# How to Drain a Waterbed
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 25, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931 "2015-03-25T11:11:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@dax702](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dax702)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/21 "2018-10-19T20:35:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Get one of those [$5 aspirator pumps](https://www.chewy.com/python-aquarium-maintenance-system/dp/133621) and use that for the last bit of water.
That’s not a pump, it’s just the regular drain thing, I have one of those that came with the bed.
I also read that once you get a lot of the water out from siphoning, that you can hook up a wet/dry vac (which I have) and suck the water out of the baffles, so I’m going to give that a try.
There’s also this, but I can’t imagine it would have any kind of effect on getting the water out of the baffles. Have you tried?
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/Water-Source-200-GPH-Drill-Pump-DRP-1/203449537](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Water-Source-200-GPH-Drill-Pump-DRP-1/203449537)
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/22 "2018-10-19T20:47:34Z")
It is a pump.
ETA: run it, and feel the vacuum it generates.
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### Author:  [@dax702](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dax702)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/23 "2018-10-19T20:52:48Z")
You can call it a pump, but it’s not really, look:
[https://www.walmart.com/ip/Waterbed-FILL-AND-DRAIN-KIT-Blue-Magic/344396609](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Waterbed-FILL-AND-DRAIN-KIT-Blue-Magic/344396609)
Same thing, comes with every waterbed fill and drain kit. I’ve used them in the past for beds that don’t have the baffles in them to make them waveless. The issue is getting th water out of the baffles.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/24 "2018-10-19T20:54:02Z")
[Instructional video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu523TrIMpg&t=0m47s).
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### Author:  [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/25 "2018-10-19T20:55:19Z")
A slight hijack. But very funny,
A long time ago, before cel phone videos. My friend, Mike, was moving downstairs.
And he thought, “Why drain it”? “Just have to fill it again”. “Let’s just roll it down the stairs”.
This did not turn out well. A video would be priceless!
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/26 "2018-10-19T20:55:49Z")
Look, I had a waterbed for years, and an aspiratior like that was able to suck the mattress flat, even with a fiber pad inside. A pump isn’t going to get you any more vacuum, although it might be faster.
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### Author:  [@dax702](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dax702)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/27 "2018-10-19T21:16:00Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Look, I had a waterbed for years, and an aspiratior like that was able to suck the mattress flat, even with a fiber pad inside. A pump isn’t going to get you any more vacuum, although it might be faster.
Ok thank you - I’ll let you know how we make out 🙂
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-drain-a-waterbed/715931/28 "2018-10-19T21:43:54Z")
> [@dax702](#):
>
> Ok thank you - I’ll let you know how we make out 🙂
Make sure there are no air leaks in the connection from the aspirator to the waterbed - you want to pull a good vacuum. Test the waterbed end of the hose with your hand - you should feel a decent suction.
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