By , ,
Published February 02, 2017
A swimming pool is great way to cool down in the summer months, but the costs of owning a pool can quite steep. However, with these tips and tricks, you can shave a little off of your pool expenses this summer.
Cut Your Insurance Costs
Owning a pool can cause your insurance premiums to swell. Insurance companies consider pools to be a major liability risk — if a neighborhood child gets injured in the pool, you could be on the hook. To offset this risk, you might be required to carry increased liability insurance for your pool. However, you can take some steps to limit the cost of insurance. Make sure that you have a high fence around your yard that keeps the pool out of public view. You’ll also want to install a second fence that’s at least 48 inches high around the pool with a self locking gate. Diving boards and slides can also increase your insurance costs, so while it might cut in on your summer fun, it could make good economic sense to get rid of them.
Use Less Chemicals
Chemicals to keep your pool sparking clean can be pretty pricey. However, there are a number of more cost-effective alternatives out there. A salt chlorine generator can transform ordinary table salt into chlorine, saving you money and trips to the pool-supply store. As an added bonus, these devices are fully automated so they take a lot of the guesswork out of adding the right amount of chlorine to your pool. You’ll still have to have regular chlorine on hand to shock the pool when needed, but a salt chlorine generator can drastically reduce the amount of chemicals you’ll need to put in your pool.
Reduce Your Water Costs
Wind plays a major role in evaporation. However, by planting a row of hedges, building a fence or creating some other barrier around the pool, you can cut down on water lost through evaporation.
Use a Solar Blanket
A solar pool blanket will not only cut down on water lost through evaporation, but it can also cut down on your heating costs. A pool blanket uses the greenhouse effect to your advantage, transferring solar heat into the water and then trapping it there.
Upgrade Your Pool Pump
The pump is the heart of any pool system, and if you have an old one, it could be working a lot harder than it needs to. New variable speed pumps are far more efficient than older single-speed pumps. With a single-speed pump, your pool is always running at top speed. But a variable-speed pump allows the system to downshift when your pool just needs to cycle water, cutting your electricity costs by 50 to 70 percent.
Stay On Top of Basic Maintenance
Sure, it can cut into your summer fun, but regular day-to-day maintenance on your pool can save you a lot of money. A clogged filtration system can cause your pump to work twice as hard. Simply by cleaning it out on a regular basis, and cleaning any debris you see floating in the pool, you can cut the costs of running your pump.
Install a Solar Heating System
Electricity costs to keep your pool running can be extremely high, especially if you heat the pool. But by installing a solar heating system for your pool, you can save quite a bit of money. Even if you don’t have the money for a solar panel system, there are ways to put the sun to work for you. Cut down any tree blanches that hang over the pool, blocking the sun’s rays. Trimming tree branches will also keep leaves out of the pool, saving time on basic maintenance and keeping debris out of your filtration system.
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