Going energy efficient with your pool is highly beneficial for many reasons. Read on and find out why it is a good idea to have an energy efficient pool and how you can make your pool more energy efficient.
Good Reasons for Energy Efficiency
Reduces Costs
Energy efficiency is simply reducing energy consumption. When you use less energy to power your pool this saves you money, because your energy bill is dependent upon how much energy you consume. Installing energy efficient pool equipment that uses less energy will cost more up front, but it pays for itself in reduced bills and then continues to save money over the life of the machine.
Save Water and the Need for More Chemicals
With the right equipment you can keep more water in your pool instead of it evaporating out. About 95% of a pool’s heat loss is due to water evaporation. By using energy efficient measures to keep the water in the pool, you are reducing the need to fill the pool, heat the pool, and even add more chemicals to the pool. All of these things have many benefits and the big one comes back around to point one, it all saves money.
Tax Incentives and Rebates
Some states offer tax incentives and rebates to homeowners that use energy saving appliances. Do a search for your specific state and even county and town to find out the incentives and rebates of using environmentally friendly equipment in your home.
Steps to Create an Energy Efficient Pool
Prevent Evaporation- When asked what you would guess would be the largest use of energy in owning a pool your answer probably wouldn’t be water evaporation. Evaporation is in fact the largest cause of energy use in a pool. The U.S. Department of Energy has found that water evaporation accounts for 70% of total energy loss in both outdoor and indoor pools. As the water evaporates so does the heat . Every gallon of water that evaporates from the pool takes 8,500 BTUs with it. The average pool loses about 1 to 1 ½ inches of water every week.
Get an Efficient Pump, Heater, and Filter- Installing a variable speed pool pump is a significant way to make your pool energy efficient. This type of pump will slow down the speed of the pump motor making your pump more eco-friendly and also quieter. Installing an efficient heater to regulate BTUS and a big enough filter to ensure the pump isn’t working overtime all go hand in hand with the variable speed pump to keep things working in harmony and doing the energy saving job you want them to do.
Install Windbreaks- If you have an outdoor pool, it is a good idea to check into how windbreaks may benefit your particular set up. Even mild winds that seem to be barley there can affect your evaporation rates. Just a 7mph wind can increase consumption a whopping 300%. If you install windbreaks they should be tall enough and close enough to limit air movement at the water’s surface. Walls, screens, solid fencing, and fencing with plant cover are all great forms of windbreaks.
Solar Technology- A great way to save on energy is to get some for free straight from the sun. Solar powered heaters and covers absorb energy from the sun to help heat the pool. Solar heaters can help during the day while solar covers do the work when the pool is covered at night.
Other Ways to Make Your Pool Energy Efficient
For more information on pool care and maintenance please browse our site. For pool maintenance in Lake Havasu City please call us anytime to make an appointment.
Good Reasons for Energy Efficiency
Reduces Costs
Energy efficiency is simply reducing energy consumption. When you use less energy to power your pool this saves you money, because your energy bill is dependent upon how much energy you consume. Installing energy efficient pool equipment that uses less energy will cost more up front, but it pays for itself in reduced bills and then continues to save money over the life of the machine.
Save Water and the Need for More Chemicals
With the right equipment you can keep more water in your pool instead of it evaporating out. About 95% of a pool’s heat loss is due to water evaporation. By using energy efficient measures to keep the water in the pool, you are reducing the need to fill the pool, heat the pool, and even add more chemicals to the pool. All of these things have many benefits and the big one comes back around to point one, it all saves money.
Tax Incentives and Rebates
Some states offer tax incentives and rebates to homeowners that use energy saving appliances. Do a search for your specific state and even county and town to find out the incentives and rebates of using environmentally friendly equipment in your home.
Steps to Create an Energy Efficient Pool
Prevent Evaporation- When asked what you would guess would be the largest use of energy in owning a pool your answer probably wouldn’t be water evaporation. Evaporation is in fact the largest cause of energy use in a pool. The U.S. Department of Energy has found that water evaporation accounts for 70% of total energy loss in both outdoor and indoor pools. As the water evaporates so does the heat . Every gallon of water that evaporates from the pool takes 8,500 BTUs with it. The average pool loses about 1 to 1 ½ inches of water every week.
Get an Efficient Pump, Heater, and Filter- Installing a variable speed pool pump is a significant way to make your pool energy efficient. This type of pump will slow down the speed of the pump motor making your pump more eco-friendly and also quieter. Installing an efficient heater to regulate BTUS and a big enough filter to ensure the pump isn’t working overtime all go hand in hand with the variable speed pump to keep things working in harmony and doing the energy saving job you want them to do.
Install Windbreaks- If you have an outdoor pool, it is a good idea to check into how windbreaks may benefit your particular set up. Even mild winds that seem to be barley there can affect your evaporation rates. Just a 7mph wind can increase consumption a whopping 300%. If you install windbreaks they should be tall enough and close enough to limit air movement at the water’s surface. Walls, screens, solid fencing, and fencing with plant cover are all great forms of windbreaks.
Solar Technology- A great way to save on energy is to get some for free straight from the sun. Solar powered heaters and covers absorb energy from the sun to help heat the pool. Solar heaters can help during the day while solar covers do the work when the pool is covered at night.
Other Ways to Make Your Pool Energy Efficient
- Use a Darker Finish: darker colored pool finishes absorb sun rays and help to heat the pool.
- Lower the Thermostat: If you only use your pool a few days a week, for example: only on the weekends, reduce the thermostat settings by 8-10 degrees when not in use.
- Turn off the Heater or Heat Pump While Gone: if you are going on a trip for a significant amount of time and the pool is going to sit unused, turn off the heater or heat pump to save energy.
- Reduce Pump Speed: A slower pump reduces power usage.
- Run the Filtration in Non-Peak Hours: running your pump when energy demand (amount of energy being used by everyone in an area) is lower will cost less. The hours between 8pm and 10am are generally the best.
- Keep Intake Grates Clean: Clogged and dirty drains require the pump to work harder.
- Pool Timers: The timer itself will not save money, but the timer helping you to manage pump and filter usage will.
For more information on pool care and maintenance please browse our site. For pool maintenance in Lake Havasu City please call us anytime to make an appointment.
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