Faulty Electric Blanket - No Power - Tea Break Fix
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
- Hi, in this video I look at 2 faulty electric blankets sent over by Stuart from Infinitebargains4U over on eBay and also a digital temperature gauge which reads HHH.
Remember that this is just for entertainment and I am not an expert in these repairs. The processes in the video may not be the best way, the correct way or the safest way to fix these things. I do love fault finding and trying to fix broken things, so I hope that comes across in these videos.
Many thanks, Vince. - Jak na to + styl
Ahhh so pleased the mug got there safely! 🙂
Thanks Kip, nice looking mug. In daily use now, I get slightly jealous when I see my wife drinking out of your mug and not a MMV mug!!!! 🤣🤣
To be honest, I think your repair is superior workmanship to what came from the factory. I'd probably use it. :D
Perfectly safe, IMHO. If you bypassed the thermal fuse completely I would be concerned but you put a very close fuse in it and I'd be ok using it. Cheers Vince from the States!
Hey my mate Vince! I just fixed a broken Bluetooth speaker thanks to your videos. Thank you so much for the great content. Cheers
I’ve actually lived through an american version of an electric blanket fire and it had no thermal safety so I do believe I would use this version without any worries. Thank for the content!
After blowing so many electric blankets controllers over the years, I think the main lesson here is to never use the highest heat setting!
Great explanation and clear precise video 👍Top man!
Erring on the side of caution is never a bad idea, but having a thermal protection device very near the value of the original should be just fine. The tolerance for these devices may be well within a few degrees anyway.
That was not the point,it has to be the exact same cause it wouldn't be able to fit in between those resistors which is essential for it to work properly.
@@MeMelon4u - How so (serious question, BTW)? IOW, why does it have to fit between them, rather than nestled atop them?
@@n6vcw the fuse "trips" when the resistors get to a certain temperature and for it to be accurate it would have to be nestled in between them,this is by no means what I have thought about and said with my knowledge,it is mentioned in the video,while he was going through the internet he read this and mentioned it.
watch from 14:40 he mentions it from there.
I really appreciate that, even after deciding the fix wasn't worth the risk, you decide to continue as a proof of concept. Dealing with Mains AC can be quite dangerous and should never be taken slightly.
Yep 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👩🏿🦳 it’s very dangerous
i really enjoy watching your videos I've learned so much from you and people like you it has helped me out fixing things every now and then thank you!!
This is extremely interesting as I actually have one of these on my bed right now! However it does work as intended, if it was faulty, I'd send it straight back to Argos for a replacement as I wouldn't recommend even attempting any repair on such a product, as you will most rightly point out to us.
Very generous of you there Kip Hakes and Michael S.. good lads
Good idea to leave the fuse off in the end, I would hate to have something bad happen because of it. Also nice job with the temperature gauge. All around nice tea break fixes.
I can understand the safety concerns. But if you look at it logically and take a fuse that blows faster than the one from the manufacturer maybe about 5 degrees less to the one that the manufacturer has installed, there should be no problems of course only if they have the same size and are as good as possible sandwiched between the resistors.
yes.. you stole words from my mouth Hledf 🤣... ...its save to say that if use lower temperature than original it will cut faster but those volt and amp must to be same as original never bigger... but got to say I not electrical so..... but if it is mine i will trust those lower temperature ones.. but i understand that you will be careful 😃
plus you can / should(?) put thermal paste on it to improve heat transfer from the (over)heating resistors to the fuse. Also the expressed safety concerns about a proper fuse replacement very much sounded like the "safety and security" argument often used against right to repair.
Bonus: There does not appear to be a transformer, so if you tear the blanket and the heating wires you can get a shock with 240V. Does not sound very safe either.
Exactly, i dont think the chinese guys throwing them together make it better then using a lower Temp Value Fuse :D
@@agnag1 Thermal paste will dry out and will then likely insulate the thermal fuse from the resistors.
Thank you so much, I was also repairing two electric blankets as was following along with you and I nearly bought that ebay French replacment or the RS componants thermal resister, phew, good find by you. Needless to say I have subscribed lol.
Incredible amount of information in this video thanks mate
It won't go in fire if you put 104 deg. one they probably have 10 deg. tolerance. You can remove it completely. Those thermal fuses are there if you run it folded, to kill the power and mostly play a role like waranty timer (use it few times before waranty goes of and throw it for no reason), no other function, i remove them everytime i see them in something, even if they are not blown. My grand mother had electrical blanket around from 1984 and i fix it 5-6 times (the weak spot was cable near blanket) over the course of 25 years and it never had such a fuse (it is probably still working) - just a 3 step switch and the heater. Such blanket can't go in fire because the heater is calculated for around 50 deg. max on mains, if something is shorted - well you have normal fuse for that. Thermal fuses are joke timing invention to make you throw the thing and pay extra money when waranty goes off - no other usefull purpose.
Thanks technixbul 👍👍
Was just thinking, where's Vince?
Nice one vice. I enjoy watching your video's. I've also been repairing a few things myself over on my channel.
Many Thanks, Very well explained.
You had to mention coffee machines, Vince. I started twitching! Totally agree with not fixing these... not worth the risk on such a low-value item, even though a lower temperature fuse of good quality would almost certainly be better than the factory ones! Still not worth it for peace of mind. Great video, as always 👍
🤣👍
Sometimes, it's not the cost to replace or fix the thing, it's about how much of it ends up in the landfill. At least in my mind...
Well Vince I really enjoyed that. Didn't solve my electric throw problem, continuity was present EVERYWHERE including that thermal fuse, but it was still fascinating to watch. Nicely done.
Meanwhile I can watch my controller flashing E2 until 12th night when I put all the Chistmas lights away! Orange clashes anyway...
Very informative video. Thanks
Great video. Safety first.
Another great video Vince .
I don’t trust electric blanket even though I’m sure your not meant to sleep with them on.
Just doesn’t seem right having a 240v heating element under combustable bedding.
It’s a cleaver safety device having the thermal fuse between the 2 resistors and by their temperature monitors the power the blankey :) is drawing.
Normally when a fuse or thermal fuse blows it’s for a reason , heating or drawing more power than it was intended to , as you said it may have had the wrong blanket plugged into the controller ( shame the sockets aren’t keyed to stop this happening) or it could have been a fault with the element inside the blanket.
I think you’ve done the right thing in showing the video and explaining why you reversed the fix and returned it to an unworking state.
My daughters GHD straighteners broke again due to the thermal fuse , I done a lot of research into the replacement fuse and brought it from a reputable website and not off eBay 240v and damp hair could end badly
it's not a 240v heating element, the 240v is converted to 20v dc which you could hardly feel if it touch you.
@@TC-tn9tbPhone lines and PoE are 48VDC, and those rarely kill anyone.
Interesting video on what can be a sensitive subject because it is all too easy to circumvent the safety side without being able to really test the repair once completed.
The bit that made me wonder was (assuming it was an exactly matched fuse swap) then how important is the thermal bond between those resistors and the fuse? I remember seeing some scrap blankets with what looked like silicone gunk bedding the fuse between the resistors but not on others. Seems like there could be a lot of attention needed to exactly match the manufacturers safety methodology... but they are not going to share that as we know already.
Many thx for the video and a chance to think about them again. 😀👍
I use thermal fuses on my 3D printers and they always blow at the stated temp (I buy a extra one and test it) regardless of size and thickness I think it is OK to fix.
Great tea break fix
Hello Vince! I have a suggestion for the next fix video /Ebay fix video and that be a for faulty 3D printer. it would be awesome to see your methods/techniques of fixing a broken one due to the electronics and mechanical involvement. Keep up the great content mate!
I honestly don't blame you for deciding not to go ahead with the repair, I'd probably come to the same decision. Heat stuff getting them working though just for the learning experience.
Michael sent me and Joey one of those signs too, they're amazing. He said he uses old fence panels (I think)
I never repair any mains voltage equipment for people nowadays it's just not worth the risk. USB voltages only on my projects now (5V) with a certified PSU.
@@chrisreynolds6331 yeah I don't blame you. I personally fix consoles mainly but I won't repair power supplies
I think repairing switching power supplies is pretty safe compared to repairing electric blankets. I've fixed many switching power supplies, but some have failed again later, because the cause is not always a single cap or transistor, usually multiple caps are to blame, and if you don't replace them all, it might fail later on. But electric blankets - no thanks. You can probably light a cotton bed sheet with just a 5 W resistor, if the wattage is located in a small place.
I think it would be fine from a safety point, because wouldn't most thermal fuses blow long before the blanket overheats to dangerous levels anyway, or did I miss the point?
I was so please to find your video but I do agree it’s not worth the risk for such a cheap item which is guaranteed for three years, at least it is through silent night. The issue with these products is that the mat is susceptible to folding which I suspect is what causes the fuse to blow. Not worth the risk of fixing but thanks for releasing the video and convincing me not to fix it. 👍
Great stuff Vince, and spot on conclussion regards not attempting to replace the thermal fuse, unless you can get an exact replacement. Because people sleep wrapped / covered in these - it's just far far too much of a risk to attempt to repair one. Even if I had one of these where I replaced with the exact part, I am not sure I would be able to sleep at night lol. It's as you say - is the fuse making the same physical connection to the resistors, is it able to couple the temperature correctly (a fake may look identical but might not absorb the heat the same). You could fit a 5 degree less fuse and find the fuse has a 10 degree less transfer rate because of its package (sort of thing a cheap brand might suffer).
I call it blanky. Brave lil toaster 💜
The single and double Silentnight blankets both have a 3 heat setting slide controller. The double draws a higher power consumption on each of the 3 settings than the single. Make sure to match the controller's rated output to the same on the blanket wattage label as they are both visually similar units. The blanket is machine washable with the cable unclipped from the blanket connector.
Two for one. Nice Tea Break fix. The blanket is to dangerous to use I agree but you knew the problem before.. magic Vince?^^ Nice to see the thermal thing to work again which haven't in the previous video where you fixed the shower and flooded your bathroom 😉. Nice wooden plate you got btw. The mug is also cool.
Well I'm quite sure, this is what as happened to mine, so annoying that it's not a fixable problem, they are no longer as cheap now to replace, with the current sky high electric, gas prices, thanks for the vid.
Just found your channel looking for info on fixing my electric blanket (Biddeford). Nice clear video! I noted that the higher temperature fuse had the white heat-transfer paste, which makes sense because that fuse needs to get more heat faster to pop at 102C vs the 76C fuse for the same fault condition (i.e. heat flux from those capacitors). I like the safety cautious approach as well, but why does the amperage of the thermal fuse matter? You found one onlilne for 80C but at 10A vs 2A. The thermal fuse would not be popping off due to high current through itself, but due to high current through the neighboring resistors (causing heat). So why would the 10A vs 2A rating matter for a *thermal* fuse? I'll be watching your other videos now. Thanks for your channel!
I don't trust any electric blanket never used one and never will to much horror stories , lying on 220V NO thank you, Great video 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks AR 👍👍
A better idea would be a microcomputer controlled electric blanket with a sensor that sends the temperature back to the controller which compares the wanted temperature with the actual temperature and uses that to control the temperature and won't let it go any higher what about it Vince.
Hi, very informative.
Did you measure the values of the resistors. ?
good job mate.
I did this repair - no need to get EXACTLY the same rated heat fuse, in my opinion (only!). I got a fuse that was something close from the bay of e, unsoldered the old one, put in the new one, all good. Remember to disassemble carefully, don't lose the spring and ball bearing that makes the slider swith 'notchy'!
This is so strange. I was literally thinking yesterday while my girlfriend was using her electric blanket that only seems to be hot on one side "I wonder if anyone has ever done repairs on an electric blanket". I am pleasantly shocked to see this haha!
I bought three of those blankets from Morrisons, one double and two singles. The first double wasn’t working at all so I took it back and got another one which did seem to work. Both the singles worked and are still working I believe. However, after prep six months and very little use the double blanket has failed, and it would seem from watching a video that there is a general weakness in the manufacturing of this blanket. It is a silent night blanket, just as you shown it in the same sort of package, but it’s made by a different company under license made in China
A very good Tuesday to you all from Wellington Somerset
You're totally right . If I'm asked about electric blankets i normally say " check the fuse in the plug and if it's not that , bin it " They're not that expensive these days anyway, not worth the risk.
My one is an electric throw and it was £90! Had it for two years only
A higher amp rating for a thermal fuse shouldn't matter. It's not designed to protect against overcurrent, so it's not a situation where a higher amp rating would mean that the device could draw too much power, and the device already has a separate fuse to protect against overcurrent anyway correct? It seems like you can find thermal fuses with the right temperature rating that are 10A, and those should be just fine if I'm not mistaken. Disclaimer, I'm not an electronics engineer, I have some limited knowledge as a hobbyist, but it seems like common sense to me.
Hi Vince, can i ask why your not putting out as many videos recently? Love the channel and re-watch many of your Retro vids. Hope alls well, regards Chris
On my pre electronic engineers course in the 80s. We had numerous electric blankets all with the same problem of blown fuses. The controllers were all secured by break off head security screws so we had to drill them and use screw extracts to gain access. The thermal fuses were all ok. It was the power fuses that had blown. We replaced them all. Safety tested them. Then they were all sent to the labs for further checks before they were given back.
oh no you had too mush tea now you accidently fixed a thermomiter. wait thats a good thing. 2 fixes = double enjoyment from the video
All my silentnight electric blankets fail within a few uses too.
Nice to see it fixed by someone with a conscience!
to be honest, these are supposed to be used to warm a bed before getting into it. I have mined set up via alexa, and 15 mins before bed, it comes on, warms my bed whilst i get ready for bed, then it is turned off, whilst I have been home to stay safe, then I get into bed warm, and electricity to it is off.
Nice one
HHH is an indication Hi or an open thermal wire reading.
Yes I would fix it as a difference of just a few degrees for the fuse should not be a problem it will still open on over heating.
It would be great if there where cooling blankets for summer
i would use those thermal fuses their so close to the original that they would disconnect the power well before a fire could happen, i'm not even convinced that those blankets are capable of bursting into flames, they only use 100w max and that's spread evenly over the whole blanket.
Hi Vince quick question would you be up to fixing an hearing aid loop ,let us know I think it's right up your street , will pay you of course
My grandma used to have electric blankets. I remember she would just use them to warm the beds up as it got pretty cold in the bedrooms during winter (north of France, no central heating and bad insulation) but she would remove them right before my sister and I went to bed. I didn't know you could leave them on all night long and as a matter of fact I wouldn't be comfortable sleeping with those because of fire hazard.
It's probably the "safest" place for a fire to start inside the house while you are asleep.
It looks like it uses the two resistors to heat the thermal fuse so the longer it is turned on the hotter the resistors get.
Yes, looks that way. Cheers Scott, hope you keeping well 👍👍
Yes it is a common problem with Silent Night electric blankets, Keep buying these Silent Night electric blankets from Amazon but keep breaking usually 30 days after the guarantee runs out, buy 8 of them from Amazon but all break in few months, costing me a fortune keep throwing these electric blankets away. Suffer from nerve damage and joint problems because of diabetes, have to run electric blanket 24/7 because otherwise wouldn't be able to move or get out of bed without running electric blanket all the time, really would be amazing if you could fix them instead of keep buying a new one every few months. P.S unbranded electric blankets only last about a week.
I would like to see a video of the thermal fuze disconnecting. Is it a visible event?
I used to sell these things many years ago. They are under blankets and usually not designed to be powered up while laying on it. You preheat the bed and turn it off and unplug before getting into bed. I would imagine they would be not the most comfortable things to lay on with the wires running the length of it.
I use an electric blanket as a mattress pad, and have been for months. It's on all night long. I shut it off in the morning, so it's not on when I'm not in bed (or at home).
I can't feel the wires at all as they're imbedded in the thick fabric .
I always thought that these were bed warmers, supposed to turn them off before getting in bed?
The Fix It King Vince is back, great to see another video buddy, Vince, what would you say has been the most troubling thing to fix out of all your fix it videos?, all the best buddy, take care 👍
What purpose the ball bearing serve?
Was it put back or discarded?
It must have been there for a reason?
97° would be fine as it's 5° lower than spec and would self sacrifice, if it were able to reach higher temperatures.
does the ball bearing sit on top of the spring?
the potty stuff would enhance heat transfer and so, a higher temperature fuse was appropiate.70ºC on a loose contact with the resistors... means the resistors themselves are probably 100 ....
Just seen you're not recommending repair lol, thank you though!
Title should be "Faulty Electric Blanket/Temperature Probe"
I've been tricked into watching a temperature probe be fixed. Something I swore I would never watch again!
Had a Botrong Blankie with the same fault,better to buy new than try to replace the component.
I'm wondering has someone used the single remote on a double and it has blown, or on a folded blanket as you say ? I would have repaired it with a very close thermal cut out, but put the blanket on for say 5-10 mins and then switch off unplug and get into bed. In other words dont leave unattended. I remember when I first got married we would get in bed and lift our legs and use a hair drier under the blankets to warm the bed, as we didnt have an electric blanket or hot water bottles.
I've ended up with my one failing and was able to find the correct 76°c fuse from a seller in Poland to the UK, having replaced it, the control unit, heated up and failed the same.
Hey everyone stay blessed 🙌 😇 🙏
Great little fix but quiet right it would not be safe the resistors and the thermal cut off are matched .
I get a loud snap sound when plug in right joycon (not the animation sound) but I get less sound when plug in left joycon. Both works properly and never dropped. Can somebody tell why that happens? (Nintendo switch)
Pls somebody tell why that happens
Hi mate your welcome mate it’s done on my laser machine
Nice one Michael, it is in pride of place in my new set up (upcoming video) 👍👍👍
What if you put it on the other side of the breadboard?
no dont use it if the fuse has blown they work on a very crude principle that the ni-chrome heating wire is wound around the common wire with an insulating plastic that melts at a certain temperature in case there is a fault or hot spot, this then decreases the heater resistance and heats the resistors in the control unit and opens the thermal fuse.
Hate these with a passion my mum and dad had 1 when I 3. They had to chuck a smoldering double mattress out the window! So lucky they were not burnt!
l'd fix and use it, a few degrees difference is no problem. But some people may try this repair and use a far different value thermal resistor and create a real danger.
Would I fix it? Absolutely! If the original fuse is a 76C, 80C is only a few degrees more! How much hotter can that thing get?!
Mains powered electric blankets are scary to me, what's wrong with using smaller voltage dc and being safe
What about using Wires Adhesive instead of soldering as you are more likely to cause the fuse to go away do to excess heat.
Personally I would be happy to fix it for my personal use, but I would not fix it for resale for example.
I would find a thermal fuse as close to the rated fuse as possible say within 1 or 2 degrees if possible go lower than the rated for extra safety, the voltage is important, but the current is a maximum, so that fuse can handle a maximum of 2 amps a higher rating should work fine too, as you're thermal cut off value is still the same, and it should have a second fuse protecting it from over current.
as others have said the two 1.8kohm resistors are there to get hot and trigger the fuse if too much current flows through them, this is because power in a pure resistor is I^2*R and power from a resistor is dissipated purely as heat so if the current I increases so does the Heat from those two resistors.
since the two resistors will be in series with the heating Element in the blanket the sane current flowing through the resistors flows through the heating Element thus the heating element current is the same as that flowing in the resistors and if that current was to get too high to the point where the blanket could burn you, the fuse should blow first.
this what is important imho is that the thermal fuse is nestled between the two resistors and that you have good thermal contact between the resistors and the fuse, and use thermal cement to ensure good heat transfer!
the reason i suspect having the exact cut off point is not necessary is, because 1. i bet those resistors have maybe a 5% tolerance so all the resistors wont be exactly the same value and 2. there will be a fairly decent margin left for safety's sake anyway because no responsible company is going to risk a product that could potentially burn you, let alone set your house on fire.
Though any repair you performed would be totally at your own risk!
The resistors are not in series with the blanket. Suppose the blanket takes 1A. P = i^2*r = 1800w. Now these resistors are not 1800w for sure. The circuit just acts as a secondary timeout protection in case the thermostat fails..
Another possibility is that there' is an NTC in the blanket in series with the resistors. The higher the temperature, the higher the current in the resistors. In this case the circuit would act as a secondary temperature protection. But one thing is sure: these resistors are not in series with the blanket.
@@kriswillems5661 that all depends, but if those two resistors are in parallel at they would be 900 ohm.. Which would of course be 900watt but i very much doubt that it would be that, either. Though if its cutting power to the device it must be in series to the switch / heating element in order to cut the supply when it fails
Ah Kip hakes 👏🏼 enjoy his channel
The thermal fuses look to be ceramic body's and if you could find the same rating it most likely would be fine but I'd only do it for my self no one else as well just for peace of mind
My silent night heated blanket stopped working for no reason, went and brought a new one, worked fine, now I try to turn it on tonight and it's stopped working again?
I wonder how the thermal fuse tripped though. Could it be that the user placed the controller under the covers, right against the heater wires? Or an external heat source like a nearby radiator? At 230V and with a resitor of 1.8k a current of 0.125A flows through the resistor. Power dissipation is about 28W. If the heater wires are the same resistance The current would half and power about 7W. in a confined space that's quite a lot. I wonder at what temerature the resistor runsat during normal operation. I thought that's what you were about to test next with the thermometer.
If the thermal fuse is already close to the tripping point, it wouldn't take much to do so. Even a weak short would quickly trip it.
The 1.8k resistors are not in series with the blanket. They can't handle that much wattage. I think there is a NTC resistor in the blanket which is in series with the resistors. That way the temperature of the resistors depends on the temperature in the blanket.
@@kriswillems5661 I see, thanks for clarifying!
And I was starting to worry... you had some days to upload
Sods law , i just thrown the exact same blanket away last week , fully working but very old, cold have removed fuse for you if i had known
A couple of years ago I had an electric blanket nearly catch on fire while I was sleeping. A nasty odor of burning plastic woke me up and the next second I saw smoke coming from the controller unit. I didn't bother taking it apart to see what went wrong though...
Smart move, not worth losing any sleep over a $25 item. Keep up the great videos
Yep, throw it straight into the landfill. No reason to sweat that, right? I mean, landfills never fill up! LOL
A LASER engraver was used to engrave wood.
Don't panic Captain Manwaring !
You should plug it into an rcd socket just to be safe.
Someone asked me to look at their slow cooker. After tracing the fault to a thermal fuse I refused to fix it. I didn't want to be responsible for their house burning down or or wiping out the family out in their sleep if it caught fire during the night. It's just not worth the risk.
Yes. There is still plenty of room in our landfill tips.
I have the TT-FF one. It lights up but blanket doesn't warm up. What gives??
Yeah i probably would go with a few degrees less and just use it on the couch or something for a few weeks before "passing it"