Installing your own home swimming pool is a great way to experience the benefits of regular exercise and recreation in the comfort of your own backyard. It’s also the ideal spot for entertaining guests and spending quality time relaxing with your family. But some homeowners are reluctant to take the plunge into pool ownership, because they’re concerned about the cost involved in proper pool maintenance. With the variety of different tasks involved in responsible pool ownership, it’s no wonder some people feel a bit intimidated by it all.
If you’re thinking about installing a swimming pool, but you’re not sure you can afford all the extra expenses, there are some smart ways in which you can save money. In this series of articles, we’ll be exploring some of the best methods for reducing your pool’s overall energy costs while increasing its efficiency. If you incorporate these wise energy conservation tips into your pool ownership experience, you can spend less time worrying about paying for pool upkeep and more time actually enjoying your backyard oasis!
Keep Your Pool Water Circulating
When it comes to maintaining a healthy, clean swimming environment, pool circulation is a key component. Achieving optimal water flow is simple once you learn the basics of pool circulation.
Pool circulation is affected by several factors. These factors include the following:
- the amount of debris found in your pool’s pump basket and skimmer
- how clean you keep your filter media
- how frequently you allow your pool’s pump/filter to run
These Maintenance Steps can Help Ensure Proper Circulation
If you want your pool to circulate as effectively as possible, plan to keep all of these factors in mind and set up a schedule for taking care of each one. For example, check the condition of your pump and skimmer at least once a week during the swimming season. You’ll probably be surprised to discover just how much dirt, dust, leaves, and other debris can accumulate in them in a short amount of time. If you leave all that gunk in your pump and skimmer without making time for regular cleanings, your pool water won’t circulate the way it should. You’ll also notice that the pool water doesn’t look or feel as clean as it should.
Similarly, your pool’s filter needs to be cleaned methodically during the swimming season. You should plan on giving it a good cleaning at least every two or three weeks. The proper way to clean your filter will differ depending on whether your pool has a Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filter, a sand filter, or a cartridge filter. Check out this article to learn more about the pros and cons of different kinds of filters, including which ones require more or less cleaning.
Keeping your filter system running for eight or more hours a day throughout the swimming season will help your water to circulate at a healthy rate for proper distribution of chemicals throughout the entire pool. If you let your pool filter get clogged with contaminants by forgetting to clean it according to manufacturer recommendations, you’ll end up with a far less efficient system. It could potentially increase your energy costs as well as lessen the circulation of the water in your pool.
Pool circulation is certainly one of the ways you can increase your pool’s efficiency in order to save on energy. In the next article in this series, we’ll take a look at some other energy-efficiency hacks savvy pool owners are taking advantage of in order to keep costs down.
Continue Reading about Pools
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• What Kind of Pool is Right for You?
Lyon Financial: America’s Leading Pool Lender
Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 400,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.
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