A swimming pool always means "relaxation, fun, exercise, and summer." Thus, having this amenity at home opens a myriad of lifestyle changes that improve personal health and offer more time spent with the family.
From taking that occasional dip from an exhausting day at work to organizing a poolside party with family and friends, owning your very own pool indeed has its benefits.
However, just like any amenity, swimming pools require maintenance for continuous operation without glitches. Some pool maintenance activities require chemicals, which can be detrimental to the environment, while others involve regularly checking up and maintaining the electrical wirings used for pool lights and other fixtures.
Due to these, swimming pools add to the ever-growing issues faced with climate change. A traditionally-built pool causes damage to the environment because of its high water use, high energy use, and harmful chemicals during pool maintenance and cleaning. The only way to enjoy a pool while at the same time taking care of the environment starts with a change in perspective regarding pool design and construction.
Eco-Friendly Pools
An eco-friendly pool has grown popular since it was designed and constructed with conservation. From efficient use of water, energy, and pool chemical, the goal of eco-friendly pools is to promote comfort, relaxation, and enjoyment without harming the environment. These measures significantly reduce the carbon footprint generated and emitted into the atmosphere while saving money from operation and maintenance costs.
Over the years, several movements aimed at promoting environmental awareness and consciousness among swimming pool developers and designers have paved the way towards switching to environmentally friendly swimming pools from traditional ones.
It may be a daunting task to overhaul an already existing pool, and the cost of having a highly-customed built is relatively higher than previous pool designs. Luckily, some pool supplies in the market are joining you in making this amenity sustainable.
Here are seven things you need to make the pool more sustainable and eco-friendly.
Use A Solar Blanket Or Pool Cover
An average swimming pool loses around 32,000 liters of water per year through the process of evaporation alone. The sun's heat speeds up evaporation resultant from pool water loss. However, pool covers or solar blankets reduce these losses by 95%.
A solar blanket is the cheapest device used to make pools more sustainable. Solar blankets are designed to keep the pool's heat from escaping, thus extending the swimming season for a couple more weeks or so.
For pools that have a built-in water heater, the wind plays a significant factor in decreasing the pool's temperature. This leads to the use of water heaters to increase the temperature conducive to swimming but increases the amount of energy needed to achieve such temperature.
Pool covers and solar blankets help decrease energy used by water heaters by retaining current pool temperature when not in use. The ability to maintain the pool's temperature conducive to swimming increases the pool's efficiency while at the same time limiting water heating costs. Further, a pool cover ensures that the pool is always clean and reduces cleaning chemicals and filtration.
Use A Solar Pool Heater
Pool heaters generate heat from multiple sources such as gas, electricity, etc. However, installing a solar-powered water heater is the way to go for pools to be environmentally efficient and sustainable.
Solar water heaters utilize the power generated by the sun to heat our pools. Not only does it help cut electricity costs from the use of electric water heaters, but it also facilitates the use of renewable sources of energy.
Switching to solar pool heaters cuts back the consumption of fossil fuels and natural gases used for electricity generation. Lastly, electricity use in water heating is way too expensive compared to solar-powered water heaters.
Use An Automatic Pool Cleaner
Cleaning is an integral aspect of pool maintenance. Normally, we rely on pool pumps and filtration systems to do the task. However, there is a more efficient and cost-effective method to do the same action. This is through the use of automatic pool cleaners.
Automatic pool cleaners or pool vacuums involve using a pool robot to collect debris, dirt, and algae. It has a pump and filtration system and does not need the use of the pool system while cleaning. The best part is that it uses the same energy as a standard light bulb which is cheaper than using the pool's cleaning system, thereby saving resources.
Choose LED Lights Over Halogen Bulbs
Another eco-friendly idea to be included in your pool's makeover is switching from halogen bulbs to LED lights. LED lights consume less power than other lights and greatly reduce electricity consumption while saving money.
Shift To Water-neutral Pools
Initially, shifting to neutral water pools can be very expensive at first. However, it is a valuable investment in the long run. These pools have water-harvesting devices that act as water reservoirs that collect rainwater to replenish pool water. This is used in conjunction with a backlash minimization system that reduces the amount of water necessary to maintain the swimming pool.
Use An Energy-efficient Pool Pump Model
Switching to energy-efficient pool pumps such as the variable speed pumps utilizes lesser electricity compared to traditional pool pumps. Further, adding a designated pump timer reduces the running time of pumps.
Stay Away From Chlorine
The use of chlorine to maintain pools has been practiced for the longest time. However, chlorine can be harsh to the skin, hair, and eyes. Also, it can damage the surrounding plants and may poison animals. A reasonable substitute is switching to bromine-based cleaners, Ozonator systems, and mineral sanitizers.
Key Takeaway
There are several ways to make a pool sustainable and eco-friendly. Some of them may come at hefty prices, but they are really worth it.
Some pool supplies can do the trick if these expensive solutions don't meet your budget. Not only do they serve as ethical choices, but they save resources in the long term. You can enjoy these benefits and enjoy the perks of a private swimming pool while you help preserve the environment.