Owning a swimming pool comes with the responsibility of keeping it in the best condition. Maintaining a swimming pool is not limited to the mechanical components but also the electrical parts. Electrical consumption is a major factor in your swimming pool bill.
A swimming pool consumes electricity for powering the pump, pool lights, pool heaters, and other accessories which depend on electricity. And, if you add all the costs, it may get expensive.
Nowadays, Energy conservation is a sensitive topic, and in the United States, where the costs are comparatively high and swimming pools are common, saving energy is highly recommendable.
By certain surveys, the power consumed by swimming pools is second only to the air conditioner. Swimming pools are used almost every season and this makes the electricity consumption by the pools higher when we compare it to others.
The good news is that as a swimming pool owner, you have ways to save money. Below are some of the best ways to lower your pool bills up to 50% :
1. Using Solar Cover Insulation
There are multiple ways through which you can heat your pool but keeping it warm for a long duration is always preferable. You may have noticed, that keeping a consistent temperature of pool water is challenging. Whether it is a cold day or windy day, heat loss is obvious. But, you can solve this problem with a simple yet effective method by covering it with a solar cover. This can save up to 80% of the heat loss.
Advantages of Solar Covers:
Prevent heat loss from the pool:
Retaining heat is especially important at night and in colder conditions when the surrounding air is cooler than the swimming pool.
Converting direct solar light:
In an in-ground pool, a solar cover increases the pool water temperature by 3-5 degrees F.
Stop debris getting into the pools:
A solar swimming pool cover protects your pool against dust, rainwater, dirt anything else getting in the pool. The cleaner pools result in less use of chlorine and thus, less work for the filter. So, a pool cover saves money on chemicals and increases the life of the filter to some extent.
Stop evaporation:
Another clear advantage of using a solar pool cover is that it prevents evaporation. A pool cover can help reduce water loss by more than 80%. This means a significant saving on bills.
2. Upgrade to LED lights:
LED lights consume less power than the same watt old traditional lights. A LED light is energy efficient and has a long-lasting life: A LED light bulb lasts for 25000 hours, while an incandescent bulb of the same power lasts about 1,000 hours, while a 15-watt CFL bulb lasts 10,000 hours. Also, power consumption is less in LEDs. This draws the conclusion that using LEDs can save a good amount of money.
3. Pool Heating Options:
Heating a pool requires a lot of energy. Below are a few tips through which you can reduce the pool heating cost:
Solar pool heating systems:
Solar energy is always on the economical side when we see long-time use. In addition to its free availability, it is reliable, has almost zero maintenance, and is beneficial for the environment.
Heat Pump Pool Heater (HPPH) system:
HPHH is more expensive than gas pool heaters but it is high efficiency and has a significantly low cost of operation. Therefore, in long run, you can save more money by using a heat pump pool heater system.
4. Take advantage of your pool automation system:
A pool automation system makes the handling of the pool very feasible. You can connect your pool automation system to new technologies such as Alexa. An automation system can turn on your filters, lights, and pumps with pre-scheduled settings. And thus, saving your time and money, in case you forget to take care of your pool.
5. Scheduling Pool Care and Maintenance / Preventive Maintenance:
Maintaining a pool is always better to repair it. Regularly vacuuming and skimming results in less workload on the pump and filter. And hence, extending the life of the pool pump and filters. No doubt, taking care of a pool is among the easiest ways of reducing the swimming pool bills.
Few quick tips on how to schedule your pool maintenance:
- Test the pool water twice a week.
- Vacuum once a week.
- Select 3 days in a week for skimming. To make it easy, you can do it on alternate days.
- Shock the pool weekly.
- Clean your filters in 10 days.
Additional Read
All You Need To Know About Swimming Pool Equipment Maintenance