Green Tips: Maintaining an Eco-Friendly Swimming Pool

The summer isn’t over yet. If you have a swimming pool and are still planning to take a dip in the pool,  check out this week’s Green Tips to help you maintain it in an eco-friendly way! 

Heating 

Many pools use heaters to keep the water warm when the sun’s not out. If you heat your pool, here are some environmentally friendly alternatives that can save you money on your utility bill!

• Switch to a solar heater. There’s usually some upfront costs but over time the solar heater will pay for itself.
• Cover your pool with a solar pool cover. This will keep in heat while keeping out debris.
• Insulate the walls of an above-ground pool.

Cleaning 

Nobody likes to jump into a dirty swimming pool. Here are some eco-friendly tips to help you keep your pool and the environment clean! 

• Invest in a robotic pool cleaner. These automatic machines are up to 90% more energy efficient than a traditional filter system and many cost less than $0.05 per hour to run. The best part? You just drop it in the water and let it clean for you!
• If you don’t like the idea of a robot cleaning your pool, make sure to clean your filtration system regularly. These filters can get clogged and become very inefficient, costing you money and time. 
• Set timers on your pool pumps. Timers will allow the pump to do its job well while saving you energy and money.
• Chlorine is a common swimming pool chemical. To reduce the amount of chlorine used in the pool without reducing its effectiveness, mix chlorine with bromide. 
• Go chemical-free with a natural swimming pool that uses plants to filter water! 

Other Tips

• Keep your pool filled year round. An average pool in the USA contains up to 25,000 gallons of water. Draining and refilling uses quite a lot of water.
• Set up natural windbreaks around the pool to keep evaporation to a minimum. Bushes and trees make a great natural windbreak while adding natural beauty to your pool area. 

Being sustainable doesn’t always mean making sacrifices to your lifestyle! There are always eco-friendly alternatives, even when it comes to your pool. We hope you find these tips helpful. Pass them along to a neighbor or friend with a pool, too!