept under an electric blanket. Worked for me. Alarm would go off and I would take a shower in the warm bathroom and head to school/work. It would get so cold in the apt. you could see your breath, but I was never there except when I was sleeping. You could leave a glass of ice water on the night stand and there would still be ice in the water when I woke up. Ahhhh the good ole days. I used to say you could put some taters and carrots around me when I went to bed and I would ready by morning like a roast in the slow cooker.
Keep in mind I live in Mississippi and it doesn't get real cold in the winter.
No heat on in the rest of the apt. and slept under an electric blanket. Worked for me. Alarm would go off and I would take a shower in the warm bathroom and head to school/work. It would get so cold in the apt. you could see your breath, but I was never there except when I was sleeping. You could leave a glass of ice water on the night stand and there would still be ice in the water when I woke up. Ahhhh the good ole days. I used to say you could put some taters and carrots around me when I went to bed and I would ready by morning like a roast in the slow cooker.
Keep in mind I live in Mississippi and it doesn't get real cold in the winter.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Houston,TX
you could take it a step further by installing a digital programable thermostat. then program it to turn down the heat before bed, and turn up about a half hour before waking. depending on the size of your place this should still keep the bill down. I wouldn't recommend turning heat all the way off, it would use more energy heating the house back up than maintaining a much lower temp at night.
Butt-Head
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Reed Point, MT
That's what I do. I got one of those programmable t-stats and turn the heat off completely at night. Turns off at 7:30PM, the wife and I go to bed at 8, then turns back on at 4:30 the next morning, then finally back off at 5:15 when we leave the house. Our heater is only on for about 3 hours a day.
Cody
Cody
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From: Blue Hill Township
Originally Posted by bdjupiter
I had one for about 10 years and I loved it, you hear rumors of them causing cancer or causing problems, much like living under power lines but so far I'm not growing any new appendages so I would say go for it, nothing like getting in a warm bed on a cold night!
I have always used a thick blanket, but I like the room a little chilly when I sleep. My body heat keeps me nice and warm.