Improve Your Pool's Energy Effciency
When the glorious summer weather returns, you can once again put your swimming pool to good use. But running a home swimming pool can be costly, especially during summer. More use means more energy expenditure. And this ultimately leads to higher energy bills.
If all you can think of is your electricity bill, you won't be able to fully enjoy your pool. But don't worry. With the following energy-saving tips, you can improve your swimming pool's energy efficiency considerably.
1. Use a smaller pool pump
Large pool pumps use more energy to circulate pool water. You may be able to reduce the size of your pump and thus reduce its strain on your electricity bill. If in doubt, contact your pool equipment supplier and have them assess whether you can still run your pool with a smaller pump.
2. Use a variable speed pump
Single-speed pumps run at the same speed all the time, no matter what the conditions are. This consumes a lot of unnecessary energy. While they do initially cost more, variable-speed pumps can save you money on your electricity bill. Because you can adjust the speed when you need to, you can lower the speed for overnight filtration, for instance, and increase the speed at cleaning times.
3. Use an automatic timer
Water filtration is important if you wish to keep your pool clean and clear at all times. But if you are on a busy schedule, you may end up running your pool pump for longer than you need to at times. This consumes more energy. With your pump set to an automatic timer, you can put your pump to work without you being there to switch it off.
4. Cover your pool when not using it
A solar pool cover can help to trap heat in your pool during the day. This reduces the need for you to use your pool heater. In addition, you can also cut down on water usage by reducing water evaporation by covering your pool when not using it.
5. Spend more hands-on time cleaning your pool
One way to reduce the strain on your filtration and circulation system is to stay on top of hands-on cleaning. That means ensuring that you put in the work with the skimmer and a good old brush and elbow grease as often as possible.
6. Choose a dark pool finish
Dark colours absorb more of the sun's heat. This is an important fact to consider during the construction or renovation of a swimming pool if you wish to create an energy-efficient pool. Choosing darker colours such as black or dark blue means that your pool will retain more heat. You'll then use less electricity on pool heating as a result.
7. Use LED or solar lighting
Incandescent lights use much more energy than LED lights. Although the difference may seem small, when combined with other energy-saving measures, a switch from incandescent lights to LED or solar lighting can make an important difference. LED lights also come in various colours and styles. And if your pool area receives enough sunlight, you can't go wrong with solar lighting.
8. Create windbreaks around your pool
Wind can lower the temperature of your pool. This means that on windy days, you may need to use more energy heating your pool. You can prevent this problem by employing windbreaks like trees, hedges and berms to reduce your pool's exposure to wind and thus save on your electricity bill.