# Dog-chewed electric blanket - unsafe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562 "2013-03-10T19:27:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562/1 "2013-03-10T19:27:03Z")
We have a very nice electric blanket (approximately [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Royal-Nights-Heated-Blanket/dp/B002M76RXS/ref=sr_1_15?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1362943532&sr=1-15), but queen sized). Our dogs chewed it, and at least one of the cords running through the blanket is severed. Is it now unsafe? I kind of suspect that with modern safe consumer electronics, there is some feature or other that keeps electricity from running through a cord once it’s severed, but that might just be pie in the sky. Anyone know? thanks ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562/2 "2013-03-10T19:38:13Z")
i think you will find the product saying not to use it if it is damaged. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562/3 "2013-03-10T21:17:55Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Is it now unsafe? I kind of suspect that with modern safe consumer electronics, there is some feature or other that keeps electricity from running through a cord once it’s severed, but that might just be pie in the sky. Considering that you need a complete circuit for current to flow, a severed cord won’t have any current flowing in any case. Of course, the broken ends are still live, but I don’t know of any electric blankets smart enough to sense continuity and remove power if a cord is cut. The blanket may not heat up anymore in any case if there was just one circuit inside. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562/4 "2013-03-11T00:26:59Z")
It will be quite safe provided you never plug it in. Should you be foolish enough to plug it in, it will probably not get as hot, or even get hot at all, and may electrocute you. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562/5 "2013-03-11T03:38:10Z")
> [@AndrewL](#): > > Should you be foolish enough to plug it in, it will probably not get as hot, or even get hot at all, and may electrocute you. Or it could just get really hot and catch fire at one of the damaged points. > [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I kind of suspect that with modern safe consumer electronics, there is some feature or other that keeps electricity from running through a cord once it’s severed, but that might just be pie in the sky. Anyone know? There is a thing called an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). The U.S. Nation Electrical Code has required them for the past decade or so. They are specifically designed to shut off circuits when you have something like a frayed extension cord or a frayed electric blanket plugged into the circuit and in many places are required in all bedrooms and such. If your house is older and isn’t equipped with them you might consider having an electrician install them. It’s usually just a matter of swapping out the breaker so there’s no wiring work or anything that has to be done. Most consumer devices do not have this type of protection built into them. At best you have an overcurrent fuse or protection circuit of some sort and that type of protection is often not triggered by this type of fault. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-chewed-electric-blanket-unsafe/652562/6 "2013-03-11T03:45:44Z")
If the wire is severed/stripped/frayed/bare, you need to throw it out. On electrical cords, it’s easy enough to deal with some damage, but these are heating wires and you’re going to purposely drape them over yourself. It would be far too easy for, say, electrical tape to come undone due to the heat and constant moving/rubbing. I’m a big believer in fixing things yourself (even electrical stuff), just check my post history, but this is something that’s safer to just toss out and replace.