Can You Use a Heating Pad With an Extension Cord?

Extension cords can be quite useful, but they create a handful of problems when used with the wrong electrical appliances. Your heating pad can’t be plugged into anything that has a lower wattage threshold, leading many to wonder if they can be used with extension cables.

You can use a heating pad with an extension cord if the extension cord’s maximum wattage is above the heating pad’s electricity demands. Most heating pads use between 20 watts to 150 watts, which is well below the average extension cord’s wattage limits of 1500 watts to 3,300 watts.

Using a heating pad with an extension cord is fairly straightforward. Read on to find out how to safely use a heating pad with an extension cable or a surge protector.

How to Use a Heating Pad With an Extension Cable

To use a heating pad with an extension cable, follow these steps:

1. Choose the right extension cord for your heating pad. The Spruce explains you should check the gauge of the cable to determine its amperage and wattage. Fortunately, almost any extension cord above 500 watts can handle a heating pad.
2. Use a multimeter to check how many watts the heating pad needs. If you can’t find the heating pad’s wattage, you can place the red and black nodes of a voltmeter onto the heating pad’s electrical terminals.
3. Plug the cable into the wall outlet and make sure the heating pad is the only appliance plugged into it. Extension cords can quickly get overloaded, especially when powering multiple heating appliances. For example, you shouldn’t use multiple heating pads on the same power cable.
4. Don’t use an old, worn, or damaged heating pad. Malfunctioning heating pads are primarily responsible for the vast majority of heating pad fires. If your heating pad smells weird when plugging it into an extension cable, unplug it immediately.

Not all electrical appliances can use extension cords. For example, plugging a space heater into an extension cord can short the circuit breaker. Not only do space heaters use more wattage than the average cable, but they also increase the fire risk.

The GE Pro Power Strip is my go to extension cord. It has three slots and an eight-foot cord. It can hold up to 1,625 watts, which is much more than you’ll need for any heating pad. It comes in three colors, all of which use braided cables to prevent wear and tear.

What to Know When Using a Heating Pad With an Extension Cord

Before you plug a heating pad into an extension cord, you should know that you can’t chain multiple extension cables, lower heat settings use less electricity, and it’s important to keep the cords bundled and out of the way. Furthermore, keep an eye on your heating pad’s controller for troubleshooting errors and tripped thermal fuses from the extension cord.

Here’s are the details of each safety factor for your extension cord and heating pad:

• Don’t connect multiple extension cords to a heating pad. The Silver Lining explains that up to 4,600 annual fires are caused by extension cables, most of which come from faulty cords or chaining them together. Only use one extension cord max at a time.
• Use the lower heating modes if you’re worried about overloading the extension cord. Many heating pads use a fraction of their maximum electricity when they’re turned down a bit. You can stick to the lowest setting if you’re worried about tripping the breaker or overloading the extension cord.
• Bundle your extension cables with zip ties to prevent your heating pad from creating a tripping hazard. While it won’t help reduce the heating pad’s watt requirements, it’ll keep everything nice and tidy. I use zip ties and electrical tape to bundle my cable wires.
• Make sure your turn off the controller if the heating pad is blinking. Blinking heating pads generally need to be unplugged immediately. It’s usually a sign that there’s too much electricity going to the heating pad (or not enough). Try using it on a different outlet to see if the blinking stops with the extension cord.
• Listen for humming sounds and check if there are burning odors coming from the heating pad. Strange noises coming from your appliances usually mean there’s too much electricity or the heating pad is overheating. Much like the previous example, you should unplug the heating pad and the extension cord.

You can make your heating pad last a long time by plugging it directly into the wall. However, power cords are almost always fine to use with them. That being said, suggest trying the surge protector option mentioned below.

Is It Safe to Plug a Heating Pad into a Surge Protector?

It’s safe to plug a heating pad into a surge protector because almost every surge protector has a higher wattage capacity than a heating pad needs. However, it’s recommended not to use multiple heating appliances on the same surge protector.

They demand a lot of amps, which could overload the circuit breaker or trip the surge protector fuse. Calculate how many amps your heating pad uses, them find out if you have a 20-amp or a 15-amp breaker. Most breakers shouldn’t exceed 80% of their max capacity (i.e., 16 amps or 12 amps).

Surge protectors offer protection where extension cords can’t. An extension cable lets you plug a heating pad further away from the wall outlet, while a surge protect prevents damage to the heating pad and the outlet. If your heating pad exceeds the surge protector, it won’t get any power.

The Amazon Basics 6-Outlet Surge Protector works for 15-amp breakers. Plug the protector into the wall outlet, then plug the heating pad into one of the ports. Choose between black and white, then decide if you want an extension cord built into the surge protector.

Whether you prefer an extension cord or a surge protector, always listen and inspect your heating pad for unknown issues. Unplug it if it feels too hot, hums, buzzes, blinks, or smells like it’s burning.