8 Money Saving Tips for Your Swimming Pool

Maintaining a swimming pool can be expensive. Thankfully, there are many ways that you can cut down on the cost. Here are 8 of the best tips to save money on your swimming pool.

1. Buy Chemicals for Your Pool Early and In Bulk

Many pool supply stores have specials at the beginning of the spring. Get in the door early and buy in bulk for the best deals. Stocking up on chemicals at the beginning of the season can also save you money in the long run by ensuring that you have the supplies you need to keep your pool healthy throughout the swim season.

2. Invest in a Robotic Pool Cleaner

A robotic pool cleaner is an investment that will pay for itself. It is the most effective tool for cleaning your pool since it runs on its own, collecting debris and cleaning the walls faster and more efficiently than you could. Since it also filters the water while it is running, you can rely less on the pool’s pump and filter. It is much less expensive to power a robotic pool cleaner than to power a pool pump and filter.

3. Store Your Vacuum Correctly

Replacing the head of a swimming pool vacuum can be expensive. Flattened or missing bristles on a vacuum head are the main reason replacement is needed. You can double the life of your vacuum head, and protect its bristles, by storing it out of the sun with the head upside down.

4. Run Your Pool’s Pump & Filter at Night

Pool pumps use a lot of electricity. Running your pool’s pump during off-peak hours (usually between 8:00pm and 6:00am) can save you money since electric companies generally charge lower costs for those hours. It is also smart to only run your pump for the minimum amount of time required to keep the water in good condition which is just 4 hours a day. If the water looks a little cloudy during the daytime, turning on the filter for 30 minutes should solve the problem.

5. Use a Solar Pool Cover or Liquid Solar Blanket

Covering your pool with a solar cover or liquid solar blanket at night or when it is not in use can save you money in two ways. It can prevent water from evaporating and it can keep your pool warm.

As much as 25,000 gallons of water can evaporate out of a pool every year. Replacing all of that water adds up. Using a solar cover can reduce the amount you have to replace by trapping it in the pool when it isn’t being used.

Solar covers also trap heat from the day in the pool so that it doesn’t cool down when the temperature drops at night. As a result, if you use a solar cover, your pool will not need a heater. If you do choose to still use a pool heater, because you don’t feel like the sun makes the water warm enough, the solar cover will trap that heat as well so that you don’t have to run the heater for a long period of time. Just use the heater to get the pool to your desired temperature then turn it off and place the solar cover over the water.

6. Keep Your Pool Clean During the Winter

If you don’t keep your pool clean during the winter, you will have to spend more money on chemicals to get the water ready for the first swim in the spring. The best way to keep it clean during the off season is to invest in a pool cover.

Mesh pool covers are great because they don’t require any maintenance. If you have another type of pool cover, make sure to routinely sweep off leaves and other debris. Use your pool pump to suck up rain water so that the untreated water and any debris can’t get into the pool.

7. Test & Maintain the Chlorine Levels

One of the best ways to control costs for your pool is to test and maintain the chlorine levels during the swim season. Use chlorine stabilizer or cyanuric acid to keep the chlorine levels more stable. Also, be sure to shock your pool at least once a week or whenever you notice the strong sent of chlorine. Do the shock treatments at night so that chlorine isn’t lost to the sun.

When you test the water, the chlorine levels should be between two and four parts per million according to the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. Make sure to keep it within this healthy zone.

8. Reduce Your Water Waste

Water is an expensive necessity. Small losses of pool water can add up to significant costs. The main ways that pools lose water are evaporation, leaks, and filter backwashing.

Using a pool cover when your pool isn’t in use is the best way to prevent evaporation. The simplest way to discover leaks is to keep an eye on the water levels. If you notice differences in the water level that you know is not a result of splashing, it is likely that your pool has a leak. It would be smart to call in a professional for an inspection.

Reducing the amount of water used by backwashing the filter is trickier because it is necessary to do. There are a few tricks to reducing the amount of water you use for backwashing. Keeping your pool clean is one of the ways. If reduce the amount of debris sucked up by the filter, it will not need washed as often. When you are backwashing, make sure that you stop as soon as the water runs clear so that you don’t use more water than necessary.

We hope that these 8 tips help you to maintain your pool even on a tight budget. If you need any help, give us a call!