As the weather gets warmer, people with backyard pools often notice that the water takes a while to heat up. Journalists have come up with two cheap and simple ways to speed up this process using things you likely already have on hand. The first method is to cover the entire surface of the water with regular black trash bags. The dark color soaks up the sun’s rays and quickly heats up the water. The second method is to use bubble wrap. The bubbles make an excellent insulating layer that helps the water warm up during the day and keep the heat in at night. Experts say you should secure the edges of the film tightly against the wind. They also say this covering will protect the pool from street debris, leaves, and insects.
When the weather gets warm, people with pool have to deal with the same problem—it can take a few days for the water to warm up. But there are two cheap DIY methods that can help solve this problem for almost no money, according to WP Kobieta.
For the first method, you’ll need to take regular black trash bags and stretch them out so they cover the whole surface of the water in the pool.
The dark color of the material soaks up the sun’s rays, letting heat get into the pool faster. This is the cheapest option—every household has these bags, and they can be used almost immediately.
The second method uses bubble wrap, which is usually used for packaging. It heats up quickly and keeps the heat in for a long time. The bubbles form a layer that insulates the water and prevents it from cooling down.
The wrap is especially useful at night when it gets chilly. One important thing to remember: make sure the edges of the film are secured well or weighted down with something heavy so the wind doesn’t blow it away.
There’s also a nice bonus—the film protects the water from leaves, insects, and other debris carried by the wind. This means the pool will stay cleaner throughout the season.