Having a swimming pool is probably the best addition to your home, for you and your family It is a healthy and enjoyable form of exercise, and a perfect venue to host a family or friends.
However, having your own swimming pool and maintaining it can be costly, especially if you’re among the ones that like to enjoy a swim all the way from spring to autumn.
There are various factors that you need to consider like chemicals, replacement of filters, and the cost of energy consumed. Having said that, the good part about having a swimming pool is that there are many ways to reduce your pool’s energy consumption.
A swimming pool in the comfort of your house is the best way to wind down after a long day at work, but you should not forget about the energy cost. Here are some tips on how to save money.
1. Use a pool cover when your pool is not in use :
A major chunk of energy is used in heating pools and the reason your pool heater might be running more than usual is because of heat loss which is caused by evaporation.
Therefore, it is advised that you cover your pool when not in use to prevent heat loss. This happens because the lid over the pool acts as a barrier between the surface water of the pool and the atmosphere, therefore preventing evaporation.
A pool cover also helps you keep your pool clean when not in use and is the best way to trap more heat inside your pool. An even better solution for a lid cover is a solar cover.
In this case, you are not only saving energy but also helping in producing some which will, in turn, save you a lot of money.
2. Purchase a smaller, more efficient pump :
It is important that you make sure you are purchasing a small but efficient pool pump to reduce the amount of energy being consumed. Reducing the speed of the pump during off-season times also helps in reducing energy consumption.
3. Maintain your pool’s filter and cleaning system :
The key to reducing your energy consumption is to keep your pool clean. A clean pool will ensure better water flow, which will put less strain on the pool equipment and in turn save energy.
Although all filters do a good job of keeping the water clean, having a clean filter and on top of that, a cartridge offers the least resistance to water flow.
The more the resistance offered by the water flow, the more energy will be consumed. So to ensure a reduced amount of energy consumption, keeping a pool and filter clean along with using the right filter is the way to go.
4. Run your pool pump less (and at night) :
Running your pool pump for 8 hours a day is enough for chemical distribution, regulation, and distribution of heat and to filter out contaminants as well.
If you are spending more than 8 hours running your pool pump you are wasting energy and money.
Another way in which you can cut down on energy consumption and money is not running the pump at peak energy hours when your electricity supplier is most likely to charge more for electricity use.
Running your pool pump at night will prove to be much more efficient and cost-effective.
5. Upgrade to a variable speed pool pump :
There is a major difference between a single-speed pool pump and a variable-speed pool pump. A single-speed pool pump is constantly set to full speed, the speed in the variable pool pump can be adjusted from time to time.
Different activities can be done with different speeds of pool pumps and hence with a variable pool pump, you can set it as the lower speed at night for filtering whereas higher speeds during the daytime for heating and other processes.
This will save you some energy as the single-speed pool pump will always operate at the maximum capacity leading to more energy consumption.
This upgrade can definitely be beneficial to you as being able to control the speed of your pump and lower the amount of energy consumed.
6. Get an energy-efficient pool pump :
Consider switching your gas or electric pool pump heater to a pool heat pump or a solar heater. Even though the former is very reliable, their maintenance is towards the high end.
The best way to reduce energy consumption is to use both the pool heat pump and the solar heater together. By doing so, you will be surprised by your energy cost.
You can also reduce the speed of the pump at off-peak times as long as you are able to maintain the minimum flows for the heater and salt system.
Additional Read: Energy Efficient Swimming Pool Equipment Helps You Save Money
7. Heat your pool appropriately
You have to admit that jumping into a pool full of cold water is no fun at all. Maintaining just the right temperature of the pool also comes with additional costs.
One of the ways in which you can reduce energy costs is to turn off the heater when your pool is not in use. Small increases in temperature can also result in more energy consumption.
You can choose gas heaters if you plan on using them for short periods of time as they are more efficient.
Follow these energy conservation tips and enjoy a good relaxing time in the comfort of your house. Nothing gets better than experiencing a less expensive summer, maximizing your pool time along minimizing your energy costs.