A Helpful Guide To Saving Water When You Have A Swimming Pool!
Saving water while owning a pool might sound like too much of an oxymoron to be true. But we beg to differ. Water conservation with a pool in the house does not have to be a far-fetched dream.
By taking some simple steps, pool owners can make a huge difference in their monthly water consumption. You can also expect a slight change in your water bill. With the large bills that accompany home pools, even a small difference in the bill can be substantial. For all the water conscious pool owners, our guide to saving water will help you ensure that a minimal amount of water is lost from your pool. Here’s how you can do it:
Use better equipment
With advanced technology providing solutions to every problem, swimming pools are no different. Pools require a substantial number of electrical equipment, and using good quality tools will decrease your electricity bills along with the water bill.
Smaller but efficient pumps
When it comes to water pumps for pool water circulation, large does not necessarily mean good. You want your fibreglass pool to have an efficient pump. If a smaller pump can get the same work done as a large pump, you don’t have to spend extra cash on the larger model.
Switch to a cartridge filter
Unlike a sand filter, a cartridge filter doesn’t need any backwashing. These filters can be dismantled and then cleaned, saving up to a thousand gallons of pool water.
Avoid evaporation
Water evaporation is one of the leading causes of pool water loss. If you don’t want to unnecessarily lose your pool water, the simplest way is to stop evaporation. Pools lose their water when it comes in contact with air and wind, turning to water vapour and merging with the atmospheric elements. You can stop this evaporation by simply keeping your water from getting in contact with air when not in use.
Use pool covers
Using a pool cover is one of the easiest ways to avoid losing pool water, simultaneously keeping it clean and hygienic. Apart from this big advantage, there are also innumerable other uses for a pool cover, so if you don’t already have one, it is advised that you get your pool a cover.
Reduce water surface area
Things like fountains and waterfalls may look like a lot of fun, but when it comes to water saving, they are a bit counterproductive. The dynamic nature of these aspects substantially increases the surface area of pool water. With an increase in surface area, the rate of evaporation also multiplies.
Decrease water temperature
Higher water temperatures, especially during peak summers, can speed up the evaporation process. Just decrease the pool thermostat, and the rate of water vaporisation will also dwindle.
Use windbreaks
As discussed above, the wind has great potential to contribute to evaporation. As wind speed picks up, the amount of water it takes away from the pool also increases. To tackle this problem, windbreaks act as a shield for the pool water. They reduce wind speed and control the amount of wind getting in direct touch with the water. This helps evade evaporation to a good extent.
Keep your filter clean
Even if you don’t have a cartridge filter, make sure that your sand filter remains in tip-top shape. When your filter is clean, your pool water will not require backwashes. Only backwash when it is really needed. You can identify it’s time for a backwash when the gauge reads somewhere between 8 and 10 psi. Don’t backwash unless the gauge gives this reading because you will needlessly lose pool water.
Regular maintenance
Maintaining your pool includes everything from regularly checking equipment to maintaining the chemical balance of pool water. It may not seem like it, but pool maintenance can go a long way in water conservation.
Identify and mend pool leaks
If your pool water keeps on mysteriously disappearing even after taking several steps to cut evaporation, there’s a high possibility that your pool is suffering a leak. The tricky part of having a pool leak is that you can lose thousands of gallons of water before you’re even made conscious of its existence. After realising it’s a leak that’s jeopardising your pool water, the next task is to identify it.
Pool leaks generally require a trained pool tech to repair them. The time a cost of the repair depends on the size and difficulty of the repair. Most pool leaks are simple and can be mended in a single day. If you identify a pool leak, it is wise to consult a trusted professional at the earliest.
Keep the splash in the pool
When kids are in the pool, it is inevitable for splash fights to take place. While adults may not splash water around, it may be hard to tell kids that their fun shouldn’t include splashing water. Still, it’s worth a try setting up boundaries on what kind of fun is acceptable. You may also take this as an opportunity to teach your kids about water conservation and how they can have fun in the water without wasting it. Using inflatable floaties should also prove to be useful.
Reuse good filter backwash water
When you have no option but to backwash your pool water, you don’t have to let the good water go down the drain or let it run out in the open. Usually, the backwash pool water is okay for uses like watering your plants or cleaning the outdoors. If you can find some beneficial ways of dealing with your backwash water, you will feel better about not completely letting it go to waste.
Home pools are a great source of entertainment and bonding for family members. Maintaining a pool does not always have to be an expensive affair. Nor does it have to be wasteful. Taking the necessary steps to save water, electricity and other resources, you will be kinder to the environment and your own wallet as well. Saving water and owning a pool can be complementary to each other.