[meerkat]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

If a person sits on a wooden bed and plugs in two wires into a socket and touches them both, do you think that person would not suffer electrocution because they are not touching the ground? The blanket, just like all appliances, has two wires connected to it from the mains in addition to an earth wire. One of these is the live or phase wire and the other is neutral. If a person somehow touches both these wires or if they come in contact with some conductive surface which the user touches then the user would suffer serious electrocution.

The query was not about theoretical possibilities, but about real-life scenarios, -- an elaboration on that "somehow".

Generally speaking, it is a very bad idea to have a live electric appliance on top of you as you sleep.

And engineers have managed to turn around this "very bad idea" to make electric blankets that are considered safe enough to use as one sleeps!


-- If it makes any difference, I don't think I am entirely unqualified to have commented above in this regard. I have Physics degrees from universities in India and abroad, and have spent years in a Physics laboratory that required handling of voltages upwards of 40 kV day in and day out, without vaporising!

I also managed to have an Electrical Engineering (Electronics) degree in addition, to make it easier to bring home the bread.
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[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by meerkat

The query was not about theoretical possibilities, but about real-life scenarios, -- an elaboration on that "somehow".

And engineers have managed to turn around this "very bad idea" to make electric blankets that are considered safe enough to use as one sleeps!

.

The main problem I see is that these electrical blankets are not coming from a reputed manufacturer like say Philips, LG etc. who would do due diligence in the design of the product with all safety parameters incorporated.

All of the electrical mattress that I see available here are some unknown names, maybe Chinese sourced in bulk, and rebranded . Now if it malfunctions and the person dies of electrocution , there is no accountability.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

If a person sits on a wooden bed and plugs in two wires into a socket and touches them both, do you think that person would not suffer electrocution because they are not touching the ground? The blanket, just like all appliances, has two wires connected to it from the mains in addition to an earth wire. One of these is the live or phase wire and the other is neutral. If a person somehow touches both these wires or if they come in contact with some conductive surface which the user touches then the user would suffer serious electrocution. You point about birds is valid only as long as they sit on one wire. If a bird were to touch two wires at the same time with one being positive and the other neutral, the bird would vaporise. Generally speaking, it is a very bad idea to have a live electric appliance on top of you as you sleep. In addition, unless one is living in Kashmir or Ladakh, such blankets are not needed in India at all.

I think you are talking about normal healthy people when you say that heating is not required in most of India, and I agree. But people with thyroid problems, diabetes and other ailments tend to feel uncomfortably cold, and such symptoms cannot be treated by modern medicine. I am sure plenty of people in the South are buying room heaters, electric blankets and heating pads for this very reason. I saw a dozen heaters on the shelf at the local Croma - not something they'd keep in their inventory if there was no demand.

Electric shock - another possibility - urinary incontinence.
Some interesting links: (we know we don't get any of these tested blankets on Amazon India)

https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-l...ctric-blankets

https://www.ul.com/insights/electric...-are-they-safe

Avoiding burns
As with any electrical appliance, malfunctions can and do happen with electric blankets. Falling asleep on a bunched-up blanket is a common cause of burns, according to Bell, a plastic surgeon who treats many burn patients. He explains that when a hot blanket rests on the same body part for an extended period, the skin can burn. “These burn accidents usually happen because someone has fallen asleep on a bunched-up area of the blanket,” he says. Experts say people with diabetes are more vulnerable to burns from electric blankets because their condition makes them less sensitive to heat. “Electric blankets are also not recommended for infants, young children or anyone who is paralyzed or incapable of understanding how to safely operate them,” says Bell. Finally, people with urinary incontinence should not use electric blankets; wetness and electricity don't mix.

12V electric blanket :
https://electrowarmth.com/shop?olsPa...fitted-36-x-60

Another interesting contraption: (blows warm air under the blanket)
https://bedjet.com/

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by meerkat

The query was not about theoretical possibilities, but about real-life scenarios, -- an elaboration on that "somehow". And engineers have managed to turn around this "very bad idea" to make electric blankets that are considered safe enough to use as one sleeps!.

The question is theoretical. Thus the answer would be the same. I did provide a clear elaboration. Every year there are thousands, yes, thousands of incidents of fires and electric shocks from these balnkets around the world. In fact, experts recommend to never sleep in an electric blanket. You are only supposed to use it to warm your bed while you are awake and supervising its operation. Don’t believe me? Here are a couple of examples:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-electric-bla

https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-ne...-fire-19415143 nket-caught-fire-reveals-sleeping-NAKED-saved-life.html

Of course we can argue that any appliance can fail. After all there are fires due to TVs and clothes dryers as well. Only difference is we are awake while using them and generally we don’t go to sleep entangled with them. It is up to the individual to access the level of risk they are comfortable with. If I had to live in minus 30 degrees with no heating or a poorly functional heating system, I might also risk using it. However in India where the winters are balmy, I would not recommend it.

[Aroy]

The point about electric blankets is not that they are not safe when new.

With time and depending on quality, the blanket gets frayed and the insulation will degrade and may crack. These two phenomenon can expose the user to a naked live wire. That is where the danger is. Used and cared for properly the blanket is safe, just like a hair drier. But used improperly and ignoring the condition may be life taking.

In short in most of India, a room heater is a better idea, as it keeps the whole room at a comfortable temperature (floor included).

[Cessna182]

Attachment 2094043

I got an air ionizer from a friend recently. It has an ozone generation mode as well which I know is dangerous but the negative ion mode actually makes a difference in the air quality in a room! I have a Hepa based air purifier as well but it seems to be very localized in its effect. If you buy an air purifier be sure to ensure that it has a negative ion mode that actually precipitates dust and other particles.

[thebengalee]

Merry X-mas, folks! Just moved into my first flat: nothing huge and haven't bought much furniture yet so it's pretty sparse. I'm hugely into cooking though, and I do make a bit of a mess doing that. Plus it's Bangalore, so there's fine dust everywhere.

I want to get two things: a decent oven (OTG, no microwaves) above 25L and a vacuum cleaner. Went through the earlier posts but nothing really stuck out. The Karcher VC3 seemed like a good fit but can't seem to find it anywhere. Help me out here?

Thanks a ton.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by thebengalee

Merry X-mas, folks!...
I want to get two things: a decent oven (OTG, no microwaves) above 25L and a vacuum cleaner. Went through the earlier posts but nothing really stuck out. The Karcher VC3 seemed like a good fit but can't seem to find it anywhere. Help me out here?
Thanks a ton.

You will be better off with a combo microwave oven, especially if you want an oven larger than 25 litres. OTG makes sense if you want a small oven. However, YMMV.

[Safety is Param]

Originally Posted by thebengalee

a vacuum cleaner. Went through the earlier posts but nothing really stuck out. The Karcher VC3 seemed like a good fit but can't seem to find it anywhere. Help me out here?

Thanks a ton.

We purchased the WDX2 from Eureka Forbes in Sep along with their Mop & Vac.

Spent enough time with them to be able to recommend them. You will not be disappointed by the WDX2 Vaccum cleaner.

I had thoroughly checked YouTube before buying both the products.

[thebengalee]

Originally Posted by mvadg

You will be better off with a combo microwave oven, especially if you want an oven larger than 25 litres. OTG makes sense if you want a small oven. However, YMMV.

Any particular reason why you would suggest going for the combi? I ask because I don't really reheat food that often and for the same internal volume, a combi is usually bigger and heavier. Not to mention a magnetron is a somewhat complicated piece of equipment compared to the dirt simple construction of an OTG. I think 20-25L would be enough space for my needs, not cooking for a crowd any time soon

You are right though that most of the "reputed" makes like Samsung and LG don't offer OTGs. Panasonic has one with halogen/quartz elements which I would've bought in a heartbeat if not for it's abysmal size of 9L

[thebengalee]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

We purchased the WDX2 from Eureka Forbes in Sep along with their Mop & Vac.

Spent enough time with them to be able to recommend them. You will not be disappointed by the WDX2 Vaccum cleaner.

I had thoroughly checked YouTube before buying both the products.

Thanks for the recommendation. Won't a bagless model be more convenient and economical in the long run? Does the wet vac introduce issues during cleaning?

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by thebengalee

Any particular reason why you would suggest going..

Take it from someone who has owned both. In fact, I've owned solo microwaves, OTG and combi. From what little I know about currently available OTGs in the market, I understand that the big brands don't have a presence. Don't worry about the complexity introduced by the magnetron, they've been around for more than half a century and brands like LG and Samsung (and Panasonic, etc, etc) are pretty reliable. You can preheat using the microwave and then switch to grilling or even baking - I've done this for baked potatoes - saves quite a bit of time and energy. I really can't think of any reason why you would not want a microwave. Just go for it, you'll find new uses. Just don't go for a the cheapest. The was a discussion on this very thread just a couple of weeks ago on recommended microwaves:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadge...ml#post4939654 (The Home Appliance thread)

[thebengalee]

Originally Posted by mvadg

Take it from someone who has owned both. In fact, I've owned solo microwaves, OTG and combi. From what little I know about currently available OTGs in the market, I understand that the big brands don't have a presence. Don't worry about the complexity introduced by the magnetron...

Thank you so much for the advice. And yea I did read the posts you linked and immediately checked out if there actually is some stuff by Sharp on the market but found only this "steam cook" oven at 50K

[Safety is Param]

Originally Posted by thebengalee

Thanks for the recommendation. Won't a bagless model be more convenient and economical in the long run? Does the wet vac introduce issues during cleaning?

We don't use the bag so as to avoid confusion with the HEPA filter. What we do instead (for dry Vac) is to add 2 glasses of water in the chamber so that anything that gets sucked in settles at the bottom.

Once the chore is done we simply separate the motor section and wash the bottom chamber under running water.

The Mop & Vac takes care of the wet Vac or mopping - we don't use the WDX2 much for that - however, it is very much capable in case you need to do wet ops with it, just that you need to sprinkle water on the floor first before mopping with the attachment provided.

In Mop & Vac this operation happens in tandem, so more convenient.

[JMaruru]

We remodeled our kitchen and did away with the built-in hob and the chimney. The chimney from 'faber' was underpowered and also made noise. I am here for recommendations for a good chimney with low noise. I am NOT keen on 'faber'.

Please suggest!