Which waterbed heater?

Which waterbed heater? There’s many different waterbed heaters to choose from when looking for a reliable waterbed heater. With leaps and bounds in technology within the last 5 years, we think we have done the hard work for you. We have narrowed the choice down to five or six heaters. By extracting any old technology and heaters too small to do the job or heaters that may cause local hot spots on the under side of your waterbed mattress.

The old technologies of wire mesh heater pads with vulcanized rubber coating and a mechanical heat sensor have gone. Slowly we moved through the ceramic era with the large ceramic plates to the small ceramic heaters to the foil heaters. All the evidence points to the carbon fibre heater elements. They’re far more accurate, faster heating up periods using less power than any of the older technologies. They keep a waterbed at a more constant temperature and seem to be very cost affective for the customer.

Now the choice for you is which carbon heater to go for? All are as reliable and well worth their price. Nobody would be able to pick a fault with either system. Although the Carbon Digital heater has more accuracy when it comes to keeping your bed at a nice constant temperature. It has lots of nifty options to tinker about with. Also it has a nice carbon graphite look heater control box. But if you are needing a waterbed heater to heat your bed up on a budget then without doubt the Carbon Classic heater is the best choice.

Positioning the heater pad-

When you are first installing the heater pad there are things that you should be aware of.  Your waterbed heater is an important part of your waterbed and you should pay attention to the way it is installed and maintained.

Base board joins –

Do not install the heater pad over a join in the baseboard. The movement between the two sides might be slight but could have a cumulative effect and damage the pad eventually.

Safety liner –

Install your heater underneath the safety liner. The safety liner has to be installed with out any wrinkles or overlapping folds. The safety liner is there to collect the water from any spillage.

Wrinkles –

Ensure that the heater is installed flat against the baseboard with no wrinkles or folds.

Nails and pins –

Do not use nails or pins to hold the heater in place

Position –

Install the heater pad towards the middle to foot of the bed. By doing this you avoid the danger of the heater having insufficient water above if someone is lying above it.

Wire –

Feed the wire from the heater through a hole in the baseboard close to where the nearest power point is. Make sure the wire is straight with no kinks in it.

Caring for heater damage-

A properly installed heater should not suffer any damage in normal use. It is protected from above by the water mattress and the safety liner and from below by the base board. The heater has no moving parts.

Thermostat settings-

The heater cannot make rapid changes in the water temperature. So don’t try to turn the thermostat up high to get the bed warmer. Once the bed is at a satisfactory heating level the thermostat should not need to be changed.

Bedding-

Don’t leave the waterbed stripped of bedding for too long. The large surface area of the bed will cool the water down and cause the heater to work harder.

Effects on your energy bill-

Having the heater thermostat set too high or stripping the bed and leaving it. Will cause the heater to work harder and consume more electricity. Fortunately the heater does not consume much so any increase will be marginal unless the condition persists.

Safety first-

Whenever you are working on the bed. Whether topping up the water level or adding conditioner for example, always switch off the heater at the mains.

The heater is like the heart of your waterbed so it pays to make sure it is installed correctly and treated sensibly.