Picture this: You have spent a long, hard day at the office and all you can think about on your way home is the crystal blue water of your swimming pool. You pull into your garage and dash into your house to grab your suit. Instead of easing into that beautiful water slowly, you decide to cannonball from the side. You are immediately met with a rush of icy water that wakes up your body and turns your lips blue almost on contact. You pull yourself out of the pool, teeth chattering and legs shaking. Brrr!

While cool water may be refreshing on a hot summer afternoon, a cold pool is never an enjoyable experience. While there are plenty of ways to keep the water at an even keel, many require expensive equipment and ongoing electricity costs to operate. Wouldn't it be great if you could simply channel the energy in a natural resource like the sun to keep your water warm? Actually you can, and you have more than one option for heating your pool using solar power.

Solar Blankets

A solar blanket is an inexpensive, easy way to help your pool water retain heat. This device will not keep your pool nice and toasty during the cooler months of the season, but it will give you an added boost and a bit more swim time on sunny days. Solar blankets are placed across the surface of the water when the pool is not in use. Spread your solar cover across your pool during the day, so water is ready for an evening swim. These covers relieve energy costs without sacrificing water temperature.

Solar blankets come in an assortment of sizes, so you can find one to fit your pool. These covers can also be trimmed to size, using a sharp utility knife or scissors. Solar blankets should be safely stored when not in use to prolong their lifespan. You can store a solar blanket on a reel designed for this purpose or simply fold the cover and place in the storage back it came in. Solar covers should be removed for the winter and during chemical treatments. They should also be cleaned periodically to keep them in top condition.

Solar Heaters

A more elaborate system of solar heating can be found in a complete solar energy system. This heating unit uses solar panels that are either placed on your rooftop or a platform in your yard. The panels are attached directly to the pool, so water is taken up into the solar panels for warming and then circulated back into the swimming pool. Solar heaters can be adjusted to maintain a particular temperature. In some cases, they are used in conjunction with a tradition pool heater to lower costs and make the unit more energy efficient.

Using the sun to heat your pool is an excellent way to save on energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Whether you choose a solar blanket or a complete solar heating system, your pool will see plenty of benefits from natural heating.