Did you know that water escapes a big thick plastic waterbed mattress? Yeah, me neither! It happens very slowly, and I suppose few people have a waterbed undisturbed for 28 years. I'm guessing some random breakdown of water into hydrogen and oxygen (there was a big air bubble in the mattress), some very gradual escape (even plastic/rubber isn't 100% impermeable forever,and "something else" (its always wise to cover all possibilities, LOL!). But over 20 yeras, the water in the waterbed had lessened,
SO... I hauled a garden hose into the house. I kept the connector to the waterbed all these years (I've had this waterbed mattress for 38 years - talk about a good deal). Well, the waterbed frame has drawers below it, so it just sat patiently in there waiting to be used again after the 28 years since I moved here.
The hose in through the bathroom window...
So I connected the garden hose to the waterbed mattress connector and turned it on full blast. For . 10. Minutes.
That's a lot of water. The mattress is twice as thick as it was before. Now you have to understand that the incoming water is cold. I hope the Very Small Heater can warm it up enough by the time I go to bed. A cold waterbed mattress can suck the warmth right out of you even through several blankets.
But oh is it going to be nice tonight! It had gotten to the point where, when I turned over, my knees hit the support frame below the mattress. That sure won't happen for ANOTHER 20 years, LOL! And honestly, in another 20 years I doubt I'll notice. Or I'll have to do it again!
Update, it warmed up nicely. I slept like a good baby and I haven't done that for a while.
4 comments:
We used to have a waterbed, and in the wintertime I loved it! We decided not to move it when we did...sometimes I still miss it.
I have never slept on a waterbed, but people says they are wonderful. I'd say you have had more than your monies worth out of that bed!
I had heard about the gradual water loss years ago. Like you said, even plastic & rubber are permeable to some extent. Also. even after the matress was originally filled there was enough O2 left to cause significant evaporation over 20 yrs.. Too bad you waited until you were hitting bottom to refill it. Sounds painful.
I tried waterbeds, but there was just too much movement for me to be comfortable. Every time I moved I was bobbing around like a float. I got a Sleep Number bed about 5 yrs. ago and while it is a very pricy air matress, I love being able to make the bed firmer or softer depending on how bad my back & other joints are. Since there aren't any steel springs the bed stays room temp. If it gets unusually cold in winter I have a heated matress cover that has the warmest zone at the feet and less heat at the head. The cats love me to turn it on 5 mins. before we go to bed so everything is toasty warm for their heat-seeking pleasure. Funniest thing is, Cosmo, my big old tabby now likes his side of the bed at exactly 45. He knows that is the perfect # for the matress to develop a nice dip under his 21 pounds so he can sleep in a "nest". If I mess with the bed control and he stare at me until I adjust his side back to 45. He would make a great sales pitch for the Sleep Number company.
You & the kit-tahs should sleep much better now. It will be like having a whole new bed. I am surprised you still have a waterbed because all the people I know who bought theirs around the same time you got yours either moved and left the bed rather than try to empty it and move it or their kids or pets put some holes in the mattress and flooded the room. Once you experience that mess & expense you aren't likely to buy one again. Luckily cats aren't be that destructive. Enjoy your reinflatedbed.
I had waterbeds for several decades until 2008, but neither of them lasted more than about 10 years. The first one leaked somewhere from the underside, so it was easier to drain it and replace the bladder completely. The second one needed patching after one naughty pussycat leapt on the bladder when I had taken the sheets and doona off to launder them. Stupidly, I yelled at the cat, which frightened him - his claws came out and one went straight through the rubber. Fortunately we had a patching kit.
We now sleep on a good quality standard mattress as my husband's rheumatologist thought the firmer sleeping surface would be better for his back.
Megan
Sydney, Australia
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