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Anyone who has a swimming pool is well aware of all of the maintenance they take to upkeep. The costs of running a pool heater can be onerous as well. Anyone who has ever paid the bill over the course of an entire summer can definitely attest to that.

No one wants to jump into an ice-cold pool. There is no guarantee that the summertime sun will be able to heat up the water in time, either.

Photo: Pixabay

So what do we do in these instances? The answer happens to be a really simple one.

The good folks over at Make have the perfect answer and you are going to be kicking yourself when you realize that you did not think of it first. Their DIY solar panels are the coolest thing that you are going to see and we are sure of it!

All you need to get started are some hula hoops and a few other basic supplies.

Photo: flickr/the justified sinner

Grab some black plastic sheeting and cut two hula hoop-shaped circles when you are ready to begin. From there, take some electrical tape and fasten it to either side of the hula hoop.

Plop them into the pool and you are all set from there! The black plastic sheeting in the hula hoops attracts the heat of the sun and keeps the pool warm at all times.

Photo: YouTube/Make:

If you would like to see this hack in action or learn more about how to make it for yourself, check out the video below:

It’s important to note that the hack is not going to keep the pool warm on an overcast or rainy day, but it will heat your pool beautifully on sunny days!