Upgrading pool equipment can help commercial pool owners cut maintenance costs significantly. Focusing your effort on providing an excellent pool for customers or club members can be an efficient and quick process, and once done you can rest assured that your costs are lowered. Here are five ways you can improve the pool experience while saving money.

1. Programmable pump

The pump of the filtration system is where most of the energy is used. Pumps with various speeds are programmable to alter their speed to fit the need of different tasks. For example, low speeds are great for a routine filtration, while faster speeds are needed to operate the heavier-lifting equipment, like spa jets and pool cleaners. When compared to a single-speed or two-speed pump, the flexibility in a variable-speed pump can reduce a pool’s energy consumption up to 90 percent.

2. Summon technology

Swimming pool automation control systems afford the double benefit of being more convenient while also cutting down on energy. With such systems, commercial pool owners are able to access their pool equipment from anywhere and at any time. Functions include scheduling run times for heating, lighting, spa jets and water features. This allows owners to schedule the equipment to run only when it’s needed.

3. Shed a little light

You may have already made the jump to LED lights elsewhere in your facilities, but did you know that there are top-performing LED lights available for pools and spas? According to PoolFYI, LED’s technology takes only 26 to 70 watts to provide the same brightness as 500-watt incandescent light. Besides saving energy, it saves costs by lengthening the time between pool equipment replacement.

4. Heating it up

The advent of heating technology works in favor of commercial pool owners who want to save money on their pools. A geothermal technology heat pump can bring savings of up to 70 percent over conventional heaters. Using energy from both the ground and your pool, it is over four times more efficient than other systems on the market. It uses a small amount of electricity to provide optimum comfort and convenience.

If your commercial pool is outdoors, a solidly built fence, according to Consumer Energy Center, can act as a windbreak that will keep your pool warm. Over-hanging tree limbs can cause shade that will cool your water. Nearby trees also pose the risk of shedding leaves and twigs into the pool, which can clog or damage the filter. The same goes for grass that is planted too close, which may cause cuttings to drop into the pool.

5. Perform routine maintenance

If you follow the recommendations of the manufacturers and perform routine backwashes, you can help keep the pool pump and filter operating as they were designed to. This will save you money and energy, so consult your manual to find out how often the filters backwash. Some designs don’t need to backwashed, while some do automatically. By regularly removing outside materials from the strainer baskets, you can make sure that the flow of water isn’t obstructed.