Heat Your Pool the Cost Efficient Way
Pool ownership can be costly, especially the price tag attached to heating your in-ground swimming pool. Once initial construction is complete, new considerations, such as pool maintenance and ongoing costs, invariably come up. It is at this point that how to heat a pool cost efficiently becomes a high priority for many. Here are a few tips and tricks to heat in-ground pools for less money.
When to Run Your HPPH
Most owners run a Heat Pump Pool Heater. If you run one of these units alone without any other systems, the time of day that you use it can have a direct effect on the money you spend. HPPH systems gather warmth from the surrounding air. Therefore, you will garner the best results if you run it when the outside air temperature is at its hottest.
There are controls on the filter system that will let you manipulate the settings. Change the settings for your filter and you also change the settings for your HPPH because they work in tandem. Simply set up the filter system to run during peak sun hours and the HPPH will perform optimally at a lower cost.
Solar Energy
Pools that use solar energy as their primary source of heat save money. Solar heat is pretty much free. There might, however, be small increases in your electric bill because of increased water pump usage. But, those costs are usually minimal.
There is a downside to the use of solar energy. It must be used constantly for the entire season regardless of weather conditions, so it can build up energy and provide enough heat on cloudy days. To compensate for this, some owners use a combination system that utilizes both solar energy and an HPPH system. This workaround provides the benefits of both systems, which can be alternated depending on the season and weather conditions.
Control Heat Loss, Control Costs
Heat loss occurs mostly when water evaporates from your pool’s surface. In fact, more than three-quarters of the heat loss in most pools is because of evaporation. By controlling how fast the water evaporates with pool blankets, you also control the amount of heat loss.
One type of pool blanket is motorized. It is deployed automatically over a mechanical track system. The heavy vinyl blanket works as a heat retention device. It provides complete and total cover that is very effective. In fact, these blankets have water evaporation levels near zero. These are sometimes also referred to as safety blankets because nonswimmers or children are less likely to fall through and unexpectedly wind up in the pool.
A less expensive option is a sheet made of vinyl that contains small air bubbles. It is almost like bubble wrapping your pool! It will keep your pool from losing too much water and heat. However, this cheaper blanket option doesn’t provide any safety benefit since people or things can easily fall through the plastic.
Liquid blankets are also inexpensive but are also the least effective of these three options. Users calculate the amount needed to cover the surface of your pool and pour it on. The liquid creates a layer of molecules that cover your pool and slows down evaporation. The only drawback is that this thin sheet can easily be disturbed by wind or other surface disruptions.
There are many money-saving ideas for heating your pool. We are proud to be one of the premier swimming pool companies in Houston, Texas, providing our customers with sound advice throughout the life of their in-ground pool. Keep monitoring our blog for more tips and tricks for pool owners.
Feel free to contact us at Precision Pools & Spas, Houston, TX with any questions you may have regarding your pool and maintaining it in the best cost efficient way all around.