UK households are being urged to inspect their hot water bottles for wear and tear as the winter chill sets in. Hot water bottles, a favourite for keeping cosy, may pose safety risks if not regularly checked and replaced.
Sleep specialists from WinstonsBeds.com have highlighted five warning signs that suggest your hot water bottle might be unsafe. They caution that issues such as reduced heat retention and softer material are indicators of deterioration.
It’s recommended that hot water bottles be renewed every two to three years due to material degradation, which can lead to dangerous leaks and burns, reports the Express. Rebecca Swain, a mattress expert at WinstonsBeds.com, advised: “Many of us will have dug out our hot water bottles by now to help fight the cold weather.”
She added, “While they can be a great way to stay warm it’s important to remember that they need to be replaced every couple of years to use them safely.”
Swain also warned: “Over time these bottles deteriorate from constantly being filled with warm water. It compromises their structure and as the material gets thinner, it increases the risk of splitting or bursting and causing burns.”
She further explained, “Water bottles should have the year they were manufactured on them so you know when they need replacing but if yours doesn’t then there are some other tell tale signs that it could be too old to use.”
Key signs to look out for include checking the manufacturing date.
Every hot water bottle should have a wheel on the neck, with a number in the middle indicating the year of manufacture. For instance, if it says 22, it was made in 2022.
The outer part of the wheel has 12 segments, each representing a month, and dots within these segments show the month of production. For example, six filled segments mean it was made in June.
A soft and flimsy feel to your hot water bottle could be a sign that its quality has deteriorated and it’s lost its durability.
If you notice that a bottle doesn’t retain heat as long as it used to, this could be another sign that the material has softened.
Discolouration could indicate that your bottle is past its prime. It’s recommended to replace hot water bottles every two to three years, so it might be time for a new one.
Lastly, a good quality bottle shouldn’t expand or stretch when filled with water. If yours does, it’s likely the material inside has significantly deteriorated.