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 301 Hamilton Rd [cnr Corrie St] Chermside (2 min from Westfield Chermside) map
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Softsided and Hardsided Waterbeds For Sale |
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301 Hamilton Rd [cnr Corrie St] Chermside (2 min from Westfield Chermside) map
shop hours
phone hours
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Softsided and Hardsided Waterbeds For Sale |
Contact Us
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Gelbeds are a brilliant idea, only if you could heat them legally and effectively and not clog up pumps and pipes when it reforms after emptying
We are not the only one warning customers about heaters being used for gel beds. Check out the facts from another site
Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd, Australia's only waterbed heater manufacturer has advised that their 100 watt heaters are made for waterbeds only, as their warranty states.
Check out more facts from the horses mouth If in doubt ring Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd, the manufacturer of these heaters (02) 9756 4044
The use of this waterbed heater for any purpose other than waterbeds voids the heater manufacturer's warranty as this waterbed heater was approved for waterbed use only as per Australian approval N1637. So the use of this heater does not include Gel beds as it is not officially approved for this use.
The use of this heater in a gel bed means the heater is not fit for the purpose, and then insurance companies run for cover, as insurance companies do, voiding your claim under "faulty installation" as a RACQ home insurance operator said to me. RACQ then told me that the customer should then claim against the installer. Of course the sellers insurance company does not want to know either as the heater was not designed for gel beds and most likely will void your claim against his insurance as well. It is then up to the business owner the carry the damage bill.
If there are to many claims, then what happens? Some business owners have vowed to get written warranties of their own but what happens if they are not there?
There have been complaints made to the NSW Department of Fair Trading that these 100watt heaters have not heated Gel beds satisfactorily. Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd has advised Fair Trading that the 100 watt heater warranties are void as they were not suitable for Gel beds. So to emphasise this Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd has placed a tag on the cord of the 100watt heater stating the following
WARNING Heater under Gel beds will void warranty .The heater is designed for waterbeds
We initially tested gel in standard waterbed bladders over the six years ago we have always maintained that when Gel gets to thick , hot spots will develop so we have advised our customers that they can only put a certain amount of Gel in their waterbed bladder so it is still a slurry. Some waterbed companies have tried the gel idea 20 years ago with similar results and then abandoned the idea, so the gel idea is certainly not new as has been claimed.
We have also been aware of those who have purchased standard bladders and added their own Gel
complained about lack of heating as they probably made the gel to thick.
Doesn't matter what
gel is being used. It is still thick and does not circulate like water. It is possible that the
pad can get very hot due to the fact the heat transfer to the thermostat is not as effective.
Our tests have revealed in winter, combined with thicker gel there is a 10-12 degree temperature
difference between the edge of the soft sider bladder to top of the bladder
above the heater with the lambswool cover on. There have been suggestions of
using electric blankets on a gel bed. Please remember the gel in 99.9% water and
there is water between the gel crystals. It was noted that in one year that 20
house fires were caused by electric blankets. That refers to the reported
incidents. Source
www.choice.com.au
Do you want that risk?
As we have a showroom that has a variety of waterbeds including a Gel bed, we have found that a large amount of customers did not like Gel beds and went for waterbeds instead when presented with facts as per below. We only re-introduced them as a result of a trend but we also have warned our potential customers of the positives and negatives of Gel beds. Now, without the backing of the heater manufacturer, Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd and with the negatives in mind as a result of not having a heated bed we do not want to get into any trouble. We will still sell gel beds only to warmer areas where heaters are not necessary.
As Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd has now placed a sticker on the cords of 100 watt heaters as per photo indicating they are serious about protecting themselves from complications associated with Gel beds.
Beware if this sticker/tag has been removed and remember there is no such thing as a gel bed heater!
Some just verbally rename it. No where on the heater pad does it mention Aqua Advance Industries Pty Ltd heaters are OK for gel beds. If it does, again be aware of alterations.
We do not want to be involved with any problems associated with Gel beds and so we present customers the pros and cons of gel beds and hence there is lack of gel bed sales and heaps of waterbed sales as a result. This is why we have a showroom with a good range of waterbeds and a gel bed so you can physically compare and evaluate. As a result, we sell a lot of waterbeds over gel beds so customers can compare. That is why it is important to go to a decent showroom so you can compare and get the facts. We are more that a one or two bed showroom like some others.
It has been mentioned to us through our Sydney counterpart that complaint/s were made to NSW Fair Trading that a Gelbed or Beds were not heating. I can only assume that the Gel was to thick for heat to be distributed evenly causing this problem. As we cannot control what the customer puts in, Dreamlover Waterbeds will limit the sale of gel beds to areas where the climate is warm enough, where heaters are not required.
This has alerted us to the fact that inexperienced customers can put to much gel in their bladder causing possible heater problems and, if to cold, back aches and kidney problems could also develop. We so not want to get caught up legal issues as a result heater problems and cold gel beds causing physical harm.
What about having a really thick top on the gel bed?
1. You will start
to loose the comfort of the contouring you are desperately seeking
2.
The benefits of cool in summer and warm in winter are gone by having a thick
top and no heater
3. We have seen that in thick-top tube waterbeds that
warm moist body vapour will condense on the cooler bladder creating wet
areas. So wet in fact that some thought that they had a leak. I mean wet as
in droplets. We added a 100 watt heater to the tube waterbed and the wet
areas were eliminated. But you can't put a heater under a gel bed legally so
wet area cannot be solved.
My wife pulled our waterbed apart because we are moving and is going to buy another…In the mean time she has emptied the contents (Gel) down our outside drain and it is blocked real bad can or will you tell me me how to dissolve this stuff as it hardens and is causing us great distress 1/11/12
Where do you empty it to? It is difficult to pump out gel at best. If you could where would you pump it to? It can clog up the toilet, clog up the septic pump and restrict the flow into the trenches If there is any obstruction in the drains it builds up. Got a number for the plumber? What about outside? It is a slippery mess in the yard for months and months and when it rains it swells up again. Don't tread on it or you can fall. Kids watch out! Watch out anyone else! No, don't dump it near the chook pen? It has been bought to our attention that our Western Australia counterpart spoke to me about a installer emptying a Gel beds. It filtered down that the installer was not allowed to leave until all the gel had been cleaned up. It is all starting to happen, it appears, just as we predicted.
OK, lets put some salt into the gel. Yep!, it's now a liquid again. I am using a pump or I am using a hose to drain. Oh oh!, the hose/pump has stopped. Why? Not all of the gel has dissolved and the remaining thick gel has blocked the hose or the pump is not pumping any longer. So I am stuck with a half a bladder full of gel. Now where do I go? I am moving today Ahhhh!!! I've packed the yellow pages, which box!!
But if you have enough gel dissolved. Great! Pump it or siphon it out. Ok, again where to. Down the toilet? Is it a septic tank? Yep. What about the gel that's gone there? Non-salt liquids have neutralised the liquid back to gel. Oh, that's why the septic tank is full. Or if your plumbing is not in order you may be calling the plumber sooner that you think.
OK, lets assume that you have all the liquefied gel out. I have
siphoned or pumped it out to where? In the yard? Oh there is some rain!
The
next day, ?*$#!(^#? Where did this come from? The salt has diluted out of the
gel, dear, what a mess!! If the kids fall because of this !!!!!
In the toilet? Why not! The toilet has not flushed properly for a while. Now it doesn't flush at all. The remaining liquefied gel had diluted and gone back to gel. It's blocked. The plumber can't come immediately and I need to go. Dump it in the shower. I will leave it to your imagination.
Mind you all this is possible. Some of the above we have experienced already. When in our showroom we tell it how it is with gel beds. When confronted with the facts, then why are our waterbed sales so high? It is not that we don't like to sell them. They are a brilliant idea only if you could heat them legally and effectively.
It is most likely you have not been told everything. Only the positives for sales have been presented. If you are concerned, call us!
Please do remember that if you are in the tropics and don't require a heater, gel beds are a brilliant idea and we will be only to happy to sell one to you.
KEEP OUT THE REACH OF CHILDREN This gel material expands quickly.
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When gel is diluted with water again, salt or destabilizer is leached out and reforms. The quantity in this image represents 15 liters of liquid gel that has reformed after a few hours. |
 | One month later...In the drier conditions the gel vanished. We had rain and the neutraliser washed out of the gel and the gel reformed. |
Water and electricity a potential lethal cocktail and some companies just put them together and expect you to sleep on it. Yes! It is a Australian product. We are making people aware that these products do exist and you can easily buy them over the net, possibly endangering your life.
Like waterbed heaters other products like pumps, jugs, fridges, blenders are products that have been approved for use with liquids. They are the similar, as they have to comply with electrical authorities standards and will have a Australian approval number.
You will be first to agree that a hair dryer is approved for hair drying but throwing the dryer into water would be a lethal cocktail that can cause loss of life.
As per above it is established that waterbed heaters are approved for waterbeds, not gelbeds. Although gel bed idea is good, the heating of one is not legal for good reason. We have made the public aware that this scam is going on. This has come to a halt but there are heaps for these still out there. We believe that these should be recalled. But changing the bladder over to a waterbed bladder with baffles will cost the customer.
Although deneyed by competitors that there has not been one single person has moved from gel back to a waterbed. This is a lie. We came across one customer who described the gel bed they purchased as “Cold wet cement”, quote. Three months later they changed over. To swap over the bladders was free but not the service call of $100, which still applied.
But irresponsible businesses are determined to sell gel beds have had a changed of focus and are now supplying electric blankets on top of gel beds. Yes!, these electric blankets will probably have a fancy name so your are not aware until you receive the product, but down to the nitty grity they are electric blankets. Beware if considering such a gel bed that if you plug it into a power point then you have 240volts running on top of water or a waterbed heater has been illegally installed. Gel is over 99% water and there could be 400 liters, depending on bed size, under the electric blanket. Whatever method is used, it is still unsafe. Using electric blankets by what ever other fancy name used is potentially dangerous.
Waterbed bladder construction is very good these days and any associated problems are reasonably isolated BUT electric blankets are NOT.
There are may failures as a result of electric blankets and any failure combined with 400 liters of water underneath would be similar to throwing the hair dryer into water.
One of the very reasons waterbeds [and gelbeds] are so comfortable is the fact they contour to the persons unique shape. With many other beds. your body has to contour to the mattress and that can be painful. As previously explained waterbed heaters cannot be used for gel beds due to circulation issues. So what about electric blankets on top of a waterbed or gelbed. On this page there links to electric blankets going wrong with resulting disasters. I am sure that the electric blanket manufacturers do their best to produce a safe product, but like us, they also are human. We don't want to look for more risks in life and putting electricity with water that can be electrifying. Like waterbed heaters, electric blankets must have official approval. Does the approval cover the use on top of waterbeds or gel beds.
Please remember that gelbeds are over 99% water in crystal form and there is a lot of water between the crystals as well, so the waterbed bladder containing the gel-water solution can contour to your body. You can look on the internet about using electric blankets on gel beds and you will find that it is not recommended. There are some electric blankets that you can wash but they are not wet when used. Are these elecric blankets safe to use on waterbeds and obviously gelbeds that are similar?.
We we asked "SUNBEAM". This is what Customer Care emailed back:
Thank you for your email. We do not recommend using the electric
blankets on a water bed because it could damage the element through the
constant movement of the bed. The blanket needs to be on a flat surface at
all times.
I hope this information was helpful. Please feel free to contact us
should you require further assistance.
Thanks for choosing Sunbeam
I am sure that this opinion is universal.
How many accidents are there in electric blankets?
Don't forget that the electric blanket needs to be on all the time or you go cold
Don't forget that a heavy duty cover over a cold bladder can get very wet from the condensation of your persperation, and I mean wet as in dripping.
Don't have electric blankets on when sleeping in bad
http://www.esa.act.gov.au/ESAWebsite/content_actfb/csb_hfs_008_electric_blankets.pdf
Make a mistake by not turning the blanket off {now if there is 400ltrs of water there?]
http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/internet/upload/-1601923380/docs/Electric_Blanket_Fire.pdf
Faulty electric blankets ( with all that water or gel? )
Carelessness
http://www.fire.qld.gov.au/communitysafety/home/bedroom.asp
Electric blanket catches fire. Woman in hospital [ now if there is 400 liters or watery gel, then?}
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/25/2992873.htm
Fire in house
http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2010/05/18/electric-blanket-starts-house-fire/
