Covering a pool when it is not in use is the single most effective means of reducing pool heating costs. Savings of 50%–70% are possible. Pool covers on indoor pools not only can reduce evaporation but also the need to ventilate indoor air and replace it with unconditioned outdoor air.
Air bubbles in the pool cover act as an insulator in a similar way that your thermos would keep water warm. A pool cover will, therefore, keep your pool water warmer for longer.
The short answer is YES. There are many pool blanket manufacturers claiming that their pool covers heat the water by up to 8 degrees Celsius.
Prevent heat from escaping your pool: Retaining heat is especially important at night, when the air is cooler than the swimming pool. Directly convert solar radiation into usable heat: In an in-ground pool, a cover can increase the water temperature by 5 degrees F for each 12 hours of coverage.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
75% of a swimming pool's heat loss is due to evaporation. A solar cover minimizes heat loss from evaporation by acting as a barrier between swimming pool water and the air. Specifically, you can reduce your swimming pool heating costs by up to 70% by using a solar cover.
The fastest way to heat your pool is to use a gas pool heater and a solar cover. It's like heating up your coffee in the microwave and putting a lid on it. No matter how you plan to heat your pool, you should at least have a solar cover (or liquid solar cover) to help you retain the heat.
In dry and/or windy conditions, the evaporation rate of the pool increases. Therefore, it is generally beneficial to have a transparent or bubble cover on during daylight hours. In warm, humid conditions the evaporation rate decreases. In this case, it may be more beneficial to leave the cover off during the daytime.
Conserves Water
A covered pool conserves water by losing less due to evaporation. This means you won't be filling up your pool as often as you did when you were cover-less. If you live in a drought area, using less water is the smart way to go.
Heat transfer efficiency is higher with higher flow rates. However, you have to look at total efficiency and cost. It may be worth the extra heat loss to run the pump at lower speeds.
You know those black trash bags? They can hold heat too. Fix one up to a hula hoop and if you want, cut one side of a pool noodle to add buoyancy and you've got yourself a super cheap pool heater.
If you want to get as much time as possible out of your pool, however, a heater is a good investment. With a pool heater, you can easily be swimming May through mid-October, giving you a good five months of use out of your pool. That's literally double the amount of time you'd get without one.
Conclusion. Solar rings not only keep your pool water warm but also reduce the amount of dirt and debris that might end up in your pool. With solar rings, you won't have to worry about any chemicals or electricity to maintain the temperature of your pool.
A swimming pool tarp, for example, that's black on both sides is like a giant solar panel. Because a black tarp on a swimming pool's water surface traps solar heat energy, it will eventually turn cool, refreshing pool water into a tepid, warm bath.
Use a gas heater
Gas pool heaters offer the fastest heating of all the options in this post. And that makes sense because just like a grill or oven, a gas heater creates heat by burning gas. But at the same time, they also have the highest monthly operating cost of all pool heating options.
A pool heat pump should not be left running all the time. For one, you are wasting electricity by keeping it on when your pool is already warm enough. Also, this will lead to an increase in energy costs month after month.
It depends on a few things to determine how long it takes a heat pump to heat a pool. However, overall a heat pump generally heats a pool after 24 to 72 hours by 20-degrees Fahrenheit. For smaller pools like a spa pool, the heat pump can heat a pool between 45 and 60 minutes.
So while a solar cover won't actually 'turn your pool green', it will warm your water by up to 8 degrees, so if the other conditions are right, adding a solar cover can easily accelerate algae growth, very rapidly. You need to get the water balance in your pool right before putting the cover back on.
The short answer is yes. It has been scientifically proven by at least 3 studies that solar blankets help to warm swimming pools. They also help to retain pool heat at night, help to reduce humidity and help to save on energy costs.
Solar blankets usually last about 5 years if the pool chemistry is good. They will eventually start deteriorate. The first sign of the solar cover starting to wear is the bubbles will be floating on the water.
I know it sounds crazy, but yes, you can use a tarp to heat your pool! The process is simple: just take the tarp out to your yard and lay it on the pool in direct sunlight. The sun will heat up black fabric which will maintain the temperature of your already heated pool.
A pool that is uncovered can lose up to 5 degrees F overnight; a good cover can cut that loss by half. Used at night or whenever your pool is not in use, the pool cover can help save fuel costs by cutting heat loss regardless of the type of heating you utilize.
It normally takes from 8 to 12 hours to cycle all of the water in your pool so you can expect an overall temperature rise of 5 to 15 degree F after several days of sunny weather.