Pool Water Usage

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Notorious for water-guzzling, the best way to optimise your efficiency with pools is to avoid having one. However, there are some things you can do to save on your energy costs if you really must have a pool.

  • Use a rainwater collection system to fill the pool and top it off.
  • Make sure you use an insulated cover. This keeps the heat in when the pool's not in use and also prevents evaporation, thus saving water.
  • Make sure you use efficient pumps and heaters.
  • Power the pumps and heaters with a photovoltaic array or a ground source heat pump.
  • Use a solar thermal system for your water heater.
  • Use a bigger filtration system than you need – less pumping is required to push all the water through, which saves energy.
  • Reduce pool temperature – not only will it reduce the heating requirement but filtration is easier, too, as fewer bacteria and contaminants survive in colder water.

The other problem with pools is the chemicals required to keep them safe for use and the overall energy cost of those chemicals to the world. If you're considering having a pool installed, you should investigate the "natural pool" option: built to mimic nature, they use plant life to filter the water instead of chemicals, reducing your energy footprint. They freeze over in winter without any problems and the plant life puts on a beautiful display come spring and summer.