How to Hook Up a Waterbed Heater

Assemble the waterbed frame.

Lay the heater on the wood decking. Place the heater in the center of the decking, but not on a seam in the decking. Most decking wood comes in two to three pieces depending on the size of the bed. Note: If you place the heater pad on a seam, the tiny heating wires inside the heater pad can become damaged as the weight of the waterbed mattress forces the heater pad into the seam.

Place the thermostat controller on the side of the bed rail with the screws provided. Place the unit at the head of the bed so that the sensor can be fed through the hole in the top corner where the decking meets the rail. Run the rubber or copper thermostat sensor from the thermostat through the hole and place it so that it is 12 inches from the heater pad.

Place the safety liner in the bed. Smooth the liner out so that there are no wrinkles on the heater pad or by the sensor. Tuck the liner into the liner holders on the rails so that it does no move or fall down. Place the mattress in the bed frame and make sure that you have no wrinkles underneath the mattress over the heating pad or the sensor.

Fill the mattress with water. Add the waterbed conditioner to the water. Plug in the heater to the outlet. Turn on the heater to start heating the water. It may take one to two days to heat the water to 87 degrees F.