GeoBubble™ Technology – How our Swimming pool Bubble Cover Works
GeoBubble™ technology is an innovative, patented swimming pool bubble cover material.
Using a bubble profile scientifically designed to increase the expected lifespan of the swimming pool bubble cover by 25%, a GeoBubble™ pool cover can help you save water, energy and chemicals when running your pool.
What makes GeoBubble™ materials unique?
- Unique patented design of two bubbles joined together by a structural waistline centre section
- No sharp corners that could result in thin or weak points in the design
- No stress points due to the bubble’s smooth interconnected curves
- 50% thicker than a traditional swimming pool bubble cover material at its thinnest point
- Increased resilience against UV rays and chemical attack
Traditional bubble design:
- Developed and adapted from high-volume, low quality bubble material with a short lifespan
- Thin points and high residual stress areas, creating weak points quickly broken down by UV rays and chemical attack.
Bubbles of the past
To understand the reasons for its development, it helps to consider the traditional bubble material used for pool covers. The traditional swimming pool bubble cover was developed from the packaging industry’s bubble-wrap material. The lightweight, floating material saw improvements in evaporation control as well as in heating when compared to an uncovered pool. This material however, was high-volume and low quality, with a short lifespan. This traditional round bubble shape had inherent weaknesses in its design, including thin points and high residual stress areas.
GeoBubble™ is a swimming pool bubble cover material designed specifically for the swimming pool environment, making the cover more resistant to UV and chemical attack and enabling a longer lifespan.
The story of GeoBubble™
GeoBubble™ Technology was born through a collaboration between the manufacturer, Plastipack Ltd and the product design and material science departments of two UK universities.
The teams set out to remove the inherent weaknesses from the traditional swimming pool bubble cover design. A number of bubble shapes were researched and tested with the aim of creating a swimming pool bubble cover material which could provide the longevity necessary for the specific conditions of the swimming pool environment.
The GeoBubble™ shape was designed with a smooth uniform profile to compliment the polymers natural behaviour. A domed bubble shape was created, 50% thicker than a traditional bubble at its thinnest point. Two bubbles were then joined together to increase the room for air expansion and create a strong structural arch to resist collapse. Accelerated weathering testing proved the development significantly improved the swimming pool bubble cover material’s lifespan – up to 25% longer than materials with the traditional bubble design.
After 5 years of development, GeoBubble™ technology was launched in 2012, and has since been sold around the world, providing the longest possible lifespan for the material and ensuring the pool cover continues to provide energy and resource savings throughout its useful life.
Development of our materials continues to this day, with the introduction and continued development of the Guard product range, a range of swimming pool bubble cover materials designed to be the very best at meeting a specific need.
Environmental impact
GeoBubble™ materials help you to be more environmentally friendly in your pool usage by helping you to save important and limited resources such as water, energy and chemicals. The materials last far longer than a traditional swimming pool bubble cover material, meaning that these savings are even more significant.
The Guard product range extends these savings with their specific qualities and even longer lifespans, significantly reducing environmental and economic cost.
All GeoBubble™ swimming pool bubble cover materials are fully recyclable (LDPE4), and the manufacturer (Plastipack Ltd) is fully committed to environmentally responsible cradle to the grave design and production processes. Efforts are made to minimise wastage and ensure efficient practices, and 100% of any material that is wasted, is recycled.