A swimming pool can be a great inspiration for a household to be more water-wise and energy efficient. As a responsible pool owner you should look to adapt some simple eco tactics that can help minimize your environmental impact. Today we are going to look at some simple eco-friendly pool tips that can help save you thousands.
With water restrictions now in place throughout most of the UK it’s important we look to other methods of filling our pools. The rain water diverter can be purchased from as little as £100, plug straight into your down pipe and is a great way of harvesting water that would otherwise just pour straight down the drain. Another alternative would be a rain water tank.
Building a drought proof supply of water to top up your pool can be a great investment, especially if you also use the water on gardens or plumb the tank into the your toilet system. Today there are a great range of options from standard above ground tanks to space saving bladders. Plus most water suppliers now offer a rebate for a water tank helping both you and the environment.
As a pool owner, one of the best investments you can make is a pool cover. Most people know that a pool cover will reduce evaporation, up to fifty thousand litres a year actually, but there are some other benefits too. It will also reduce your chemical usage and if you have a heated pool it can save you up to fifty percent in energy costs. There are many different types of covers on the market, Its best of you speak to one of our team and we’ll give you the advice as to which cover best suits your needs.
Recently we have seen many instances of equipment literally melting underneath the pool cover through the dangerously high levels of chlorine in the pool water. With a pool blanket on your pool you don’t lose chlorine or chemicals through evaporation. It is therefore important to be aware and ensure that you reduce your output on your chlorine feeder and keep your eye on the water balance when you have your pool covered.
If a leak occurs in your pool it can not only damage the foundations of the pool but it can also lead to thousands of litres of water loss every year. If you’re unsure if you’re losing water merely through evaporation or if you do actually have a leak, there is a simple test we do, it’s called the bucket test. As the name implies you grab a bucket, fill it up, rest it on the top step, we put a brick inside it just to stop it from floating away, then we just grab some tape or a marking pen, put a mark on the outside of the bucket where the water level is, then we put another mark on the inside of the bucket where the water level is, what we do there is we monitor it for a few days. If the water level on the outside drops faster than the water on the inside then you definitely have a leak. If you measure it and they’re both the same distance then you’re losing water merely through evaporation. Simple and effective.
Timers and automation systems make it a synch to find optimum chemical range and pumping and filtration times which is great for maximising your energy saving and minimising your costs. During off peak it will cost you five times less to run your pool pump and filtration which could save you thousands of pounds over the course of the year.
We offer range of automatic timers, which can be installed on existing pools. Imagine never having to stumble around in the dark trying to turn valves and switching pool equipment on and off.
Your pump and filter are the heart of your system. If there not running properly or at the wrong time they’ll guzzle energy unnecessarily. Here are some tips that may help you.
Back washing your sand filter to waste for two to three minutes a week will reduce the strain your pump has to endure meaning you will get better clarity in your pool water and save on energy your pump is using. It will also extend the life of your pump so is a worthwhile weekly task to do.
It’s a good idea the install the smallest pump necessary for your pool. Generally we have found most pools (that we haven’t installed ourselves!) have a pump that is too big for their requirements. We are happy to recommend the most suitable pump for your situation. You can achieve the greatest efficiency by keeping your equipment and pool clean. A clean pool will reduce the load on your filtration system and your chemical usage.
If you’re looking to heat your pool it’s a good idea to consider the out front running costs in greenhouse gas emissions. Heat pumps use the same energy efficient technology as air conditioners to produce heat from the ambient air temperature. Furthermore we only recommend heat pumps that use ozone friendly R410A refrigeration gas. It is far more efficient and less harmful than the gas used in other heaters sold in Europe today.
As we’ve shown you maintaining your pools efficiency is vital but it doesn’t have to be difficult, just a few simple eco-friendly actions that can help not only the environment but help save you some money.
