Use Liquid Solar Blankets to Extend Your Swimming Pool Season

If like me, you live in the Northeast the pool is always just a touch cool for comfort, except on those really warm summer days. Or perhaps you live in sunny Florida and want to swim year round. Maybe you have a pool heater, but the memory of last month's heating bill makes you hesitate to fire it up. You've looked at some of the alternatives, like solar pool covers and reels, but would rather be swimming than winding up and wheeling away that bulky solar blanket and reel.

A liquid solar blanket may be an attractive alternative for you to consider. Read on to find out more...

How does it work?

Liquid solar blankets dispense small quantities of a colorless, odorless liquid into your pool. This liquid forms a thin, invisible blanket on the surface of your pool. This thin layer minimizes evaporation (which is typically responsible for 90% of heat loss in a swimming pool) and helps retain warmth. The chemicals dispensed by the liquid solar blanket will not interfere with your pool chemistry or otherwise affect the operation of the pool.

Note that liquid solar blankets typically work well when the surface of the pool is calm. They are most effective if you point your swimming pool returns down (also a good thing to do for stirring up chemicals in your pool in any case).

Popular liquid solar blanket products

There are two popular liquid solar blanket products available in the marketplace today.

Tropical Fish: Also available as a longer-lasting TURBO tropical fish. This product has a small built-in pump that releases small quantities of liquid into your pool for 30 to 60 days (depending on the size of your pool). You simply drop the tropical fish in the water, and after a little bit, it will settle to the bottom of the pool. One thing to note - if you have an automatic pool cleaner, you may find that it attacks the fish. Simply tie your tropical fish, using the provided loop at the top, to your pool ladder.