Making your pool more energy efficient will not only help reduce your impact on the environment but can also save you a lot of money over the course of a year! Not all upgrades have to cost a lot to make a difference, so here are six of the best, most practical, simple, and smart ways to reduce your pool’s power requirements and prevent spending more than you need.
1. INSTALL A VARIABLE SPEED PUMP
Variable speed pumps save money by giving you the ability to reduce the power consumed by reducing the speed of the pump. Compared to conventional single-speed pumps, the Viron XT pump will save you anywhere between $700 and $1,200 every year in operating costs.
2. USE A ROBOTIC CLEANER
The way robotic cleaners save you money is by reducing the filtration time required, which in turn requires less backwashing or filter cleaning which can typically use up to 20,000 litres each year!
3. PREVENT WATER EVAPORATION & HEAT LOSS
During summer, your pool may lose as much as 25mm of water per day, through evaporation. Additionally, 80% of your pool’s heat can also be lost through evaporation. This comes with dual costs – the cost of the water to top up your pool and the expense of heating it. Using a pool cover (yes, especially in summer) will help – as will windbreaks around your pool like trees or larger potted plants (a mere 10km/h wind blowing across the pool’s surface can cause dramatic evaporation).
4. LED POOL LIGHTS
Most of us have swapped the globes around our home to energy-efficient LEDs, but what about around the pool? Modern lighting can draw around 80% less power than conventional lighting. Plus, you can also change colours at the tap of a screen.
5. YOUR FILTRATION SYSTEM
The more debris there is in your pool, the harder your pump and filter will have to work and therefore, use more energy. So regular cleaning of your pool and filter will help everything work more efficiently. You can also upgrade your old sand filter media to glass media and this will further reduce the amount of time needed to backwash & rinse.
6. MOVE TO THE DARK SIDE
If you’re about to build, renovate or install a pool, darker coloured pools absorb the sun’s warmth more than lighter coloured pools. If you’re keen on saving energy, money and the environment, they’re worth considering. And with plenty of LED lighting installed, they look especially magnificent at night.
SAVING THE BUCK STOPS WITH YOU
It might seem obvious, but if you only use your pool on weekends, reduce your temperature settings for weekdays by about 8–10˚. Similarly, if you’re away on holiday, you don’t want to heat the pool back home if no one’s using it.
And while most of us really only think of using the pool cover in winter, to stop debris falling in the pool, it’s a good idea to use it in summer, especially if the pool isn’t going to be used for an extended period. Note Point 3 above, about ‘evaporation’.
At the end of the day, it’s about saving energy, saving money, and saving the environment. With nearly 1.5 million of us lucky enough to own a pool or spa, and around 100,000 more being installed every year, reducing the amount of energy our pools use is good for everyone.
We want you to have as much safe enjoyment of your pool and spa as possible. However, importantly, enjoyment that doesn’t cost the earth.