How to run your pool using less energy
With electricity prices on the rise, the costs associated with running a swimming pool are also moving in an upward trajectory. However, there are now many innovations in the pool industry that allow homeowners to use their pool and save energy.
1. One of the easiest ways to save energy and reduce your costs is to replace an ageing single-speed pool pump with a multi-speed (or variable-speed) pump which is more energy efficient and designed to reduce both electricity consumption and running costs.
2. The hydraulics of your pool also contribute to energy usage. As a general rule of thumb, the most efficient pool plumbing usually has larger-diameter pipes with as few bends as possible.
3. Replace your pool’s halogen lights with LED (light emitting diode) lights: LEDs use 85 per cent less power and have a significantly longer lifespan.
4. Reduce pump run times during the colder months when the pool is not used often and chemical demand is reduced. Some pool chlorinators and pool automation controllers can be set to reduce run times automatically during winter months.
5. Use robotic pool cleaners in combination with multi-speed pumps.
6. Ensure your skimmer, pool basket and filter are kept clean. This will help your equipment to filter and sanitise the water more efficiently and enable your variable-speed pump to be operated at a lower setting, which uses less energy.
7. Make use of your pool cover. Covers reduce water loss from evaporation during the day and minimise heat loss at night. By using your pool cover effectively, your pool can be heated faster with less energy consumed.
8. Invest in a solar heating system. Solar energy is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to warm pool water. The solar heater will perform the majority of the work by heating your pool every day, maintaining higher-than-average water temperatures, allowing your heat pump or gas heater to pick up the slack on cloudy days or in exceptionally cool weather. Pool automation systems incorporating pre-set temperature controls can make this union work seamlessly.
9. Consider the location of your pool. They are solar collectors in themselves, converting 75-85 per cent of the sun’s energy that strikes the water’s surface into heat energy — without any artificial intervention. While pools are often positioned for aesthetics and accessibility, it is better to place a new pool in an area that maximises solar gain.