Empty a Waterbed
Waterbeds are very popular and, some claim, can be beneficial to your health, especially if you have back, muscle or joint problems. One drawback of owning a waterbed is having to either move it or replace the mattress because it is damaged. To do either of these things, you must drain the mattress. This takes some planning and several hours of your time, although most of the time is spent waiting for the mattress to drain. If you are prepared, draining a waterbed mattress should be a simple process.
Contents
Steps
Draining by Gravity
- Unplug the mattress heater.
- Remove bedding to expose the mattress.
- Open the air valve; this should be at the "foot" of the mattress.
- Press on the mattress to burp out all the air (keep a towel nearby to catch any water).
- Recap the air valve to keep air out.
- Attach a hose connector (this should have come with your mattress; if not, you will need to purchase one) to your garden hose and connect the other end of the hose to an outside faucet. The water exit must be lower than the mattress for draining to work properly.
- Turn the outside faucet on and let the water run through the hose until all the air is out.
- Turn the faucet off, leave the hose connected, and put the connector end of hose through a window or door so that it can reach the mattress valve.
- Open the mattress valve again and insert the connector end of the hose into the valve. If your mattress has a drain hose attached to it instead of a valve, pull it up and attach it to the hose coupling.
- Turn the faucet on and let the water run for about 15 seconds into the mattress.
- Turn the faucet off, disconnect the hose at that end, and stretch the hose to the lowest reachable point in the yard. Water should begin draining.
- Drain mattress until it is flat.
Draining Using a Siphon Pump
- Follow the same set-up procedures as for gravity draining before beginning, such as unplugging the heater and removing bedding, but do not use an outside faucet.
- Run a garden hose from the nearest sink to the bed.
- Connect the siphon pump to the sink faucet and garden hose; fittings should be tight to prevent air from getting in but not tightened so much that you crack the plastic assembly.
- Connect the other end of the hose to the mattress fill valve as above.
- Set the pump to the "fill" setting and turn the water on for 10 to 15 seconds to force air from the hose into the mattress. By pushing air into your bed, you create a continuous water siphon.
- Turn the water off, switch the pump to "drain" mode, and turn the water back on. Your mattress should begin draining.
- Continue running the siphon pump until your mattress is empty.
Tips
- You can speed up the draining process by moving parts of your mattress around, such as folding your mattress over from one end to the other.
- An alternative to running the garden hose out the window and to the ground is to put the end of the hose into a bathtub if reachable and lower than the mattress.
- You can maximize water flow by stretching the hose as much as possible.
- If you think that all the water has been drained but your mattress still feels heavy when you lift a corner, open the valve at the top end of your mattress and allow air to enter for about 30 seconds; close the valve. Carefully lift the top 1/3 of your mattress and keep it raised for about 30 seconds. This should help drain the rest of the water.
Warnings
- If using a sink or tub, ensure that it is well-draining to avoid overflows as your mattress drains.
- Always disconnect any electrical connections to your bed to avoid the obvious shock and/or electrocution hazards when working with electricity and water.
Things You'll Need
- Garden hose
- Hose connector
- Outside faucet
- Bathtub
- Plastic siphon pump
- Bathroom or kitchen sink
- Towels
