Assemble a Hard Sided Waterbed

To many of us, the task of assembling hard sided water may seem a little daunting. Framing, heaters, mattresses and chemicals seem like more work than it is worth, but the result is a great sleeping environment that is well worth the effort.

It is true that some preplanning is needed but most hard sided beds come with relatively easy to understand assembly instructions. This is just a basic outline of the assembly process and you should always follow the assembly and safety instruction provided by the manufacturer.

Once you determine the right location for your bed, the rest is as easy as one, two, three. The basic components of the bed are a pedestal or riser, side frame, safety liner, heating system and a mattress. The bed may include a headboard, padded side rails, pedestal drawers and other amenities. Chemically treating the water in the mattress is a critical step that should not be overlooked.

Hard sided waterbeds usually sit on a riser or pedestal that is assembled first. Placing the pedestal in the proper location is very important. The pedestal is positioned centered under the frame. Some risers include under the bed drawers that provide convenient storage space for your bed linens.

Once the pedestal assembly is complete, decking material is attached to the pedestal. The decking needs to be centered on the riser. Depending on the size of the bed, the decking will consist of one piece for a twin sized bed and up to three pieces for a king sized bed.

Plywood is the most commonly used decking material. Once the decking has been attached to the pedestal, the side frames are assembled. Four side rails will be fastened together at each corner often with metal brackets or otherwise bolted together.

Now that the basic framing has been assembled, the next step is installing the heater. Most heating systems for hard sided water beds consist of flat heating coils sealed in a vinyl enclosure. Place the heater in the center of the decking making sure that is flat.

The power and control cables run towards the headboard and through a cutout in the corner of the decking. The heater will also have a temperature sensor that is connected to the heater. Follow the manufacturers instructions on where to place the sensor.

Never, ever plug in or turn on the heater until you have filled the mattress with water. Always follow the manufacturers instructions for properly routing the connecting the heater cables and controls.

The vinyl safety liner is next, and is placed inside the frame box. There are several methods of fastening the liner to the frame depending on the manufacturer. Smooth out all of the wrinkles in the liner paying special attention to the area over the heater and square out the corners.

Once the liner is securely in place, the mattress is placed evenly inside the frame box and positioned evenly out to the corners. Be sure to remove any wrinkles from the bottom of the mattress. The fill plug should be located at the foot of the bed. Make sure that the mattress is centered.

Following the manufacturers instruction, pour the proper amount conditioning chemical into the fill plug. Connect the fill tube to a water source and begin filling the mattress with water. As the mattress fills, gently remove any remaining wrinkles. Understand that once the mattress has an inch or so of water, trying to move it may cause damage. Continue filling with water until the mattress reaches the desired firmness.

Once filled, you must burp the mattress, removing any air trapped inside. With the drain plug removed, gently move the air bubbles with your hand towards the plug. Once all the air is removed, replace the plug.

Now you can safely turn on the heater. It will take up to twenty fours for the bed to reach the proper temperature. Filling the bed with warm, not hot water, can shorten the time considerably.

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