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Helios Heaters

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1.	What is the Helios Heater?
	The Helios Heater is the ultimate solution for heating your body, Baby-bottle or any other heating purposes while outdoors or at home. The incredible Helios Heater does not require any kind of power as such as microwave, electricity or hot water in order to warm itself up.
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2.	What does the heating pad made of?
	The pad contains water, food grade sodium acetate trihydrate (an ingredient in salt and vinegar potato chips) and a stainless steel disc. The outer casing is medically approved PVC. When the pad is in its liquid state it is a "super saturated" solution.
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3.	How is the heat produced?
	Flexing the metal disc in the liquid pad creates a seed crystal that starts a chain reaction causing the pad to crystallize. This crystallization ALWAYS occurs at a temperature of 54 o C (130° F). The pad will not activate if it is above this temperature. Once activated, the Helios Pad has available to it a predetermined amount of energy. It will use this energy to increase the temperature of the pad to 54° C and uses whatever is left to maintain that temperature. This ability to produce heat for a period of time is accomplished because all of the liquid does not crystallize immediately. Molecules that were not required to heat the pad to its maximum temperature will remain liquid, and crystallize as required, to maintain the maximum temperature. This means that a pad that is warm will maintain its maximum temperature longer than one that is cold.
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4.	Why won't the pad activate?
	The Heating Pad must be in its liquid state and below 50° C (122° F) before it will activate. If the pad is too hot it will not activate. When you activate a warm pad, it will not crystallize and turn white; the pad will go cloudy and remain mostly liquid. This is because only the liquid that is below 54° C (130° F) will crystallize and the rest will remain liquid to generate heat as the pad cools. In this way a warm pad will remain near its maximum temperature until all of the liquid has crystallized. Occasionally it may require a few flexes of the disc, but the pad should activate.
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5.	How do I reuse the pad?
	Once the Heating Pad has given off all of its heat, it will remain in its crystallized state until it is recharged. This is accomplished by placing the crystallized pad in boiling water for 5 to 15 minutes (depending upon the size of the pad) until all of the crystals are melted. Once completely liquefied, remove the Helios Pad from the water and store it until it is required. The Heating Pad should remain liquid as it cools. If crystals form as the pad cools, it has not been boiled long enough and should be re-boiled.
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6.	How long does the heat last?
	Depending on its size, starting temperature and insulation, a Heating Pad will provide heat from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Starting at room temperature and used as a heating pad, it will remain at its maximum temperature for approximately one hour and slowly cool to room temperature in about 2 hours. If you use the pad immediately after it has been recharged, (wrap it in an extra layer of towel as it may be very hot) it will give off heat as it cools and then may be activated while still warm. In this way the pad may last as long as 3 hours.
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7.	How many times can they be used?
	There is no limit as to the number of times a Pad can be used. There are pads still in use after five years. The pad will not operate if there is a hole in the vinyl. It is manufactured from the same vinyl as is used in water beds.
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8.	What are the white crystals that form in the liquid pad?
	If the Pad has been stored in its crystallized state for an extended period of time, a small amount of water can evaporate from the pad and cause the solution to become more concentrated. This higher concentration is indicated by "snowflake like" crystals in the liquid pad. The pad will still operate, but at a slightly higher temperature. This water loss can be substantially reduced by storing the pad in its liquid state, and may be reversed by extending the boiling times and by leaving the pad in water to cool.
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9.	What happens if the pad gets a hole in it?
	If a liquid Pad gets a hole in it, it will activate. The pad then will not be able to be recharged and must be exchanged. The contents are not dangerous and may be dealt with as if you were dealing with normal salt.
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10.	What if I cannot find a big enough pot or a pan for the large size warmers?
	Don't worry, there are a couple of easy solutions. Use the "spaghetti method"; i.e. using a pan, put one end in the boiling water and gently feed the rest into the water as the pack becomes soft and liquid.
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11.	Are they suitable for children?
	Yes they can also be used for children. Mostly they are very helpful when children have cold hands and feet. Please remember that these are professional products and are not toys, so please follow the instructions. Still, they are great fun and we know from personal experience that children are always happy with the products.
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