Tips for Making Your Pool More Energy Efficient
As the summer rolls on, you may be wondering if it is possible to make your home swimming pool more energy efficient. The good news is there are some simple ways to do this that also make your pool more cost efficient, without having to get into major renovations. Here are some easy ideas to help with the cost of running a swimming pool.
Cover the Pool
When not in use, it is a good idea to cover your swimming pool with a solar cover. Solar covers help reduce evaporation, and evaporation is where you will lose that heat either from the day’s sun or from your heater. Covering the pool will save you money on heat loss as well as having to top up the pool as often. There are different qualities of covers ranging in prices according to quality. Keep in mind not to leave your cover on for any longer than three days in a row as it could increase the chances of algae. If the pool isn’t being used for a few days, simply roll it back for the day to let it breathe then put it back on.
Use a Wind Break
Another way to help with evaporation and heat loss is to have some sort of wind break. Wind blowing over the pool will definitely increase your evaporation. You can create a natural windbreak by planting a hedge, building a berm, or creating any form of windbreak depending on your landscape around the pool. The less wind you have blowing across the pool, the less you will lose in evaporation.
Install a Variable Speed Pump
Variable speed pumps are becoming quite popular, and are more popular than running a timer for your pump. Putting a timer on the pump will save you in hydro if you use it correctly; however, it also increases the chance of algae growth. Every time your timer turns off the pump, you have stagnant water. With no flow of water you also have no circulation, filtration, and sanitization. By putting on a variable speed pump, you can program the pump to run all the time but slow down the speed of the pump during the peak hydro times during the day. This will give you cleaner water and save you in hydro costs. An Energy Star-certified pump can give you a savings of $300 or more compared to a single speed pump.
Maintain Your Filters
Whether you have a cartridge or sand filter, if you have larger filters you will cover more surface area through which the water can flow. This will make it so your pump does not have to work as hard. With a cartridge filter, remember to clean it regularly so you have good water flow. With a sand filter, backwashing is important. People tend to backwash too often, but not long enough. Doing it this way, you will go through the same amount of water but your filter won’t get a full backwash. It is recommended to stretch out how often you backwash, but when you do a backwash, do it for five minutes timed on your watch. This will ensure the entire filter has been backwashed.
Maintain Your Equipment and Water Chemistry
It is very important to make sure all your equipment is kept in good working condition. Always check to make sure the skimmer basket and pump basket are free of leaves and debris to ensure proper flow. Doing a regular cleaning of the pool will reduce debris going into the filters, which can save time and the amount of money you spend on cleaning the filters. Lastly, water chemistry is very important to keep an efficient pool. Unbalanced water can not only eat up your sanitizer a lot quicker, but it can also do long-term damage to pool equipment like heaters and pumps as well as on pool surfaces. It is important to keep your pool in good water balance and it is easy to do. Simply bring in a water test to Cannonball Pools and we will give you a free water analysis with recommendations as to what is required to keep the pool in balance.
By following these easy tips to create a more efficient pool, you will enjoy your summer fun around the pool without having to endure ongoing high costs.
Have questions about your pool? Contact Cannonball Pools in Milton today!
