# How to manipulate/deactivate auto-off timer of heated throw **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774 "2015-12-18T14:20:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iceiso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@iceiso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iceiso)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/1 "2015-12-18T14:20:14Z")
In the winter, I like to keep my house cool at night to save on my heating bill. I have a heavy goosedown comforter, but I wanted to extend its range, so I went to the store to look at heated blankets. A heated blanket for my queen size bed was $80. From the same manufacturer, a heated throw was $25. The heated throw is about the size of a full size bed, but I figured that this heated blanket would be under a comforter, so it’d be okay. When I got home, I realized that the heated throw has an auto off timer set for 3 hours. This is problematic, because about 4-7 hours into sleep is when the house is the coldest, and that is when the heated throw is most useful. The heated blanket has a timer for 10 hours. I want to make the heated throw work for my needs. An extra $65 for a heated blanket starts to cut into the cost benefit justification of buying a heated blanket vs using more gas heat. Is there a way to either manipulate the auto off timer (say, set it to 10 hours) OR deactivate it completely? I assume deactivating it completely will be easier. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/2 "2015-12-18T14:40:47Z")
Don’t do it. It may not be meant to be used for such a length of time and could overheat or fail catastrophically sooner. Messing with the wiring runs the risk of causing a fire too. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/3 "2015-12-18T14:42:08Z")
Having had heated blankets which suffocated me all my life, my wife and I decided to look at other options a few years ago. The blankets had manual on/off switches on them if I recall. After talking to others we decided to try a [heated mattress pad](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JI3GYU?keywords=heated%20mattress%20pad&qid=1450449487&ref_=sr_1_5&s=bedbath&sr=1-5)with a built-in 10-hour timer. It only cost about $60, and the heat coming from below versus above made a big difference in terms of comfort. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/4 "2015-12-18T15:01:45Z")
> [@andrewm](#): > > Don’t do it. It may not be meant to be used for such a length of time and could overheat or fail catastrophically sooner. Messing with the wiring runs the risk of causing a fire too. I second this. The fact that the timer is set to only 3 hours is likely a safety feature. There would be no good reason to deactivate it. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/5 "2015-12-18T15:25:13Z")
You could plug it into a timer switch so that it comes on at 2 am or whenever. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/6 "2015-12-18T15:59:04Z")
If it’s a Sunbeam, there are how-to’s online for opening the control panel and soldering in a new connection. The controller is capable of both 3 hour and 10 hour operation. Obviously no one here is going to recommend that you do it, for fear of causing a fire. But, I’d bet that the blanket is more than capable of sustaining use for 10 hours. I’m no electrical engineer, but selling a blanket that could fail simply through use would be irresponsible, and your blanket would be featured on the 6 o’clock news for burning houses down. What if (like I do) you turn the blanket on again (sometimes repeatedly) after the 3 hour timer has expired? I would imagine that peak temperature for the system is reached well before the 3 hour time limit, and that peak temperature is easily sustained by the hardware. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/7 "2015-12-18T16:04:13Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > You could plug it into a timer switch so that it comes on at 2 am or whenever. Or buy two throws have one activate when you go to sleep and have the second one come on via the timer switch 3-4 hours later. Seems like a lot of work that spooning with your SO throughout the night should solve. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-manipulate-deactivate-auto-off-timer-of-heated-throw/740774/8 "2015-12-18T16:11:47Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > You could plug it into a timer switch so that it comes on at 2 am or whenever. Need to check to make sure if the blanket has a ground plug, the timer does also. I have not recently been able to find a timer that will accept a grounded plug (didn’t look very hard). It stuns me that proper bedding can’t keep a person warm. An easy fix might be to buy a pull over hooded well made sweat shirt. I often wear one, and just put the hood up. Makes a big difference. It’s cozy, especially if you keep your house cold like we do.