How to Reduce Pool Energy Use This Summer

How to Reduce Pool Energy Use This Summer

June 13, 2017

While a swimming pool adds fun and healthy physical exercise to your lifestyle, pool energy use also exercises your monthly expenses. Surveys reveal that a single-family residence with a pool typically consumes 49 percent more electricity and almost 20 percent more natural gas than the house next door without a pool. The result is that pool owners spend a minimum of $500 more annually on energy. Where electricity rates are high, the increased expense is even greater.

How to Save Energy from Your Pool

The conclusion is clear: anywhere you can reduce pool energy use will pay off in lower monthly expenses. Here are some opportunities to cut costs:

  • Upgrade the pump. A typical in-ground residential pool contains 20,000 gallons of water. Circulating and filtering it adds substantial energy consumption. If your existing pool pump is more than five years old, it’s probably far less energy-efficient than today’s new generation pumps. Variable-speed pumps with highly efficient motors can reduce pump electrical consumption by up to 75 percent.
  • Reduce pump run time. Most pool owners run the pump much longer than actually necessary for water quality. Installing a timer to control pump run time can save on electricity costs. A plumbing professional or pool installer can use a formula to calculate the proper time required for adequate filtration based on the total volume of the pool.
  • Install efficient LED pool lighting. After running the filtration pump and heating the pool in winter, pool lighting is the third largest consumer of energy. Old-school incandescent bulbs are energy hogs and also require frequent replacement. New LED pool lights use one-tenth the energy and last 25 times longer. Another benefit: LED lights can be programmed to produce a wide variety of colors, greatly increasing the aesthetic appeal of the pool.
  • Use a pool cover. Covering the pool helps prevent heat loss in winter but also provides summer energy savings. A covered pool accumulates less airborne dust, dirt and other debris. This reduces the total pump hours to keep the water clean and saves on pool energy use.