For ecologically sensitive pool maintenance, check out these 6 ways to a green pool without it literally being green.
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Taking care of a pool is a big undertaking that traditionally requires considerable amounts of chemicals and an abundance of energy costs. Luckily you can incorporate many eco-friendly practices into your pool care that will make the water safer to swim in and lower the costs of maintaining a pool.
1. Get a new pool pump
Energy efficiency and the best use of resources is the first rule of ecologically-sensitive living. Investing in an energy efficient pool pump saves you money and uses fewer resources. At the same time, if you run your existing pump less often, you’ll also save energy that way. Combining the two techniques significantly reduces the cost of running the pump and helps the environment.
Use a cartridge filter
Sand filters tend to be cheaper than cartridge filters, which makes them a more popular choice. But a cartridge filter can handle twice what a sand filter can, while removing smaller particles over a larger surface area. They also save energy because they reduce the amount of work the pump has to do. In the long run, they’re worth the extra cost.
Manage the temperature
If you heat your pool, there are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of energy heating the pool uses. For starters, in summer you should monitor your pool’s temperature so you know when to turn off the heater. Also, look into a solar pool heater rather than an electrical one, which will save on your electric bill and reduce your carbon footprint.
Cut back on chlorine
You want to keep your pool sanitary, so thinking about cutting back on chemicals is a tricky process if cutting back means more microorganisms surviving in the water. Try using a UV system or an ozone system in your pool, which kills over 99% of all the microorganisms that might end up in your pool, and reduces the need for chlorine to as low as 10% of what you were using before.
Manually clean the pool
Don’t rely totally on your pool filter to keep the pool clean. You can get a robotic pool cleaner or do it yourself with a skimmer or a pool vacuum, but the more strain you keep off the filter the less often you’ll have to replace it. Plus, clean pools are much nicer to swim in.
Cover your pool
Covering the pool saves you cleaning time, and it saves your filter. Less stuff gets into the pool if you leave it covered at all times when it’s not in use. Covering the pool also prevents as much water from evaporating, which means you don’t have to fill it as often and waste that extra water.
Cleaner, safer, (figuratively!) greener
Some pool owners may only be concerned about chlorine content while others would like a way to improve their household’s carbon footprint or save on energy bills. No matter what the ultimate goal, these pool care tips are here to improve your pool maintenance practices. Complete a few items on this list and dive into cleaner, safer water this summer.