We are pleased to provide answers to some of the most common questions asked in relation to
waterbeds. If we haven't answered your specific question, please contact us (our information is
at the bottom of this page) and we will give you our best answer.
Weight:
Will my waterbed be safe to install on the 2nd floor of my house?
The cubic weight of a waterbed is approximately 30% of an average size man standing
in the same room
Some example weights:
Queen Hybrid - 500 kilos / 14kg sq ft
King Timber - 1100 kilos / 24kg sq ft
Also keep in mind, the weight of the waterbed is evenly distributed over the floor. This is
often less than 10% of the contact pressure of a conventional bed on legs or castors.
Cleaning:
Where does the dust on the (vinyl) bladder come from?
Whether you sleep on a waterbed, innerspring, futon or in a swag, you perspire a cup of body
oils each night. In an innerspring or futon there are millions of dust mites that feed on your oils,
which can cause health problems in 11% of the population. Waterbeds don't have dust mites, so the
body oils are absorbed by your mattress protector or woolen underlay, where it crystallises and
appears as dust on the bladder.
What do I do about the dust on the bladder?
The dust is oil-based and will continue to soak into the vinyl of the bladder. The vinyl
manufacturer recommends cleaning the vinyl every two months with warm soapy water or
Blue Magic Vinyl Cleaner. This will prolong
the life of the bladder.
Leaks:
Why do bladders leak?
There are three primary reasons for these leaks:
1. Your body oils have hardened the vinyl, which will then crack. (Please read the cleaning
question above on how to avoid this.)
2. There isn't enough water in the bladder (This is the most common cause). Water is 1/3 oxygen.
Over time, the water becomes stagnant and starts to break down, releasing air. If you expel the air
without topping up the water, creases will form, which can cause cracks leading to water leaks.
3. Some sort of mishap e.g. a lost earing or a visit from the cat.
Can I prevent bladders leaking?
Keeping the bladder clean and conditioned will help prevent leaks.
Over the course of 12 months, your should add 20 to 25 litres of water. This will keep the
water level at an optimum level and maintain the same sleeping surface from year to year.
With every installation we provide a comprehensive information sheet to help you maintain your waterbed.
Temperature Setting:
What can you tell me about heating the water in my waterbed?
Today's waterbed heaters use up to date technology - time proportion solid state.
Early heaters, with the copper capillary used CO2. CO2 has been banned
in Australia. The Bulb & Capillary heaters had a variation of 1.5 degrees from your setting.
In practice this meant if you set the heater at 30oC, the heater would fluctuate between
28.5oC and 31.5oC.
Today, heaters have a range of 0.1o from your setting. This means if you set it
30oC, the heater would fluctuate between 29.9oC and 30.1oC keeping
you and your waterbed at a constant temperature.
Running Costs:
How expensive is a waterbed to run?
Time proportion solid state heaters do a great job of maintaining the temperature you have set.
It only uses the power it needs to do its job. A 350 watt heater may only require 50 watts or 200
watts to maintain your setting.
A Queen hybrid covered by a doona during the day may use approximately $1.00 per week.
This means you can run a waterbed heater for the whole year for the same cost as running an electric
blanket for just 4 months.
Disclaimer
The information provided here is of a general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute
for the advice of a suitably qualified authority.
