Waterbeds

Waterbeds are fantastic!

Waterbeds are frustrating.

Waterbeds are wonderful!

Waterbeds are worrisome.

We have a waterbed. In fact, our son has a waterbed. I suppose you could say we're a family of waterbed lovers. When I met my husband, I had what I call a "regular" bed. You know, a bed with a mattress and springs. He had a waterbed and wanted to have another when he moved in with me. So ...... we got a waterbed.

They are, without a doubt, the most comfortable beds around. They are heated. On a cold winter night there isn't anything better than crawling between the sheets of a heated waterbed. There isn't an inch of you that isn't supported. The water envelopes you. When I'm away from home, after several nights of sleeping on a "regular" bed I can't wait to get home to my waterbed.

Now ...... to counteract all the wonderful things about having a waterbed are the several different things that can cause sheer frustration. If the heater should break, there is nothing colder than sleeping in a bed where the water is slowly losing its temperature. That water is cold! If the mattress should develop a leak, there is nothing more frustrating than to realize your hands are a little wet when tucking the sheets in while making the bed.

You can replace a heater by draining the bed partially ...... maneuvering the old heater out from under a partially filled mattress ...... carefully maneuvering the new heater under a partially filled mattress ...... then capping off the full water capacity in the mattress.

You can patch a small leak in a mattress. However, let's say you have a leak at the seam. They're not easily repaired. The seam is weakened ...... and ...... if you have a California King waterbed, you have over 500 gallons of water in a mattress with a weak seam. It's just a matter of time before the seam weakens again. Then the problem starts all over again.

So ...... you spend an entire afternoon searching for another mattress. They're not the easiest things to find any longer. Then ...... you get to drain as much of the water out of the old mattress as possible so you can lift it out of the bed frame. This is easier said than done - the fibers in the mattress which maintain the "waveless" action absorbs the water - the water doesn't drain from the fibers.

Then ...... you begin filling the new mattress - remember we're filling it with over 200+ gallons of water. Do you know how long it takes 200+ gallons of water to heat? It's not done in a day. It's not done in two days. It usually takes about three days.

Waterbeds are fantastic!

Waterbeds are frustrating.

Waterbeds are wonderful!

Waterbeds are worrisome.