Saving Energy >> Green Tips >> Upgrade Your Equipment >> Upgrade Your Pool Equipment

If you’re like most pool owners, your pool runs neck-and-neck with your central air and water heater as one of the three hungriest energy users in your household. The good news is, you can significantly reduce those bills with a few upgrades to your pool equipment.

The heart of swimming pool savings.

The first place to look for pool energy savings is the filtration system—the heart of which is the pump. Variable-speed pumps are easily programmable to change their speed to suit various tasks.  For example, low speeds are best suited for routine filtration, while faster speeds are required for operating pool cleaners, spa jets, water features…and more.  Compared to a traditional single-speed or two-speed pump, this flexibility can reduce a swimming pool’s energy consumption up to 90 percent. (Exact savings depend on how often the pump runs, what it’s used for, and the overall hydraulic design of the pool.)

Beyond the pump: More ways to save. 

Automation controls are the pool world’s equivalent of the home’s programmable thermostat. Pool control systems not only make pool ownership more convenient, they also save energy. They allow owners to access their pool equipment from practically anywhere…anytime… with push-button simplicity while also scheduling equipment run times for heating, lighting, spa jets, water features, cleaners and more…to maximize energy savings.  Like the home thermostat, they allow homeowners to schedule the equipment so it runs only when needed. They also let you program daily functions during off-peak times to take advantage of cheaper time-of-use electric rates. To make the savings even easier, automated controls can also offer you the convenience of remote programming through your laptop computer, iPad™ or iPhone®.

LED lighting with today’s newest technology takes only 26 to 70 watts to provide the same brightness as an incandescent light consuming 500 watts. These top-performing LED lights are available for pools, spas and the surrounding landscaping. Each one not only saves energy, it also lasts longer to save you money on future replacements.

Covers save you money thanks to simple laws of physics: evaporation and the fact that heat rises. Delving just a bit into the science, it takes 1 BTU (a measure of heat energy) to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. However, every pound of 80-degree water that evaporates takes 1,048 BTUs with it.  Capturing that heat (essentially, reducing the rate of evaporation) is one easy way to conserve energy and heating costs.

Heating technology, too, has advanced rapidly. If a gas pool heater is more than five years old, an upgrade to a heater that meets today’s stricter minimum energy requirements could quickly pay for itself. A better option in many climates is an air source heat pump, which can deliver savings of up to 80 percent over conventional heaters.

The savings really add up.

The savings from a variable-speed pump alone can translate to a reduction of 20 to 40 percent in a homeowner’s overall monthly electric bill. When combined with the use of a cover on a heated pool, the pump can provide the same annual savings a homeowner would gain by upgrading an entire 2,500-square-foot, single-story home to ENERGY STAR levels—at only a fraction of the cost.

There’s no time like the present.

The sooner you upgrade your equipment, the sooner you start saving. In addition, many government bodies and utilities are now paying cash rebates for energy-saving pool upgrades.  To start saving today, find a pool professional near you.