Comments on: Disabling auto-off on a Sunbeam Health at Home heating pad

By: Hank

Hank — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:29:00 +0000

Cathy,
Glad I could be a help to you. Our pad has been running constantly on low for over a year now with zero problems. I hope yours will get the same mileage!

By: bishop

bishop — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

won’t be cold again, but when you come home to find Hedgehog Toast, what will you say then Mr. "I Hacked My Heating Pad to torch my pet"?

I bet trpik will not make you cheese toast then. no sir.

no cheese toast for you.

none

By: RD

RD — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

Nice hack. I’d have just cut and hardwired, your’s is more elegant.

Just an FYI. These timers are there because if you fall asleep on a heating pad it can cause neurological damage, like Bell’s Palsy. I don’t think Sunbeam ever came up with a use case that included hedgehogs, so I forgive them.

By: ArEuDum?

ArEuDum? — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

Why? Just why? What do you think are the possible reasons for this "safety feature"? Is it there for something to bypass when bored? Is it there so SunBeam can charge twice as much for Hedgehog Heaters as they do for heating pads? Is it there so if I fall asleep with it under my leg I won’t bleed brain fluid from my eyes? Is it there so you don’t burn your house down?

Dumb Ass! Get a heat lamp.

By: Hank

Hank — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

Are U Dum?:
You obviously know nothing about hedgehogs. Heat lamps are a very bad idea, use WAY more electricity than the heating pad, and are way more of a fire hazard. Also, burning my house down isn’t an issue, and I put that at the top to warn people who didn’t look at the datasheet not to screw it up. I happen to know how integrated circuits work, especially when they are as simplistic as a timer – maybe you don’t.

The heating pad has been running for a week, like I thought it would, and the hedgehog is very happy (and warm of course). There are no heating pads currently sold that do not have this "safety feature," so I had no choice. I’m just letting others know since they should be able to disable it if they would like to in return for voiding their warranty and chances for legal action against Sunbeam,

I’m sorry that you don’t like reverse-engineering. I hope you live a nice life full of safety and trust in corporations, since they’re just looking out for our health interests and not protecting themselves from being sued. Oh, and I hope you don’t have a laptop, because I hear those [burn down like mad...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeWq6rWzChw&feature=related)

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

Awesome Chacos dude.

By: jebus zeus

jebus zeus — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

cute hedgehog, happy heating, forget those guys…

By: TDub

TDub — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

I too have a hedgehog, and she’s got a heating pad…we just so happened to have a pad back from before they had the auto-off feature! Though, if it ever poops out on me, this will come in handy! Thanks!

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

We bought a heating pad for our cat from the local pet store. She’s 17 and likes to be warm. The pad is designed to stay on all the time and we have a happy kitty.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

If the heat pad is underneath the hedgehog, won’t he just go on it and get it dirty? Why wouldn’t you just use a space heater or heat lamp?