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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short period oftime
I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing
the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. |
#2
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 11:27:49 AM UTC-5, R2D4 wrote:
I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. Same here. My wife and I have used the dual control Sunbeams, and they do indeed get weaker over time. I'm kicking myself for not taking a resistance check of the wiring part when new and comparing to the old. The problem is that the new blanket uses a different connector than the prev gen, so swapping the controller can't be used as a diagnosis tool. Our Sunbeams normally lasted a few seasons getting weaker each year. Adding a second comforter on top of the regular bedspread is a good way to trap heat. This year we bought a dual control heated mattress pad instead of the blanket and I'm sure it'll suffer the same fate. I no longer put it on anything above 4 (out of 10) and never use the admittedly handy preheat feature because it also runs the blanket or pad at 10 for half an hour before dropping to the preset temp. In any case, manually preheating at 4 and dropping it to L when I get in bed is enough to take the chill out of the sheets. I'm hoping that not using the automatic preheat and adding another comforter on top will extend the life. Time will tell I guess. When this one craps out/gets too weak I'll do a post mortem, but I suspect it uses resistance wire which changes resistance over time. If the problem is that, then there's no fixing it. |
#3
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On 02/22/2017 04:27 PM, R2D4 wrote:
I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. DID YOU KNOW THAT SITRE MAGANA LIKES TO PLAY WITH HIS OWN ****? |
#4
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short period of time
In sci.electronics.repair, on Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:27:45 -0500, R2D4
wrote: I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. This might be a good excuse to buy a kill-o-watt meter. Also you could use a regular ohm or volt meter clipped to a hat pin -- well I guess it's hard to find a hat pin, but you couldl use a corsage pin == with a nice enlarged head and I think you could puncture the insulatio at various places along the route until you find a spot where it's not proportional. I don't this would cause any visible harm or any danger. (once you take out the pin, that is.) Then you could cut into the blanket and figure out what's going on. Or maybe, the litle devils is in the control box. Might be even easer to debug and disarm. When I first started on electrical repairs, not counting the Lionel train, it was the family's '52 Hudson. The battery was dead every morning. All I had for test equipemnt was an AC cord, a socket, a 40 watt lighbulb, and an icepick. But it was enough. |
#5
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On 02/23/2017 08:48 PM, Samuel M. Goldwasser wrote:
SO IT'S A GOOD THING THAT PETER WRECK DOESN'T NEED AN ELECTRIC BLANKET. WHEN EVER HE GETS COLD HE CALLS OVER SITRE MAGANA AND THEY GET UNDER THE COVERS AND PETER SAYS THAT UNLIKE AN ELECTRIC BLANKET IT DOESN'T USE ANY ENERGY AND AN ELECTRIC BLANKET ALSO DOESN'T GIVE A GOOD BLOW JOB LIKE SITRE MAGANA. |
#7
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 3:48:20 PM UTC-5, Samuel M. Goldwasser wrote:
writes: On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 11:27:49 AM UTC-5, R2D4 wrote: I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. Same here. My wife and I have used the dual control Sunbeams, and they do indeed get weaker over time. I'm kicking myself for not taking a resistance check of the wiring part when new and comparing to the old. The problem is that the new blanket uses a different connector than the prev gen, so swapping the controller can't be used as a diagnosis tool. Our Sunbeams normally lasted a few seasons getting weaker each year. Adding a second comforter on top of the regular bedspread is a good way to trap heat. This year we bought a dual control heated mattress pad instead of the blanket and I'm sure it'll suffer the same fate. I no longer put it on anything above 4 (out of 10) and never use the admittedly handy preheat feature because it also runs the blanket or pad at 10 for half an hour before dropping to the preset temp. In any case, manually preheating at 4 and dropping it to L when I get in bed is enough to take the chill out of the sheets. I'm hoping that not using the automatic preheat and adding another comforter on top will extend the life. Time will tell I guess. When this one craps out/gets too weak I'll do a post mortem, but I suspect it uses resistance wire which changes resistance over time. If the problem is that, then there's no fixing it. Join the club. I've had 4 or 5 (yeah I'm a sucker for Sunbeam blankets) but don't want to be too critical of Sunbeam - they have replaced several under warranty and replaced one totally. Thee typical symptoms are that they do tend to get weaker over time, but some die totally. The weakening may be related to the PTC (Positive Temperature Coefificnt) of resistance of the wire used as the heating element. It's self limiting so claimed to be safer since even scrunching up the blanket should not result in an excessive temperature rise. However, the change in resistance may not be totally reversible. I doubt using preheat makes a big difference. Since the power to the heater is pulse width modulated (around an 80 second cycle - yes, that long!), running at lower heat doesn't necessarily help either. When they totally die, I assume it's a bad connection issue, possibly at the "module" - the wart attached to the connector, which has a couple of discrete components inside and nothing else. And I do now record the current used when new. ;-) Google "Sunbeam blanket problems" or something like. There's a lot out there. -- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/ Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/ +Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm | Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs. I haven't done any real testing Sam, but just spitballing I'd guess that the more the Sunbeam is used, the faster it becomes inert. So, if run at lower temp settings, less heat/time will be supplied by the blanket and the longer it will last (?). I suspect it's decline is not linear, so keeping the temp down by half may quadruple the life.. At least that's my theory and we'll see how this new Sunbeam mattress pad holds up. We had two blankets before this heated pad (both Sunbeam) and both went *very* weak before being replaced. Neither showed any error code at the controller nor went completely cold, so neither suffered a broken wire anywhere. But even at level ten they barely got warm. This new Sunbeam heated mattress pad we picked up last fall will be used no more than a max of 4 out of 10 (no preheat which does a level 10 for 30 min). |
#8
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short period of time
writes:
On Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 3:48:20 PM UTC-5, Samuel M. Goldwasser wrote: writes: On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 11:27:49 AM UTC-5, R2D4 wrote: I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. Same here. My wife and I have used the dual control Sunbeams, and they do indeed get weaker over time. I'm kicking myself for not taking a resistance check of the wiring part when new and comparing to the old. The problem is that the new blanket uses a different connector than the prev gen, so swapping the controller can't be used as a diagnosis tool. Our Sunbeams normally lasted a few seasons getting weaker each year. Adding a second comforter on top of the regular bedspread is a good way to trap heat. This year we bought a dual control heated mattress pad instead of the blanket and I'm sure it'll suffer the same fate. I no longer put it on anything above 4 (out of 10) and never use the admittedly handy preheat feature because it also runs the blanket or pad at 10 for half an hour before dropping to the preset temp. In any case, manually preheating at 4 and dropping it to L when I get in bed is enough to take the chill out of the sheets. I'm hoping that not using the automatic preheat and adding another comforter on top will extend the life. Time will tell I guess. When this one craps out/gets too weak I'll do a post mortem, but I suspect it uses resistance wire which changes resistance over time. If the problem is that, then there's no fixing it. Join the club. I've had 4 or 5 (yeah I'm a sucker for Sunbeam blankets) but don't want to be too critical of Sunbeam - they have replaced several under warranty and replaced one totally. Thee typical symptoms are that they do tend to get weaker over time, but some die totally. The weakening may be related to the PTC (Positive Temperature Coefificnt) of resistance of the wire used as the heating element. It's self limiting so claimed to be safer since even scrunching up the blanket should not result in an excessive temperature rise. However, the change in resistance may not be totally reversible. I doubt using preheat makes a big difference. Since the power to the heater is pulse width modulated (around an 80 second cycle - yes, that long!), running at lower heat doesn't necessarily help either. When they totally die, I assume it's a bad connection issue, possibly at the "module" - the wart attached to the connector, which has a couple of discrete components inside and nothing else. And I do now record the current used when new. ;-) Google "Sunbeam blanket problems" or something like. There's a lot out there. -- I haven't done any real testing Sam, but just spitballing I'd guess that the more the Sunbeam is used, the faster it becomes inert. So, if run at lower temp settings, less heat/time will be supplied by the blanket and the longer it will last (?). I suspect it's decline is not linear, so keeping the temp down by half may quadruple the life.. At least that's my theory and we'll see how this new Sunbeam mattress pad holds up. We had two blankets before this heated pad (both Sunbeam) and both went *very* weak before being replaced. Neither showed any error code at the controller nor went completely cold, so neither suffered a broken wire anywhere. But even at level ten they barely got warm. This new Sunbeam heated mattress pad we picked up last fall will be used no more than a max of 4 out of 10 (no preheat which does a level 10 for 30 min). That's quite possible. All I was suggesting is that forgoing Preheat (which is my favorite mode!) may not do that much comparing it's 20 minutes with the rest of the 10 hours on period even if at the 4/10 setting. Depending on size, the normal current when in the on part of the cycle is order of 0.5 and 1.5 A. However, since the current decreases as it heats, it's not really possible to provide exact values. But measuring and recording it when cold at the start of each season could be useful. When first turned on, regardless of whether Preheat is selected, some of these (or all) turn on at a constant (though possibly not full) power for a minute or two before the PWB kicks in. -- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/ Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/ +Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm | Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs. |
#9
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On Friday, February 24, 2017 at 4:43:01 PM UTC-5, Samuel M. Goldwasser wrote:
writes: On Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 3:48:20 PM UTC-5, Samuel M. Goldwasser wrote: writes: On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 11:27:49 AM UTC-5, R2D4 wrote: I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. Same here. My wife and I have used the dual control Sunbeams, and they do indeed get weaker over time. I'm kicking myself for not taking a resistance check of the wiring part when new and comparing to the old. The problem is that the new blanket uses a different connector than the prev gen, so swapping the controller can't be used as a diagnosis tool. Our Sunbeams normally lasted a few seasons getting weaker each year. Adding a second comforter on top of the regular bedspread is a good way to trap heat. This year we bought a dual control heated mattress pad instead of the blanket and I'm sure it'll suffer the same fate. I no longer put it on anything above 4 (out of 10) and never use the admittedly handy preheat feature because it also runs the blanket or pad at 10 for half an hour before dropping to the preset temp. In any case, manually preheating at 4 and dropping it to L when I get in bed is enough to take the chill out of the sheets. I'm hoping that not using the automatic preheat and adding another comforter on top will extend the life. Time will tell I guess. When this one craps out/gets too weak I'll do a post mortem, but I suspect it uses resistance wire which changes resistance over time. If the problem is that, then there's no fixing it. Join the club. I've had 4 or 5 (yeah I'm a sucker for Sunbeam blankets) but don't want to be too critical of Sunbeam - they have replaced several under warranty and replaced one totally. Thee typical symptoms are that they do tend to get weaker over time, but some die totally. The weakening may be related to the PTC (Positive Temperature Coefificnt) of resistance of the wire used as the heating element. It's self limiting so claimed to be safer since even scrunching up the blanket should not result in an excessive temperature rise. However, the change in resistance may not be totally reversible.. I doubt using preheat makes a big difference. Since the power to the heater is pulse width modulated (around an 80 second cycle - yes, that long!), running at lower heat doesn't necessarily help either. When they totally die, I assume it's a bad connection issue, possibly at the "module" - the wart attached to the connector, which has a couple of discrete components inside and nothing else. And I do now record the current used when new. ;-) Google "Sunbeam blanket problems" or something like. There's a lot out there. -- I haven't done any real testing Sam, but just spitballing I'd guess that the more the Sunbeam is used, the faster it becomes inert. So, if run at lower temp settings, less heat/time will be supplied by the blanket and the longer it will last (?). I suspect it's decline is not linear, so keeping the temp down by half may quadruple the life.. At least that's my theory and we'll see how this new Sunbeam mattress pad holds up. We had two blankets before this heated pad (both Sunbeam) and both went *very* weak before being replaced. Neither showed any error code at the controller nor went completely cold, so neither suffered a broken wire anywhere. But even at level ten they barely got warm. This new Sunbeam heated mattress pad we picked up last fall will be used no more than a max of 4 out of 10 (no preheat which does a level 10 for 30 min). That's quite possible. All I was suggesting is that forgoing Preheat (which is my favorite mode!) may not do that much comparing it's 20 minutes with the rest of the 10 hours on period even if at the 4/10 setting. Depending on size, the normal current when in the on part of the cycle is order of 0.5 and 1.5 A. However, since the current decreases as it heats, it's not really possible to provide exact values. But measuring and recording it when cold at the start of each season could be useful. When first turned on, regardless of whether Preheat is selected, some of these (or all) turn on at a constant (though possibly not full) power for a minute or two before the PWB kicks in. We're preheating at 4 and turning down to L before turning off the TV. Ours will never be above 5 unless it starts going weak like the other ones we've had. There is a big difference in initial comfort if the pad or blanket is preheated (even at a low temp) with a comforter over the top of the regular bedspread. For aesthetic reasons, my wife has a half comforter that covers the lower half of the bed, and there is a distinct difference in temp between the lower half and upper when first getting in. With a second comforter on top, you don't need to go above half for preheating if the blanket is still fairly new. |
#10
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short period of time
On Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:27:45 -0500, R2D4 wrote:
I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I bought an electric blanket several years ago that did the same thing. I'm not sure what brand it was. From what i have read online, this seems to be a common problem with most of all electric blankets, regardless who makes them. I wont buy another electric blanket. I just adjusted the vents in the house so more heat comes to my bedroom, and bought a nice quilt. |
#11
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On Friday, February 24, 2017 at 6:16:54 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:27:45 -0500, R2D4 wrote: I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I bought an electric blanket several years ago that did the same thing. I'm not sure what brand it was. From what i have read online, this seems to be a common problem with most of all electric blankets, regardless who makes them. I wont buy another electric blanket. I just adjusted the vents in the house so more heat comes to my bedroom, and bought a nice quilt. It's not a matter of insufficient room heating; at -10F outside I can get my upstairs to 85F if I was so inclined, plus there are an infinite number of possibilities for space heating these days, including pseudo fireplaces with heat for those with older more drafty homes. My second floor is about 1600 sq ft, and I like to keep the temp down at night to save heating costs in the NE U.S. and the wife and I like sleeping in a cool room. The problem is that I don't like getting into a 62F bed when my feet are already cold from the day. An electric blanket or heated mattress pad allows a nice warm bed to get into without heating the entire second floor of my home. Lots of people like these things. Too bad they can't perfect them. |
#12
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electric blanket getting significantly weaker over short periodof time
On 02/22/2017 11:27 AM, R2D4 wrote:
I am on my second Sunbeam electric blanket this Winter and it is doing the same thing as the first one I had-- starts off for a couple of weeks working correctly, then spends a week getting weaker and weaker where I have to turn up the controller all the way and even then the heating is uneven and weak. I was going to return this one too, but before I do, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of a solution to repair this? Almost seems like there is a circuit issue somewhere, maybe in the controller, but who knows. If it were a cheap repair, I'd just keep the blanket after the low cost repeatable fix. Thank you. PS: I can't think that they're making that much money on these. I read the reviews and *many* folks are having similar issues. If a solution isn't found for the above, I'd appreciate recommendations for a brand/ model that will last. This definitely isn't like the blanket I had while growing up 25 years ago; that one lasted for 15 years with no issues. Just to update that I gave up on trying to find the right electric whatever that will work correctly and I am currently trying out down and down alternative comforters. This also seems to be an area needing study and it's not as simple as just picking out one without knowing what you need beforehand. However, I'm very close to a reasonably costing winner so my problems are almost solved. |
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