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.
The short answer is YES. Many pool owners say that their pools are warmer after installing a solar pool cover.
CCS polypropylene mesh tarps are the best tarp for pool covers. They do an exceptional job blocking sunlight, which is essential for preventing algae growth when chemicals are not being added regularly. Polypropylene tarps are strong, too, so they can withstand the weight of ice and snow that builds up over the winter.
Instead of relying on your heater to give you a warm pool all night long, use an alternative method like covering your pool with a blanket or using a solar cover. You can also install wind blocks to keep your pool warm overnight.
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.
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.
An obvious solution is to cover the pool when it's not in use to keep out foreign material, but custom-made swimming pool covers can be quite expensive. An alternative option, much less expensive, is to use a large plastic or vinyl tarp, secured at the corners with tent stakes and bungee cords.
Swimming pool covers made of sturdy fiberglass mesh will prevent anyone from falling into the water, provided they are attached and installed properly. Some fiberglass mesh covers can hold up to 400 pounds per square foot.
Insulating the Pool Water From Heat Loss
And the final way that the pool cover keeps your pool warm is by insulating the warmed water. The air bubbles in the pool cover act as an insulator in a similar way that a thermos will keep water warm. A pool cover keeps your water warmer for longer.
If your ambient temperature is decent and there is not much wind, leaving the pool cover off will heat the water faster (and not just heat the cover and the water near it).
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.
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.
richierich. I saw some videos of people using like a 100 foot black hose laid out in the sun and using a submersive pump to circulate the pool water from the pool, around the hose and back into the pool for say 5 mins at a time. Then letting it heat up and do the same thing a few times a day.
Not only will it be tough to keep the heat in your pool on colder nights but you will also spend a fortune trying to heat your swimming pool. So unless you have money to burn, it's best not to run your heater at night on an uncovered swimming pool.
Overall, a heat pump usually requires between 24 and 72 hours to heat a swimming pool by 20°F (11°C) and between 45 and 60 minutes to heat a spa by 20°F (11°C). So now you know some factors that affect your swimming pool's or spa's required heating time.
Ultimately, the amount of energy that a heater puts into the pool is equal to the heat lost from the pool. Since you lose more heat energy from a hot pool than from a cool pool, the most efficient thing you can do is keep the temperature as low as possible for as long as possible.
The easiest way to heat up water in a paddling pool fast, is to simply cover it with a couple of bin bags. The unlikely household essential should be placed over the water in the pool and left for 45 minutes. The material warms up the water quickly and it stays warm for the rest of the day in the sunshine.
Just like inground pools, above ground pools can have both heat pumps and gas heaters added. Plus installation is a fairly simple and straightforward process.