Electric Blanket Control

[NeilP]

Hi everyone,

 

We recently purchased an electric blanket to keep us warm through the cold northern winters here in .ca (although this winter has been remarkably mild for us). I had intended to have my ISY automatically turn on the blanket a short time before bedtime so the bed is nice and toasty by the time we get into it.  However it turns out that the electric blanket controls are not a simple mechanical on/off switch with a triac level control. There appears to be some sort of micro-controller built into the control module with a momentary contact switch controlling power on/off. When I turn on the blanket by pressing the switch, then unplug the blanket power cord and plug it back into the wall power receptacle (simulating an Appliancelinc controlling on/off) the blanket does not come back on. So it seems that a simple interruption of ac power by an Appliancelinc will not work here.

 

Any suggestions from anyone to get around this? (no smart-alec suggestions about other ways of generating heat, thank you  ).

The blanket is new and under warranty so I do not want to modify the controller just now but would consider it in the future.

 

Thanks in advance.

Neil

 

 

[Teken]

Hello Neil,

 

That is actually a required safety feature. The end user must manually activate the switch thus causing it to turn on.

 

This was done to ensure a fire hazard could not exist. This is most commonly known as fail safe mode. Meaning it will return to a off state until such time as it's activated by the switch.

 

 

Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

[arw01]

glad I have an older bed control!  Have to keep that in mind, have a lovely timer going for the wife.  I kept track of when were were too hot at night, turn the bed off about 35 minutes before that, make note of when we woke up cold, turn the bed back on about 35 minutes before that.  And turns off a while before having to get up in the morning so it's not too commfy in the bed.

 

On saturday morning I just leave it on all day!

[NeilP]

Hi Teken.....yes, I agree this is a safety feature. After reading all the reports on the web about house fires started by electric blankets I can understand why Sunbeam added this functionality to their blankets.

 

arw01...your control of your blanket is exactly what I had in mind. This would have significantly increased the WAF of my Insteon/ISY adventures.

 

For the time being I will set my Insteon switches to beep about 30 minutes before bedtime as a reminder and then physically get up and go turn on the blanket. Sort of like being back in the Stone Age.

 

Neil

[Teken]

Hi Teken.....yes, I agree this is a safety feature. After reading all the reports on the web about house fires started by electric blankets I can understand why Sunbeam added this functionality to their blankets.

 

arw01...your control of your blanket is exactly what I had in mind. This would have significantly increased the WAF of my Insteon/ISY adventures.

 

For the time being I will set my Insteon switches to beep about 30 minutes before bedtime as a reminder and then physically get up and go turn on the blanket. Sort of like being back in the Stone Age.

 

Neil

Neil,

 

Sometimes balancing between safety vs conveance is a struggle.

 

Merry XMAS!

 

 

Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

[NeilP]

Neil,

Sometimes balancing between safety vs conveance is a struggle.

Merry XMAS!

Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

Thanks Teken. Same to you.

Neil