Turning Skeptics in Believers, One Pool at a Time

Most pool owners hear the idea and raise an eyebrow. Heat your pool with a garden hose for under fifty dollars? It sounds impossible. Solar heating usually brings to mind panels, plumbing, pumps, and installation costs, not a hand-sized attachment that screws into a return jet in seconds.

Yet that skepticism often melts away as fast as the water warms. For many families, the Beluga Solar Pool Heating Device becomes one of those discoveries that feels obvious once you see it working. A simple idea, rooted in the same backyard moment countless people have experienced: a garden hose lying in the sun, releasing surprisingly warm water. Instead of wasting that heat, the Beluga redirects your pool water back into the pool and lets the sun do the work.

The First Conversation

At pool and spa trade shows, the reactions all sound the same. Someone walks by, pauses, and stares at the small device sitting on the display counter. Curiosity turns into confusion. There is always a moment of silence before the questions start, usually something similar to, “There is no way that heats a pool.”

The conversation usually begins when we ask them if we can tell them about heating their pool with a garden hose. What comes next is part science, part storytelling, and part experience earned over years of use. The Beluga attaches at the return jet. A garden hose connects to the top of the unit, and water flows through the hose where the sun warms it. The warmed water returns to the pool, slowly and steadily raising the temperature over a few days of sunlight.

Once someone visualizes it, the disbelief starts to soften. When they hear the numbers, it usually disappears. About thirty gallons of warmed water per hour. Two hundred seventy gallons a day. Nearly two thousand gallons a week. If you pour that much warm water into a pool, the temperature moves. It is not instant, but it is consistent, natural, and surprisingly effective.

Results That Stick

The Beluga does not deliver shock-heating like a gas or electric system that cycles on and off. Instead, it builds a gentle, even warmth that holds. Many users see water climb three to five degrees Fahrenheit over a few sunny days. Once the pool reaches a comfortable temperature, the Beluga continues to replace heat lost overnight or during cooler stretches. A solar cover at night increases the benefit, helping the pool retain warmth gained during the day.

The approach rewards a bit of patience, and that is where skeptics often shift to believers. For example, Don Symonds, the owner of Beluga Pools, opened a twenty-one-thousand-gallon in-ground pool on May 10, 2025 in Michigan. Two weeks later, on Memorial Day, the water reached eighty-five degrees simply by using the Beluga and a garden hose during sunny hours. Keep in mind, in his area of Michigan, near Lansing, average day time temps in May are in the high 60s to low 70s and average nighttime temps are in the high 40s to low 50. So, having a pool open that’s comfortable to swim in by Memorial day is quite a triumph. Granted, that season happened to be a good one for solar, but the principle stands. Sunlight, consistent water flow, and steady use lead to warm, enjoyable swimming conditions well beyond what many expect.

Fine-Tuning for the Best Heat

There is a small learning curve to using the Beluga Gen2, but that is part of the fun and part of the satisfaction. Finding the right flow rate is key. Too fast and the hose stays cool. Too slow and you may not move enough volume to influence the pool. A gentle stream, about the size of a little finger, usually works beautifully.

A hundred feet of hose is often ideal, though many pool owners add more length in early spring when the sun is still climbing in strength. Placement matters as well. Coiling a hose on warm concrete produces impressive results. Some above-ground pool owners even secure hoses along the metal top rail to capture additional heat.

These adjustments turn pool owners into tinkerers and experimenters. Some prefer fewer gallons of very hot water. Others choose a greater flow of warm water. Both methods succeed. The question becomes preference, not possibility.

Simplicity Built to Last

Part of the conversation at trade shows always turns to durability. The device looks light, and that leads people to assume it must be fragile. In reality, the Beluga is molded from high-grade, UV-resistant polymer that stands up to years of sun exposure, chlorinated water, and outdoor conditions. There are no moving parts to fail and no electrical components to corrode. Once swim season ends, customers simply disconnect and store the unit.

The Beluga has evolved through real customer use and feedback, resulting in the current Gen2 design. Not one Gen2 unit has been returned for manufacturer defect. It is a product shaped by thousands of pool owners and years of refinement, and that steady evolution shows in both the performance and the experience.

A Human Approach to Customer Support

Even with a simple tool, people value reassurance. Installation requires few tools and only a few minutes, but questions still come up. That is why we offer video guides, written instructions, and personal support by phone and email. When someone calls for help on a Saturday afternoon or a holiday weekend, they still get a return call. We want people swimming comfortably, and our team stands behind that commitment.

Concerns about hose placement surface occasionally, especially around pool decks where foot traffic is high. The solution is easy. The hose does not need to run through the pool deck area. With two short lines, one into the Beluga and one returning to the water, the main hose can be placed safely outside the pool space. A small conversation, a quick adjustment, and problem solved.

A Cost That Makes People Think Twice

Traditional pool heating has a price. Gas heaters often average seventeen hundred dollars per season. Electric systems average more than eight hundred. The Beluga costs $49.99 once, and the sun handles the rest.

That simple equation often turns doubters into buyers. Once someone sees the warm water emerging from the hose, any lingering hesitation fades. It is hard to argue with results you can feel on your hand and see on your thermometer.

How Long It Takes and What Temperatures to Expect

If you are wondering how much warmth the Beluga can add and how quickly it works, here are the real-world results pool owners typically see:

• Water coming out of the hose usually measures 80 to 90°F, and can reach 95 to 100°F during strong sunlight.

• Pools typically warm 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit over several sunny days.

• Approximate warm water added: 30 gallons per hour, 270 gallons per sunny day, 1,890 gallons per week.

• Overnight heat loss of 2 to 3 degrees can typically be recovered in a few hours of sun.

• After cloudy days or rain, 4 to 6 degrees of heat loss can be recovered as soon as sunshine returns.

• The Beluga Gen2 can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars per year compared to using gas or electric pool heaters.

  
  

From Backyard Curiosity to Proven Pool Solution

The Beluga story started long before its launch in 2012. For more than thirty years, a version of this idea kept the Symonds' pool warm. Family and friends would swim, feel the warm water entering from the hose, and inevitably tell them that they had to do something with this.

So they did. An engineering firm helped refine the original homemade concept into a compact, durable product designed for everyday pool owners. Since then, thousands of Beluga units have found their way into backyards across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.

Skeptical looks still greet the first explanation. They always will. It is human nature to doubt what we have not yet seen. But once that warm water flows and once someone realizes their pool is getting more comfortable every day through nothing more than sunlight, the doubt disappears.

The Beluga Gen2 is proof that sometimes the simplest idea is the smartest one. With a small investment, a little patience, and the power of the sun, warmer water is well within reach for families everywhere.