Electric blankets can provide some much needed warmth and comfort during the long winter months. Nothing beats a personal heat source on your bed, staving off the nighttime chills. Electric blankets can even help you save money by allowing you to keep your thermostat turned down a few notches. However, these blankets can also be a fire hazard, particularly if they are old or damaged. Read on to learn more about how to stay safe if you choose to use an electric blanket this winter.

Bringing Electrical Work to Your Bed

If you do decide to use an electric blanket, make sure you carefully follow all the instructions regarding use, care and storage so you maintain it in good condition. Most electric blankets are designed to be rolled or hung up when not in use, since folding or bunching them can damage the heating wires. Once a blanket becomes damaged or stops working properly, it's time to dispose of it so you don't risk a fire. Blankets that are more than three years old should be checked carefully, and once they hit a decade of service, it's time to retire them even if they still appear to be in good shape.

You also need to inspect the blanket's cord and verify that it isn't worn, frayed or otherwise damaged. It's generally a bad idea to run the cord under the mattress or under a carpet, which can speed up its deterioration, but you also need to prevent children or pets from chewing on it or playing with it. The best option is often to store the blanket out of harm's way during the day when it's not in use.

Weighing the Benefits and Risks

Even a well-functioning electric blanket can be a hazard if you aren't careful with it. Some authorities even recommend using electric blankets to pre-heat the bed, then stowing them before you actually climb in. When you have an active electric blanket on the bed, you need to also make sure you don't leave any heat sensitive materials above or below it.

Additionally, pregnant women and people suffering from certain illnesses need to be careful that they don't allow an electric blanket to overheat their bodies. Excessive heat can harm developing fetuses, as well as people who have diseases like diabetes. Safer options for supplemental heat sources include a hot water bottle tucked under the blanket, or an electric space heater to warm up an otherwise chilly room.

Expert Treatment for Your Electrical Work

For help evaluating the safety of your wiring or any other electrical work, call an expert electrician today.

Around the world, every city offers something different. Though they all have hustle and bustle, lots of buildings, and usually traffic, when you’re on their streets you would never mistake San Francisco for Cairo, Toronto for Tokyo, or Berlin for Rio de Janeiro. But what about from space? During the day, these cities tend to blend in with their surrounding countryside. However, when lit up at night, it’s easy to see how varied these cities can be.

Is it possible to tell anything about the life and culture of our cities when viewing their lights from above? You might be surprised at how much.

Landmarks

Can you guess which cultural icon jumps out of this landscape?

Now, take a look at this photograph of Denver, a much newer city. The streets are mapped out in a much more orderly, grid-like way, aligned North-South and East-West.

The majority of urban areas in Tokyo use green mercury vapor lamps. Only the most newly built areas glow the standard orange.

Development

When examining a city’s lights from above, you can also learn about development, community growth, and infrastructure. Check out this unique photo of two cities from two countries side-by-side – the border towns Cuidad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

Most burn injuries are preventable. That’s why in honor of National Burn Awareness Week, February 1-7, 2015, organizations across the U.S. are coming together to kick-off a yearlong campaign aimed at preventing burns in our communities. Do you have the fire safety information you need to protect your family from necessary burns and your home from electrical fire?

Note: Children are at an increased risk for electrical burns due to their ignorance and curiosity. 

Fire safety starts with you! Spread the word and get the information you need to keep your family and your home safe from electrical fire risks with help from Mr. Electric. Ensure safety by scheduling your free electrical home inspection today.

It has been six months since I started writing for the Light Reading blog, and boy has it gone by quickly. It’s hard to believe that I have written almost 50 posts! To mark this occasion, here are the six blog posts YOU liked best during my last six months of blogging.

1. via Strobel Design Build

In retrospect, I can see why this has been such a hit with the Light Reading readership. I mean, when it comes toMinions Web

This post was one of those visual, inspirational posts that I enjoy reading on other blogs. Instead of giving step by step instructions, this blog post shows you a bunch on interesting things that people have done with LED Matthew Danser Photography

This was my first blog post for Pegasus! In it, I interview Austin, TX photographer Matthew Danser to find out how he “paints” with light in his photos. We learn some interested photography tricks – tricks that I try out in the next most popular post.

5.

In this post I take some of Danser’s suggestions and experiment with “light painting” in my apartment at night. There’s lots of fun stuff here, and things get a little weird with my designs, but hey! It was an experiment! No stuffed animals were hurt during this photo shoot.

6.