1.    Before you even touch the heater make sure you read the instructions on or with your heater, doing so should keep you safe. Remember “The life you save may be your own”.
2.    Make sure you are using the right heater. If the waterbed is 7” or deeper we recommend you use a heater in the area of 300-400 watts. For shallower fill waterbeds, we recommend that you use less than 200 watts. Heaters usually have instructions printed that indicates what type of beds they can be used with. Using use a high watt heater in a shallow bed and you can start a fire.
3.    A common mistake waterbed owners make is installing the waterbed  it in the wrong location.
a.    They should always be put on a solid, flat deck.
b.    The heater should always go under the safety liner.
c.    Make sure heater is not positioned over any seams in the decking or knots holes. The uneven surface can flex and breakdown the heating element or air from underneath the heating pad can cause hot spots which can burnout your heater.

d.    Never put the heating pad to close to the edge of the bed. A comforter or mattress pad tucked under the water mattress and on top of the heating pad traps heat from the heater and causes a burn out.
e.    If you hide your money under the mattress make sure it’s not on top of your heating pad or you will literally be burning money.
f.    Never position your heating pad across the bed. Not only can it damage the heater but also if you have Dual Bladders and lay the heating pad cross ways under both bladders, air from the gap between the two bladders meet will cause a burnout. Always position the pad lengthwise under one bladder only.
4.    A waterbed heater must have water to operate properly. Air is the heaters worse enemy. It is designed to have its heat absorbed by the water in a water mattress.  Water absorbed heat much faster than air.
5.    When installing a heater make sure all the wrinkles in the bladder and safety liner are removed from the area directly above and in contact with the heating pad. These wrinkles have air in them and this traps heat. Side not: We have seen wrinkles burn heating pads in half.
6.    Make sure your mattress is not under filled. If there is not enough water the heater cannot get rid of or dissipate the heat quick enough. Be very careful with the free flow mattresses, concentrated weight in one spot can force the top of the mattress against the bottom forcing out the water. If done over a heater pad  for an extended period the mattress, liner, and heater can over heat and burn, bond, or weld together.

The above heater information are direct results of not reading the installation instructions that come with or on it. If you don’t read them you can get burned.

Is a waterbed heater essential and necessary or is my bed going to become a giant ice cube without it?

Cold??? Click this photo and check out our Waterbed Heaters

Do I Need a Heater In My Water bed? Frankly one answer comes to mind when I think of what one of these beds would be like without a heater, that is a big ole Arctic Brrr!!! A water bed without a heater is like pancakes without syrup and a car without an engine. This one seems like a “No Brain-er” to us yet  every day waterbed retailers and manufacturers market their waterbeds without them. Let me be crystal clear, I would never consider selling a water bed without a waterbed heater and there are a number of reasons why.

1. Sleeping in a  waterbed is like getting in a swimming pool the very first time after filling the pool in early spring. Waterbeds are no different, cold water can draw heat from the body faster than cool air basically causing aches and pains even mild hypothermia. Using a heater set at a low temperature, especially under 80ºF can cause disrupted sleep through the night and you metabolism to slow down. The optimal mattress temperature setting is about 87ºF.
   If this temperature is too hot or too cold, gradually turn the setting up or down just one or two degrees at a time.
2. Water bed mattresses are made of vinyl and warm vinyl lasts longer than cold vinyl because it is more supple and pliable. One of the best examples of this is to get into a cold car in the middle of winter and you will probably notice the stiff inflexible vinyl seat coverings.
3. Lastly a cold water mattress can cause unhealthy mold to form. This happens when body moisture or humidity contacts your cold mattress and condenses, this moisture and dirt can cause mold. Similar problems are common with airbeds, which are not heated do to very same thing. The problem decreases when the water temperature is 80º or higher.

If your heater is not getting the job done, throw it away and get a new one.

Most are factory sealed units and are not designed to be worked on even by professional electricians. One key reason a heater may not heat correctly is because it was not installed correctly.

Need Help Installing a New Waterbed Heater? Click the link.

Purchase Waterbed Heaters Here

Photo called goosebumps by Fuschia Foot http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuschia_foot/2902780327/

I have turned my waterbed heater setting down as low as it will go,

however it is still too way to hot. Is there anything else I can do? I am afraid if I leave it plugged in it may catch fire.

Yes definitely unplug it an get rid of it for a new one. If the waterbed mattress is getting too hot even if you have turned the thermostat way down then you have a bad thermostat. The best thing to do is to throw the both the heating pad and the control box away. There are safety features built in to protect you however our solution; (Replace the Water bed Heater)

Waterbed heaters do not last forever and good ones often last on average between seven to eight years. If you move your bed more frequently do not be surprised if after reinstalling it, that it no longer heats up or heats properly. This is just some food for thought when you replace your water bed heater or move the water bed to some other place.

How Can I cool My Waterbed Heater Down

• You should never just buy one or the other for many different reasons  safety being the the primary one of concern for the reason of fire risk or even electrical shock.

Other possible water bed heater problems

What if my water bed will not heat up?

If the water is cold one there are a few very common causes.

• The pad is weak and can no longer maintain the desired temperature. (Replace the Water bed Heater)

• The other thing that can happen is that the heating element is often made of wire, aluminum, or an alloy, which contracts and expands due to the heating and cooling cycles. This makes the material weak and if not handled very gingerly can be broken. This broken wire will cause the malfunction switch to trip and the heater will not heat. (Replace the Water bed Heater)

• Another thing that can happen is short cycling due to improper positioning of the temperature sensor. (Install Waterbed Heater Correctly)

Coming soon you will be able to Click on the highlighted link to learn more about installing a water bed heater?

If your waterbed heater doesn’t heat do you know what to do? Short of calling an electrician this is what we would recommend.

First and foremost as dumb as it sounds make sure you have power to it. Over half of our problems concerning heaters are the simple but embarrassing things like the unit not being plugged in. Cats, dogs, kids and vacuum cleaners are the common culprits and regularly knock the power cords loose. Other common problems are related to new home owners moving into their new residence where they are unfamiliar with the new house hold receptacles, again embarrassing moments can be eliminated by simply knowing that the receptacle works or that a wall switch controls the power to it.

If the waterbed heater doesn’t work and you have drained the waterbed mattress only to find a burn mark or serious brown or black discoloration in the heating pad this is a very serious problem, remove it immediately and throw it away and buy a new one. Although this is a very rare occurrence this is the most serious of waterbed heater failures and should not be taken lightly. For your safety all waterbed heaters are sealed units and are not designed to be worked on and are called throw away items for a reason. All waterbed heaters are required to have a built in safety limit switch that is designed to act like a circuit breaker and shut the units off in case of emergency and typically do not reset. Water bed heaters built today have lower wattage outputs, which make them a lot safer than units made 10-15 years ago which operated at higher temperatures due to more wattage output. One last thing about lower output heaters, they can take up to a week to reach operating temperature, especially if you have filled the bed with cold water and or live in a colder climate.

If your heater overheats immediately unplug it, remove and throw it away. You either have a bad temperature control unit or a pad that is stuck in the “on” mode. Do not try to replace just a control unit or the heating pad by itself due to the risk of fire or electrical shock. Controls and pads should not be mismatched. As a rule of thumb STLBeds will not sell heater controls or heater pads separately for our customers safety.

Your waterbed heater exists for a number of reasons; however most people believe it is designed simply to keep you warm at night. It is true that a heater can make a waterbed warm and comfy which means no hypothermia, but it also keeps mold and mildew from forming as a result of condensation. At STLBeds we take seriously when our customers have problems with their waterbed heaters. One preventable problem is premature vinyl failure which is more often than not a result of waterbed mattresses where the heaters were either not being used or were never turned on. We have found a warm bed on average lasts longer because warm vinyl is softer and more pliable than cold vinyl.

Finally one last waterbed heater occurrence is static electricity, this happens when one person is standing on the floor while the other is in bed and they touch or kiss. We have seen this especially when the beds are on concrete floors. Sometimes it is a wiring issue in the home and may require an electrician. The other reason is a grounding or completed circuit issue. You should contact a waterbed dealer or the waterbed heater manufacturer to resolve this issue. If it is more than a simple static discharge we suggest taking the heater out of the bed checking it for a burned heater pad or a bad power cord. If you have any doubts or it’s older than your married children we suggest replacing it!

Need to know about Installing a New Waterbed Heater?

When you have a waterbed there are several things that you must do in order to have a fully functional, and comfortable, waterbed. The first of these is Installing a New Waterbed Heater. One of the best features about a waterbed is its ability to give you adjustable temperature control. The ability to regulate bed tempurature will not only enhance the beds comfort level, but sooth your aching muscles after a hard day of work. The truth is that many people buy waterbeds solely for the fact that they are able to enjoy a nice warm bed. However, knowing how to install a heater is imperative, especially if your existing heater breaks down. The process of installing a heater is quite simple, and all it takes is a little patience and few minutes, depending on how quickly you can work.

Need a New Waterbed Heater? Click Photo

Begin Installing Your New Waterbed Heater

Of course if your waterbed is full then draining the water out is the first step. The most important thing to do before you begin is to unplug your old waterbed heater . This is very important because the last thing you want to happen, is have your heater overheat and burn due to lack of water. There are 3 general steps to Installing a New Waterbed Heater. First you will attach your heater control and lay out the heating pad, then install your safety liner, and then finally put the mattress on top of your safety liner.

When you have a Hardside Waterbed, always make sure that you place the heating pad in the center of your plywood decking inside the waterbed and away from board seams. Proper positioning ensures that the entire bed is heated evenly, and you won’t have cool spots. You will notice that with your heater, is included a thermostat unit. This thermostat is made of copper or rubber sensor, and is only a couple feet in length and monitors the temperature of the bed. You will want to place the sensor no closer than twelve inches, or one foot, from the heating pad. This is important because the sensor tells the thermostat when to turn on and off the heating unit.

After you have placed the heater in the desired location, you will then install the Safety Liner. The safety liner is just that, it provides you safety from any type of leaking that might occur within your waterbed. You will want to take your time with this step, because you want to ensure that all four corners of the safety liner are properly tucked into the corners of the bed frame. Make sure that you don’t have any type of wrinkles of folds in the liner that are over the heating pad. These wrinkles or folds can trap air, and create an unsafe and unwanted hot spot that could burn. You will then want install your mattress, making sure that all of the four corners are neatly tucked into the bed frame. Fill the mattress with water according to the directions; add the water conditioner and then turn on the heater somewhere between 87-90 degrees.

NOTE: some heating systems may need to be installed differently refer to direction on heating pad for specifics.