Why do I need to unplug a 12V heated seat warmer?

Question about the Wagan Heated Seat Cushion, ES-WA-9738.

Q: "My question is, why does it say to unplug when not in use, if it has an auto shut off? Do I really have to unplug it everytime I get out of the car? Thanks." Maddy

Answer: For safety reasons, manufacturers recommend that you always unplug all 12 volt devices when not in use. Some vehicles are wired so that power to shut off to 12V sockets when the engine is shut off. The automatic shut-off feature for this heated seat cushion means that once it has reached either the high or low temperature it will stop heating or shut-off. It will resume heating once it drops below the set temperature.

Unplugging is easy. Just grasp the plug and pull straight out.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Using a Reliefband by User with Atrial Fibrillation History?

Question about the Reliefband Explorer .

Q: "Is the motion sickness relief band safe to use when the user has a history of atrial fibrillation treated with medication not a pace maker?"

Answer: We recommend that you check with your cardiologist or primary care physician before purchasing and using a ReliefBand. This is a medical question that we cannot answer. If your physician sees no medical contraindications, we can ship your Reliefband within one business day after you order it. Do remember that the Reliefband due to hygienic concerns, is not returnable except for replacement if mechanically defective.

Neurowave Medical addresses only use concerns for those with pacemakers. "Pacemaker Users – Use the device only as directed on the wrist to prevent possible interference with your pacemaker. Avoid placing the electrodes directly on your chest or near the pacemaker."

The ReliefBand® Device works by gently stimulating the nerves in your wrist, which interferes with your body's nausea and vomiting process and calms your stomach. FDA clearance is for use as a nondrug, noninvasive prescription treatment for nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy and pregnancy, and is indicated as an adjunct to antiemetics for postoperative nausea. The ReliefBand Device also provides relief of nausea and vomiting from motion sickness and morning sickness, and is available without prescription for these conditions.

Hope this information helps.

Sincerely,
Barbara

How much bird seed does this feeder hold?

Question about Product Code, the Frisky Friends Wakefield Bird Feeder, PS-704701-05

Q: "How much bird seed does this hold?" Carol

Answer: 85 ounces or about 5 lbs. Most bird seed is packed in 5 lb and 10 lb bags.

This is an attractive bird feeder because it is clear glass with brass. If you have a squirrel problem, we suggest either the Squirrel Buster Plus or the Squirrel Buster Classic feeders. Both have a cage that comes down to cover the bird seed openings when a squirrel or other animal attempts to raid the seed. Both also dismantle so they can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher. The Squirrel Buster Plus has a capacity of about 3.5 lbs. while the Classic holds about 1.3 lbs. Both are easiily filled by removing the top cap.

Can this Power Inverter Plug Into a 12V Outlet?

Question regarding Vector Black and Decker 1000-Watt Power Inverter.

Q: "Can this power inverter plug into the 12V cigarette lighter outlet in my car?"

Answer: No, all 1000 watt power inverters like this model draw too much power to be plugged directly into a 12V light socket. If there was such a plug, the high wattage draw would damage your car, at the least throwing a circuit breaker and at the most causing a fire.

Most high wattage (400 watt and over) power inverters include battery cables that connect directly to the vehicle battery positive and negative poles. Some power inverters under 400 watts have two connection methods available. Those that plug only into the cigarette lighter (accessory power) socket are rated no more than 300 watts.

Larger is not necessarily better with power inverters. To decide what wattage would meet your need, remember that watts=amperes times volts. So read the instruction manual of the product you want to plug into the power inverter before you choose an inverter. You need to know what the surge power is, i.e. the amount of power the appliance will draw when you first turn it on. Then choose a unit that slightly exceeds that maximum as far as the surge power is concerned.

Remember that medical devices often need a pure sine wave output to operate properly. True sine wave inverters cost 2 to 3 times more than the more typical modified sine wave inverters.

If you need more assistance to choose a power inverter, please email us and we'll make a few suggestions. Or phone our customer service reps with your questions.

Sincerely,

Barbara

Can you set a temperature on a Koolatron cooler?

Question about the Koolatron Voyager 12-Volt Cooler 32 Quart

Q:"Can you set this cooler to a certain temperature?" Kip

Answer: No, there is no temperature setting on the Koolatron Voyager and other non-commercial Koolatron cooler units. These units cool 45 to 50 Fahrenheit degrees below the ambient temperature. "Ambient temperature is defined as "the temperature of the medium surrounding an object or. . . the prevailing room temperature." So if it is 90 degrees in your car, the temperature of the cooler will be 40 to 45 degrees F. We do suggest you pre-cool the unit using an AC adapter. This unit also can serve as a warmer to keep food warm for a picnic or other event where food will be consumed within 45 minutes or so.

If you have need for a commercial cooler, please contact us with your requirements and we can get a price for you dependent upon the size of the unit.

How the Lentek bug racket works

Question about the Lentek Electronic Racket Zapper, Product Code:LK-RZ02

Q:" Can you please tell me if the "triple mesh" feature for this electronic fly swatter means that all three are actively charged for zapping bugs, or is it just the center one with two protective screens on each side?"

Answer: Only the center mesh is live: the outside two mesh layers are offered as protection from accidental "shock" if you should touch the mesh with your hand as you might with a tennis racket. Single mesh units will shock on contact with your hand or other body part. Still handle this insect zapper with care.

Using this electronic swatter means no more chasing after annoying flying insects and then having to hit them against a hard surface, splattering bug parts on walls, table, etc. Just push on the button to activate the grid and release to turn it off. Once you make contact with the fly, bee, etc. the insect dies and drops to the ground.

Thanks for your question.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Newly Manufactured Reliefbands for Motion Sickness

Question regarding the ReliefBand Motion Sickness Device 2 Free Batteries.

Q: "Dear safehomeproducts, Are these the new models (of Reliefbands) or the old ones? On their website it shows it was updated in March 2008."

Answer: These are newly manufactured Reliefbands, the Explorer model with the elastic band. The new Reliefband was shipped to us in March 2008. We are happy to once again offer our customers an FDA cleared, no-drug, safe product to prevent or to relieve nausea and vomitting from motion sickness. The Reliefband is worn on either or both wrists. Once activated, relief is usually obtained within 15 minutes or less. Although customers tell us they use Reliefbands on younger children, FDA testing was not done on children under the age of 12.

The Reliefband product line was manufactured by Woodside Biomedical for many years. Woodside sold product rights, etc. to Abbott Laboratories. Two years ago in April, Safe Home Products received a letter stating that production and sales would cease later that month. We stocked as heavily as we could but still ran out about 9 months ago.

The new owner/manufacturer is Neurowave Medical Technologies. We continue to give each customer two free batteries with each purchase. Battery life is generally 144 hours but no one wants to be without this wonderful device when they are on a cruise, spending the day at an amusement park or riding in an airplane or car. We also sell conductive gel and conductive gel and extra batteries in separate packages.

Thank you for your question.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Can a 12V power inverter run a 36V battery charger?

Q: "Question about the VECTOR 400 Watt Vehicle Power System (VEC024B). Will this run a 36 volt battery charger to a golf cart?" Thanks, Charlie.

Answer: This is a 400 watt power inverter with an 800 watt surge. The unit has both battery cables and a plug for the 12V accessory outlet. For your purpose, the battery cables are necessary, the vehicle engine must be kept running and the unit then may be large enough to power the battery charger.

What is important is the amperage draw of the battery charger (which you would be plugging into one of the AC outlets on the power inverter).

The specs on this unit are that it will handle a maximum draw of 3.6 amps. If the battery charger draws less than 3.6 amps, you could plug in the battery charger and then connect it to the golf cart battery. What I don't know is how quickly the battery would charge. Also you would need to know the power surge of the battery charger. Watts=amps x volts. So if the amps are 3 and the volts are 36, then the watts required would be 108 and this power inverter would work fine.

I do not know the weight of a golf cart battery or the difficulties in swapping a dead one out for a fully charged unit. Swapping it out might be easier than using the power inverter to charge the one that is installed. And perhaps less expensive at the current cost of gasoline.

I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Barbara

Heating a Small Bedroom with Cozy Legs Panels?

Q:"Would you be able to heat a small bedrooom if you braced one of the Cozy Legs panels to the ceiling?" Thanks. Melodee

Answer: No, the Cozy Legs panel is not meant to heat large areas like a bedroom The panel must be mounted vertically, either using the optional metal stand or adhesive attachment to a wall. So it could not be braced to the ceiling. The unit is typically used under a desk and is an energy efficient way to provide supplemental heat without blowing fuses. The power used is equivalent to a 150 watt bulb.

I hope this answered your question.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Minimum Battery Voltage for a Gas Alarm?

Q:"What is the minimum battery voltage, below the nominal 12 Volts, that the Safe-T-Alert SM-STA-30-441RV requires for operation?" Thanks. Craig.

Answer: This propane gas alarm for recreational vehicles requires at least 7 volts to operate. This is the slim line surface mount unit with a case that measures 6"W x 1.875"H x 1.5"D. If you have the room, you might want to consider the Safe-T-Alert 40-441RV as this propane alarm operates on 6 volts to 16 volts with a very low current draw of 46 milliamp (0.046 amp.).

Hope this helps with your decision.

Sincerely, Barbara