How well does bubble wrap work to heat our above ground pool?

Answer 1

With all due respect BUBBLE is a cushioning device, not an insulator or heat enhancer. You'd be better off with a Black tarp.

Air and polyethylene are not at all decent ways to inuslate from, or draw heat to.

Answer 2

Bubble Wrap Pool Cover

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How well does bubble wrap work to heat our above ground pool?

Answer 5

I tested clear poly sheet, clear bubble wrap, and blue pool bubble cover.
Three identical bowls with equal water.
I kept track of water volume, solar gain, and night time loss.
Results
best solar heat gain- one sheet poly #2 clear bubble wrap almost as good (and it floats!),
Blue bubble wrap with silver back terrible- no heat gain beyond air temp rise.
best night heat retention- both bubble wraps equal , single sheet poly a little behind
(any water on top of the poly would mess with results- this is not a govm t sponsered lab here.)

Rule 1 no blue or silver if you want warmer water
Rule 2 You have to get the poly to float to stop the high evaporative losses. IMHO If you want warm water, use clear bubble wrap: it floats, and it can be cheap- $.20 /sq ft at home depot.

Answer 6

There is no magic to bubbles. They don't "magnify the sun's heating effect. There is no heat gain that wouldn't be there with a plain sheet except for a very small amount of increase in insulation. The other benefit from any cover is the prevention of evaporation, which significantly draws heat from thee pool. That is the major benefit from any cover (along with keeping the pool clean).

Answer 7

The HEAT that "bubble wrap" provides a pool is NEGLIGIBLE !! It's prime contribution is to help trap the heat IN the pool, and to keep leaves and dirt out.

This quote comes from a pool-blanket advertisement: "Use our new Magni-Clear™ solar blankets to heat your pool faster. Our blankets are laced with air bubbles that act as an insulating layer, shielding your pool from cool winds and nighttime cooling. In addition, our crystal clear blankets allow more solar heat to reach the depths of your pool and heat it thoroughly." ( http://www.bestbuypoolsupply.com/ingroundsolarblanket.htm )

And I need to correct kmsbball1592... the reason water is warmer near the TOP... is simply because warm water ALWAYS rises !!

Bravo to the other answerer who built a quick solar heater. We installed one on an Olympic sized pool in Northern California, and cut the heating bill in half.

Answer 8

Not well at all it will take forever any type of pool cover is not intended to heat pools they basically are made to keep debris out and for heat loss overnight. Ex pool man

Answer 9

Haha one time i asked the same question. It has something to do with the bubbles. The heat from the sun gets caught in the bubble and the water underneath it becomes warmer. if you ever noticed once you take the cover off that the water on the top is warmer but as you get in it is colder and colder that is why. Also if you leave the cover facing the wrong way the bubbles can pop causing them to not gain heat from the sun anymore, thus ruining the cover.

Answer 10

What the 'bubble wrap does is to keep the heat
gained from sunlight from escaping into the air.
It doesn't do too much else.