Earth Day is April 22nd! It’s the time of year to reflect and think about ways we can help sustain our planet. There are many ways we can preserve our planet and its resources. As pool experts, American Pool took the time to reflect on ways to make your pool more sustainable. Here are 5 easy ways to increase your pool’s sustainability, and cut costs along the way.
1.Pool Covers
A simple way to help make your pool more sustainable is to use a pool cover. Pool covers reduce water evaporation. By reducing water evaporation, you minimize the need to add water to your pool as regularly. In addition, using a pool cover keeps your pool warmer naturally. Pool covers also minimize organic waste build up, which allows cost reductions on chemical and water bills.
2. Less Water Usage
Although pool covers help with reducing water usage, another way to sustain water is to maintain good balance and sanitation. Doing so increases system efficiency by reducing the need to backwash as much. Backwashing is a process where the filtering systems valves are repositioned, reversing the water flow through the filter tank. This way all trapped material on the filter media is dislodged and carried to waste. Maintaining good balance and sanitation could potentially reduce the amount of necessary backwashing procedures.
3. Sustainable Pool Accessories
Every ounce of effort helps when it comes to preserving our planet. Ensuring that pool accessories are sustainable is a great step in the right direction. Not only are environmentally friendly pool toys, swimsuits, and suncare products better for our planet, they are also safer for your pool and skin.
Utilizing LED pool lights can also help conserve energy. Not only do LED light bulbs use less energy, they also last much longer. They typically last at least 30,000 hours, while traditional light bulbs only last about 5,000 hours. Therefore, due to the efficiency and longevity of LED lighting, adding them to your pool saves energy and translates into long term cost savings.
Another way to preserve energy is to utilize solar powered pool accessories when possible. For example, solar powered pool heaters significantly reduce heating costs. They don’t burn fossil fuels or release emissions, so they’re more earth-friendly. These heaters use renewable energy from the sun to heat pools. Solar pool heaters require 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. This amount of daily sunlight exists mainly in southern regions of America. Solar heating systems are more cost effective, but they work best for facilities located in areas with warmer climates.
4. Regular Pool Maintenance
Keeping up with pool maintenance can also make your pool more sustainable. If your facility’s pool is cleaned regularly, fewer chemicals are needed. This limits the amount of chemicals guests are exposed to, and it limits the amount of chemicals introduced to the environment.
Another way to reduce the amount of chemicals in your facility’s pool is to convert to a salt water chlorination system. Most pools use a typical chlorination system where chlorine is the primary cleaning agent. The chemicals used to regularly maintain a traditional chlorination system have negative effects on our planet when released into the environment. To decrease these negative effects, convert to a salt chlorination system. Although salt chlorination systems use a small amount of chlorine, it’s not nearly as much as a traditional chlorination system. Switching your pool over to salt water minimizes the overall amount of chemicals being released into the environment. Salt water pools are also less irritating to skin and eyes, so guests with sensitivities can enjoy the pool more often!
5. Energy Efficient Pool Pump
Another step towards a sustainable pool is an energy efficient pump. A variable speed pool pump uses much less electricity than a traditional pump. Variable speed pumps alternate between slow and fast rates throughout the day. This can reduce electricity consumption by up to 75%. Sustainable pools cut costs and help protect our planet. Earth thanks you for any of your efforts towards a sustainable facility. Our pool professionals can evaluate your facility’s pool and highlight areas that have potential to be more energy efficient and sustainable. Requesting our service could be the first step towards sustainability!
