Waterbed

A waterbed is a bed whose mattress is filled with water.

History

Nomadic desert people know the principle of the water mattress since time immemorial. Fill stitched goat skins with water and tie them to the backs of their camels. In the desert, water is indeed primarily a reserve drinking, but on the day the water bag heats up and used at night as heat emitting a sleeping mat.

End of the 19th century, physicians began to use rubber coated tarpaulins pool of water, analgesic beds to patients who had suffered severe burns; see hydrostatic bed.

In the 1960s, started to develop together with the marketing of the water beds for domestic use.

In 1986, the failed attempt patenting of Charles Hall, a U.S. pioneer of water bed construction. The Patent Office assessed the specification for earlier emergence in the science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein as " already described cultural" and therefore state of the art.

Technology

With the current water beds, a distinction:

• Soft Side: water core is (can be installed in each bed in which a base can be placed or detached) in a heat-insulating foam bath
• Hardside Water core is round held by a sturdy furniture frames
• Masterpiece: water core is held by an upholstered furniture frame. The properties of softside and hardside combines.
• Isolit: Novel energy -saving water beds with heat reflective and breathable all-round insulation.
• Level: water core with balance tank for different user weights ( shift work, hotel)
• Lightweight: Lightweight, low level, to rest on conventional mattresses or as a direct replacement of a normal mattress to rest on a conventional slatted frame.
• Adjustable height: waterbeds with flexible head and foot

Special versions:

• Gel bed: where the water granules are mixed, so that depending on the request, a thin or thick liquid gel composition can be prepared, which can be edited afterwards. A heating with a conventional waterbed heater is not only possible with special heating systems and with appropriate structure necessary due to the inertia of the gel mass.
• Hose systems: water mattresses with limited displacement effect. Advantage: easy to transport when moving.

As a wave calming fleece is introduced into the water mattress. So that the attenuation can be determined as desired. By a distribution of the nonwoven in the area of the upper body sinking can be reduced in this area, and a sag are avoided in heavy persons.

Quality differences are mainly found in the joints at the corners. The simplest designs are easily thermally welded, with aging of vinyl and mechanical stress can cause breakage. Better versions are correspondingly double welded and glued. Further amenities Hardside waterbeds an additional waterproof outer shell, which simultaneously represents the zipper on the removable fabric cover. So that the leakage of the water is virtually impossible.

Hardside

Hard -side waterbeds were the first systems on the market. Here the water core extends to the sturdy bed frame, so that the effective deck area in the water sector comprises the largest possible area. The exit comfort is not always given, as in particular in relation to the stable edge of the bed decreases the water mattress when leaving the bed and thus the height difference must be overcome. Sitting on the edge of the bed is therefore not very comfortable. Therefore Hardsider are rarely offered today.

Soft Side

Softside beds have a thermal insulating foam frame, which takes over the holding function of hardside bed frame. The soft-side framework is therefore independent of a bed frame be set up and resting in almost every frame, to a corresponding socket, can be installed. The foam frame to allow a more comfortable entry and exit. Some models are equipped with an inserted into the foam timber gain to prevent buckling of the foam ( after several years ) to the outside. One version would be split soft-side systems. Here the foam surround is split horizontally on the outside to not to let the mattress appear as thick. Obtaining the bed is simplified and can be done without extra high bed sheets. The lower part of the foam frame can be covered with a decorative fabric and then acts like a bed frame. The latest development in this area are plastic profiles, which replace the lower foam frame and pose a sturdy bed frame by means of an inserted decorative panels. Such decorative frame or NT systems can be mounted on any pedestal / podium.

Disadvantage of a soft-side bed against a hardside bed is that you around five to ten centimeters loses water surface. Therefore, soft-side beds are often longer than the Standardbettmaß 200 centimeters. Some manufacturers use foams that extend through a sharp tapered shape, the effective water mattress.

Heating

All types are usually heated by foil heaters, ceramic heaters or carbon heating from below. Due to the high heat capacity of water, the water core overnight cools only slightly. There are also water beds without electricity -powered heating, insulate with insulation covers on the water temperature, causing the warm-up is not necessary. When using such a Bezuges the Temperaturregulierbarkeit and muscle relaxation by supplying heat necessary. To non- heated water mattresses humidity can condense and lead to hazardous mold growth in bad design.

Water cores are available in different wave degrees of sedation or Nachschwingzeiten. These are usually produced by inserted in the water non-woven mats. The more nonwoven layers are superimposed integrated, the more water will absorb the fabric, the deck surface becomes more stable and the water bed has in motion less reverberation. The so-called hardness is regulated solely by the capacity. Even with the fleece cushioning there are significant differences in workmanship and material quality have an influence on the durability of comfort. Since the human body to the hull is heavier than in acral, it can sink more in the lumbar region to the water mattress.

Life

Waterbed polyvinyl chloride with plasticizers and welds according to the permitted DIN standards keep depending on the quality some years to decades, depending mainly on the quality of the welds (single or double welded ).

The water core film every few months should be cleaned of dirt and salts with special vinyl cleaners, also to keep them supple. The water in the core is protected by a conditioning solution from microbial attack to prevent fermentation gases inside the mattress. Refilling the conditioning is about a year required largely depends on the quality of the solution, the temperature of the water bed and purity of the water is put.

Waterbed fabric covers to absorb the perspiration moisture well and they leave as soon as possible on the day by the rising heat back into the room air. From a bed size of 180 x 200 cm Upper fabric covers are often divisible, so that they fit into the household washing machine.

Water beds cause ongoing costs for care and energy consumption. Heating costs are mainly dependent on the temperature of the water bed and the ambient temperature, as well as the insulation or covering of the water bed as the water bed, according to the environment can mitheizen.

Benefits

The views on advantages and disadvantages, especially in terms of sleeping comfort are subjective and are therefore not shown. Individuals are some points more affected than others.

• Hygiene: The fabric cover can be removed and washed in the washing machine and the vinyl surface is easily wiped off. Thus, the mattress is virtually as clean as the time of purchase.
• The mattress is dry quickly for everyday ventilation because only the fabric to dry.
• The temperature can be controlled, with a pleasant temperature can be achieved even in a cool room temperature, especially in winter.
• A uniform load and avoiding pressure points is determined by the filling on a liquid, pressure points are potentially avoided. This water beds are used, among other things, in hospitals and in nursing. Precursors have been used as hydrostatic bed mid-19th century to care. Health insurance companies recognize waterbeds now officially as a tool for anti -decubitus supply to
• Acoustic modulation of the water with music used for relaxation and support therapies.
• Conventional double beds are equipped with two mattresses on a gap as well as the periphery of the mattress, which is not the same sleeping comfort features as the core lying area of the mattress. For occupancy of a mattress with more than one person, it comes at inappropriate sun effects. The water mattress is on the deck area with equal comfort and adapts individually to the person lying on it at practically independent of the distance to the side or the occupancy of people.
• A permanent deformation through years of heavy load ( " bedsores ") of the water mattress is practically impossible.
• Special application as a landing area for stunts, as the surface adapts very well and absorbs.

Disadvantages

• Most higher initial cost, plus ongoing costs ( Conditioner, care, cleaning )
• Heating costs of electric heating for about 200-500 kWh / year. The cost is dependent on ambient and water temperature as well as the size, insulation and cover the waterbed.
• Because of the material body moisture to escape only upward and accumulate at the lack of ventilation on the bed.
• Very rare allergies are the chemical components of the polyvinyl chloride surface of the water bags
• Algae growth and possible " tipping " of water in poor care. Water beds must regularly (about once a year ) with care ( the conditioning ) are treated in order to maintain the quality of the water.
• High weight: large water beds (180 x 200 cm) come to a weight of about 50 kg for the mattress and the bed frame, as well as about 750 kg for the water filling; the resulting higher load on the ceiling construction is to be observed, especially in older buildings.
• Limited mobility of the bed, as for changing the position because of the weight complete emptying and filling is necessary, coupled with cost as well as the presence of a water pump for emptying. The filling is usually done on the house water line.