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Woman's solution to common backyard problem sparks debate

A family trying to warm up their small blow-up pool have discovered a way to both lock in heat and keep debris from falling in.

By using a black tarp to cover the surface layer of the water, they hoped to warm up the temperature of the water for their children to splash around in.

While seemingly a reasonable solution for the family, based in Bolton, in the UK, hundreds of people responded to a Facebook post about it, suggesting more effective alternatives.

Many people thought it would be smarter to attach a hose to a tap with a warm water supply, and siphon that directly into the pool.

Blow up pool in Bolton, UK, that family used black tarp in effort to make water warm.
The family used a black tarp to cover their pool in a method they hoped would warm it up. Source: Facebook

“Fill your sink with hot water and leave the tap running and siphon it out if you’ve not got a tap attachment,” one man wrote.

“You can get a hot tap put outside to put warm water in,” another wrote.

Some argued the tarp was effective enough on its own, saying it should warm the pool water perfectly after being left in the sun for about an hour.

One said they tried a similar approach using black bin bags, but sadly the method failed.

“I got so excited when I saw the 'bin bag' trick! Unfortunately it didn't work and our pool is in direct sunlight. The warmest bits were the edges which were not covered up,” another person wrote.

Another explained even though they had a “tiny” pool, the tarp hack didn’t work at all.

Multiple others said they used a black fitted bed sheet to cover the entire pool in direct sunlight to warm it up, and overnight to keep bugs out of the water.

Small blow up pool in backyard of UK home covered with black fitted sheet to keep water warm.
Many suggested the family cover their pool with a fitted black bed sheet like this. Source: Facebook

Another person shared a photo of a plastic drink bottle covering a tap in the kitchen with garden hose poked through the window and fed into the bottle’s opening.

“Works a treat! Our hot tub was 40 degrees without the need for it to be heated up by the pump,” they wrote.

Several people said using bubble wrap to cover the top layer of the pool was also effective in warming it up using the sun.

Others suggested she buy an adapter that would connect a hose to a tap with warm water supply.

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