It’s a fact: Energy bills go up when you install a pool. But that doesn’t mean you have to send the utility company a blank check every month! With a few simple tweaks to your routine, you can drastically cut back on the cost of maintaining your swimming pool.
Give these tips a try and see if they leave you with more money for pool toys, wine and cheese parties or that cute little bathing suit that caught your eye the other day.
- Put a solar cover on your pool. This will help you save 50 percent to 70 percent on your pool heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A solar cover can reduce evaporation by 30 percent to 60 percent and chemical use by 35 percent to 60 percent. Who can turn down that kind of savings?
- Light up the night with LEDs. Not only do you get wonderful capabilities with LEDs, such as changing colors as the mood strikes, but also they last more than 30,000 hours. That typically translates to 10 years, which cuts back on replacement costs. Although LEDs cost more than incandescent bulbs, they’re 75 percent more energy efficient and pay for themselves in the first year and a half.
- Lower your water level by a few inches. You’ll lose less water from swimmers splashing around. Importantly, this step also cuts back the amount of evaporation that occurs when wind blows across the surface of your pool. In fact, wind increases evaporation by 300 percent, so you might even place some windbreakers around your pool, as well.
- Upgrade your pool equipment. You’ve probably heard that a variable-speed pump nearly cuts its energy cost in half. But did you know an automatic pool cleaner, will save even more? That’s assuming you start it about 15 minutes before you turn on the pump and shut it down about 15 minutes before you switch the pump off. Less debris will make its way to the pump and filter, meaning those components won’t have to work as hard to keep your water crystal clear.
Want to learn more? Give us a shout at Creative Pool Designs by Express and we can talk about more ways to customize your pool and spa to best suit your needs.
