Swimming Pool Energy Saving Tips

Finally the world is coming to its senses. We are entering a time where being eco-friendly is the =93In=94 thing to do. For years we have been pushing conservation and energy saving tips for our homes. Light bulbs are now phasing out and being replaced by bulbs that use less wattage. People are wrapping their water heaters and adding skylights in their homes for extra light. These things are all great when it comes to helping the environment and saving energy. Unfortunately some of us own pools, which can weigh heavy on the electric bill not to mention the water & gas bill. Here are a few tips and tricks to help lower your monthly bills and conserve energy.

The 2-Speed Pump Some manufactures are switching to a 2-speed pump system, which allows the pool to run at a lower Horsepower (HP) when needed. Your pool should run about 8 to 10 hours a day at a minimum to keep it from turning the dreaded color green. This can take its toll on your electric bill. So companies are starting to offer a 2-speed pump system, which runs at normal speed and a low speed. For example, low speed would be used as your normal running speed and high speed would be used when you vacuum or add any chemicals to your pool. This will help to save energy and lower you electric bill without sacrificing the quality and color of your pool water.

The Solar Fish If you have a gas or electric heater for your pool, then this tip is perfect for you. What would you say if I told you that you only had to use your heater once a year to maintain the heat in your pool. Well its simple. Solar fish are a fairly new product now made by many different companies (some companies will refer to them as liquid solar blankets). These magical energy saving giants are only about $5 to $10 dollars and last a whole month. They release a small amount of liquid into your pool creating a molecule thick cover that you cannot touch, smell or taste at the waterline of your pool. What they do is keep heat from escaping the water by limiting evaporation. This means on those warm summer days where the temperature of your pool could reach

80 degrees and by nightfall drop down to 70 degrees will no longer take place. So at the beginning of the summer you can use your gas heater and heat your pool to about 80 degrees or so, drop in some solar fish, don=92t run your filter at night and keep you pool at 80 degrees all summer long without ever turning your heater back on, if done right. See you local pool dealer for more information. (In reality using any type of solar heating product for your pool is a great idea.)

The Skimmer Door Each year (especially in the Northeast) homeowners close their pools for the winter. Most companies who offer this service will often drain the water below the skimmer to blow out the lines. There is a product out there that is simply called a skimmer door or a skimmer blocker that will allow you not to drain your pool in the wintertime therefore reducing the use of water to refill your pool every year. This is a simple tip but over time is very effective.

Reply to
Swim University
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Interesting, I was not familiar with the solar fish. It makes me wonder what fraction of heat is lost to evaporation vs plain old radiation. Obviously there is some and it would be significant but is it the majority compared to radiation. If you live in the southwest and the humidity is up around 80% most of the summer, this may not offer much of an advantage but there may also not be much of a need.

Naturally a solar blanket will help with both (radiation and vaporization) and the fish will not reduce radiative cooling at all but the cost advantage $30-$40 per season is good in the short haul but may even out over a 10 year term, in fact an insulated blanket may have an advantage due to the better insulation it provides (preventing evaporation is not insulation but I can go with it here). The solar fish has the obvious advantage of being passive and not needing to be deployed each evening, a very attractive feature indeed. "if done right" also needs the caviat "and weather cooperates" A rainy summer can throw the whole calculation off by introducing another cooling effect.

In the desert states where keeping the pool warm is not the primary concern, this product would at least save much water and reduce local humidity closer to natural levels but probably not enough to prompt pool owners in AZ to pay more for consumables.

The 2-Speed Pump Some manufactures are switching to a 2-speed pump system, which allows the pool to run at a lower Horsepower (HP) when needed. Your pool should run about 8 to 10 hours a day at a minimum to keep it from turning the dreaded color green. This can take its toll on your electric bill. So companies are starting to offer a 2-speed pump system, which runs at normal speed and a low speed. For example, low speed would be used as your normal running speed and high speed would be used when you vacuum or add any chemicals to your pool. This will help to save energy and lower you electric bill without sacrificing the quality and color of your pool water.

The Solar Fish If you have a gas or electric heater for your pool, then this tip is perfect for you. What would you say if I told you that you only had to use your heater once a year to maintain the heat in your pool. Well its simple. Solar fish are a fairly new product now made by many different companies (some companies will refer to them as liquid solar blankets). These magical energy saving giants are only about $5 to $10 dollars and last a whole month. They release a small amount of liquid into your pool creating a molecule thick cover that you cannot touch, smell or taste at the waterline of your pool. What they do is keep heat from escaping the water by limiting evaporation. This means on those warm summer days where the temperature of your pool could reach

80 degrees and by nightfall drop down to 70 degrees will no longer take place. So at the beginning of the summer you can use your gas heater and heat your pool to about 80 degrees or so, drop in some solar fish, don?t run your filter at night and keep you pool at 80 degrees all summer long without ever turning your heater back on, if done right. See you local pool dealer for more information. (In reality using any type of solar heating product for your pool is a great idea.)

The Skimmer Door Each year (especially in the Northeast) homeowners close their pools for the winter. Most companies who offer this service will often drain the water below the skimmer to blow out the lines. There is a product out there that is simply called a skimmer door or a skimmer blocker that will allow you not to drain your pool in the wintertime therefore reducing the use of water to refill your pool every year. This is a simple tip but over time is very effective.

Reply to
Gaia

You forgot to mention using A/C condenser Heat to heat the pool.

The 2-Speed Pump Some manufactures are switching to a 2-speed pump system, which allows the pool to run at a lower Horsepower (HP) when needed. Your pool should run about 8 to 10 hours a day at a minimum to keep it from turning the dreaded color green. This can take its toll on your electric bill. So companies are starting to offer a 2-speed pump system, which runs at normal speed and a low speed. For example, low speed would be used as your normal running speed and high speed would be used when you vacuum or add any chemicals to your pool. This will help to save energy and lower you electric bill without sacrificing the quality and color of your pool water.

The Solar Fish If you have a gas or electric heater for your pool, then this tip is perfect for you. What would you say if I told you that you only had to use your heater once a year to maintain the heat in your pool. Well its simple. Solar fish are a fairly new product now made by many different companies (some companies will refer to them as liquid solar blankets). These magical energy saving giants are only about $5 to $10 dollars and last a whole month. They release a small amount of liquid into your pool creating a molecule thick cover that you cannot touch, smell or taste at the waterline of your pool. What they do is keep heat from escaping the water by limiting evaporation. This means on those warm summer days where the temperature of your pool could reach

80 degrees and by nightfall drop down to 70 degrees will no longer take place. So at the beginning of the summer you can use your gas heater and heat your pool to about 80 degrees or so, drop in some solar fish, don?t run your filter at night and keep you pool at 80 degrees all summer long without ever turning your heater back on, if done right. See you local pool dealer for more information. (In reality using any type of solar heating product for your pool is a great idea.)

The Skimmer Door Each year (especially in the Northeast) homeowners close their pools for the winter. Most companies who offer this service will often drain the water below the skimmer to blow out the lines. There is a product out there that is simply called a skimmer door or a skimmer blocker that will allow you not to drain your pool in the wintertime therefore reducing the use of water to refill your pool every year. This is a simple tip but over time is very effective.

Reply to
Telstra

Slight bull dung inserted. Running your pool pump at a lower speed will require a longer runtime to achieve the necessary turnover of the water. In other words, the two speed motor costs more to purchase and wont save a penny. Nice try "Swim University".

Then I would say that you, "Swim University", are so full of shit that Im going to need a shovel to dig myself out of here.

What they DO is ATTEMPT to hold the heat in. They work but they arent magic and the dont keep the temp from dropping in the pool overnight. They "help", get it? Big difference.

Nice try but wrong again.

And with that I say that you, Swim University are crazier and dumber than a bed bug. Ex: My home is insulated very well. I turn the heat on during the day to warm it up. At night I turn the heat off. When I wake in the morning it is cold and the pipes are frozen. I wonder why?? Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

Yeah, not a logical (well, maybe, long term, if it doesn't take double the run time) pitch, but people usually don't make logical decisions, more often they're emotional.

But you could get an "over-sized" pump and have a "high" setting for vacuuming, or if you're lazy like me, when you want to pump more water through the skimmer.

What is the most likely major ingredient of a product that creates a persistent film on the surface of water...?

I think I'll just keep using the solar cover, that I already own. I'm not that damn lazy. -----

- gpsman

Reply to
gpsman

re: Solar Fish...creating a molecule thick cover that you cannot touch...

Why can't I touch it? Does it have some sort of skin-avoidance property that makes it run away from my finger?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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