How To Effectively Cut Your Pool Heating Expenses?

One of the best ways to cut costs when you want to heat your backyard pool is to rely on Mother Nature. That’s right you can use the sun to help you keep money in your pocket. This simple solution will help family members and friends fully enjoy the summer fun. Using the sun for extra heat can make it possible to use the pool more often, while holding down utility costs.

General Expense Tip: People who have experience with pool maintenance know that it doesn’t pay, in the long run, to try to get by with a circulation pump that is too small for the overall system. A pump with more power will have to work less, reducing overall expense.

Having the right cover for your pool is one of the simplest ways to reducing pool heating expenses. In fact, most people don’t cover their pool when it’s not in use during the swimming season, which adds quite a bit to your heating expense. It may be fine to leave the pool uncovered on cloudless days so that the sun can help keep the water warm. But cloudy days are the time to put the cover on because so much heat escapes from the large surface of the water. Many people don’t cover their pools because they think it’s too much work. But even laying a good bubble/solar cover on the surface will help with heating expense.

Before-and-after tests have shown that the right use of a solar blanket for the pool can add as much as 10 degrees of heat without additional expense. The cost of solar products can be recovered over time. Some pool owners have started to use solar panel systems for pool heating, which is generally a good idea. These can be a bit expensive to purchase. But over time, this initial expense can be recovered with lower utility bills. Keep in mind that the color used on the sides and bottom of the pool can affect water temperature. Keeping the pool protected from wind can also make a difference in maintaining swimming pool temperature.

People who are focused on lower energy use and preserving the environment also point out that proper pool heating and maintenance can cost a few extra dollars but is actually less expensive and less damaging than driving long distances to resorts and public pools. The temperature level of the water is, of course, a personal preference. But most guidelines set the proper temperature in a range from about 78 degrees to 82 degrees, Fahrenheit.

Many pool-and-spa companies advise their customers that an uncovered pool loses about 5 degrees overnight during the swimming season. A simple, inexpensive cover can cut this in half. A more expensive, heavier cover designed for heat conservation can make quite a difference. Pool owners who start with the correct heating/pumping system for a specific pool, then cover it when it is not in use, will find that they have saved quite a bit of money that would otherwise go to pool expense.

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