How To Replace A Waterbed Heater

The waterbed heater is the one part of the waterbed you simply can not do without. Having a nice warm bed to lay down in at night relieves stress and soothes sore muscles at the end of a long, hard day at work. But, when the heater is not working, you will quickly know it.

The waterbed heater is a fairly durable part. It can last for many years operating without any problems. However, if you have your waterbed for any length of time, the day will come when you will need to replace it. Replacing the heater in the waterbed means one thing; you have to drain it.

Step 1 - Unplug Heater

Many people miss this part. It's easy to forget as you want to get to the next step, but it is a very important safety precaution. Unplug the waterbed heater. It doesn't matter if it is working or not - unplug it.

Step 2 - Drain Waterbed

Do not think this is a hard process. It can seem daunting, but it is a very easy thing to do. Attach the waterbed hose connector to the drain plug of the water bed. Once that is on, attach a garden hose to it. Take the hose out the bedroom window and connect it to an outdoor faucet. To drain the bed you are going to cause a reverse siphon.

Turn the water on for about 15 seconds to get the water flowing into the waterbed. Quickly turn the water off and then unscrew the hose from the outside faucet. Let the end of the hose stretch out on the ground in an area that can take the run off. As long as the bottom of the hose is lower than the level of the bed, gravity will siphon the water out.

Once the water begins to slow down, lift the end of the waterbed mattress up to run the water towards the drain. This process should take about two hours to fully drain the mattress.

Step 3 - Take Out Mattress

Leave the garden hose right on the mattress. You're going to need it to fill it back up anyway. Take the mattress out of the bed and lay next to it.

Step 4 - Take Off Safety Liner

This is a good time to think about replacing the safety liner also. If it is the original liner, then you should replace it.

Step 5 - Replace Heater

Take off the old heater. Lay the new heater in the center of the waterbed with the sensor about six inches away from it. Do not plug it in yet.

Step 6 - Replace Liner And Mattress

Lay the new liner in place over the new heater. Spread out the mattress with the drain plug at the foot of the bed.

Step 7 - Refill Waterbed Mattress

Unscrew garden hose and pour in 10 ounces of waterbed water conditioner. Put the hose back on and then turn the water on. Let it fill to 1/4 of the mattress and shut water off. Take off the hose and run a broom over the mattress to let any air bubbles out. Put the hose back on and fill the mattress.

Step 8 - Plug Heater In

Now you can plug the heater in and get the water back to temperature.