8 Easy Ways to Green Your Pool and Save Energy
Memorial Day is upon us, and you know what that means! It’s time for the pool to open! If you’re anything like me, you probably look forward to hosting parties and hanging out with family by the pool. However, pool ownership can also be pretty expensive in terms of upkeep and energy usage. If you’re looking to save money, give back to Mother Nature, or reduce your exposure to harsh chemicals this Summer, then it’s the perfect time to look into greening your pool.
Not sure where to start? Check out these 8 tips:
1. Reduce chlorine
Think chlorine is the only way to keep your pool clean? Think again!
Although it may not be possible to completely eliminate chlorine, you can drastically reduce your usage by installing a salt water and UV filtration system. As the salt travels through the system it is broken down to produce chlorine (bye-bye manufactured tablets!) and the UV filtration fights algae and bacteria.
2. Go solar
Going green doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy heated water.
If you want to heat your pool, rely on solar power to get it up to temperature. Installing solar collectors can reduce the amount of energy, such as gas or electric, used by up to 60 percent per year. You can install a solar heating system complete with panels, or use a solar cover for your pool.
3. Cover it up
In fact, simply covering your pool will go a long way towards making it greener. A pool enclosure reduces evaporation, cuts down on the amount of chemicals you need by keeping out debris, and can keep your pool up to 10 degrees warmer without a heating system.
4. Bring on the rain
Stop wasting water (and money) by using rainwater to top off your pool. Whether you use a tank or a diverter system is up to you, just make sure to think about how to handle overflow and filter out debris.
5. Double-duty landscaping
With the proper planning, you can improve your landscape AND block wind from your pool. Using shrubs or planters to block the wind naturally helps reduce evaporation and heat loss. Just be sure to calculate how far back to plant so fewer leaves migrate into the pool.
Don’t forget that certain plants attract pests while others can deter them. With a little extra planning you can have a bee-free pool in addition to natural shade, privacy, and wind shield.
6. Make an upgrade
You know that upgrading to a new fridge or washer can help improve energy efficiency. The same theory goes for pool pumps. If your pump is old, consider upgrading to a more energy efficient model (or even a solar model). For bonus savings, add a timer so you have better control over when the pump is in use.
7. Invest in manual labor
A pool skimmer will only set you back a handful of bucks and a little personal labor. In return, you won’t have to work your pump or filtration system as hard, saving energy.
8. Build naturally
Want to go green from the ground up? Try mimicking nature by building a pool that uses plants for filtration and is made of clay and gravel. This kind of natural pool takes a bit more know-how to keep clean, but it is cheaper in the long run and much more eco-friendly.
Hopefully these ideas will give you a starting point for making your pool more of a joy to own and less of a burden. I give you full permission to break out the swim suit and pool inflatables in preparation for this weekend! How will you be spending your Memorial Day?
~Megan
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Visit Megan at her blog, Your Wild Home!
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~Lorelai
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Contact Lorelai at Lorelai@LifeWithLorelai.com
Great ideas to take of a pool! #HomeMattersParty
Great ideas – now I just wished I had a pool! 🙂 #HomeMattersParty
Great tips. We want a pool in our next home! It’s too hot in Texas 🙂 #HomeMattersParty
These are really great suggestions to be green & save money with your pool! #HomeMattersParty
Thanks for these ideas, Lorelai! I love the way some of them are so simple and very low cost. And I agree that investing in a good pool cover and solar heating if you can afford it, will pay off big in the long run.
Cleaning your pool with a pressure washer is great way to get rid of first and moss from around the edges.A pool cover like you say is the way to go in the long run.
You have great ideas on how to clean the pool and to conserve water. Thank you for sharing this!
I’ve always wanted a natural pool that’s filtered using plants but I think I’d get a bit freaked out swimming in it! In my head, the water would be much darker and there’d be an element of the fear of the unknown. There could be snakes and all sorts making a home for themselves!
My husband and I have been wanting to put in a pool for quite some time now. I really like that you mentioned looking into the possibility of getting a solar model for a pool. Perhaps we can find a company that makes a custom model for us; that way we can have our pool, but still be energy efficient.
Hey,
All 8 ways are informational, you did a great job and thank you so much for this wonderful blog.
Very interesting tip #8, I’ve never seen this type of pools in my life. But, have to say, the idea is great!
thanks for Tip#7, manual labor is kind of unthought of for me.. really helpful. thanks Megan!
Nice tips and I agree that going solar is the way to go to get your pool heated.
Hi, Lorelai and Megan! This is a nice post! In our case, we usually limit our chlorine consumption. My family is eco-warriors and we are happy to see a post such as this one! We always see to it that everyone in the family works to maintain the cleanliness of the pool (we use organic stuff too in cleaning). Cheers!