The energy efficient pool

The energy efficient pool

Sustainable swimming

Advances in energy efficient pool equipment, combined with some top energy saving tips mean you can minimise your pool's energy consumption and increase your swim season.

Cover up
Pool covers are an effective way of keeping your pool clean and reducing operating costs. Quality covers act as a protective seal over the water, keeping heat and moisture in, and leaf litter and other environmental debris out.

Properly fitted, a pool cover can significantly reduce water evaporation, which is of particular concern for owners of outdoor pools. Factors that affect the evaporation rate include water temperature, air temperature and humidity, and wind speed on the pool surface; the higher the pool temperature and wind speed, and the lower the humidity, the greater the evaporation rate.

A pool cover acts as a giant solar collector increasing water temperature by as much as 10 to 15 degrees. Sealing your swimming pool with a robust wrap also means that water and chemicals don't evaporate as quickly. Over the course of a year this can translate to massive savings on energy, water and chemical costs.

Pumps and filters
An efficient swimming pool pump will significantly lower energy operating costs and is a key component of the filtration process. To ensure your pool filtration system runs efficiently, it is important to size your pool pump correctly depending on the size of your pool and how often you want to circulate the water.

Consider a model of pump with a closed impeller and reduced horsepower. Not only does it move water more efficiently, it may help you reduce your filter operating time by an hour or more. Other energy efficient tips include using the smallest pump possible for your pool, reducing filtration time to six hours a day during the swim season and keeping your drains free of debris. It's also important to backwash your filter appropriately.

For eco-friendly pool filtration systems, look out for the award-winning MultiCyclone Plus, Hydrostorm Eco, Micron Eco Sand Filter, and Opal Cartridge Filters.

Heating up
Proper pool heating can significantly extend the swimming season, enabling you to spend more time with family and friends – and make the most of your investment.

Choosing the most appropriate pool heater is determined by a number of criteria, including:

• Geographic location
• Size and depth of the pool
• How often the pool will be used
• How much flexibility and control you require

The latest solar pool water heaters can help increase the use of your pool by up to four months and are very economical in terms of energy costs.

However, it's the new generation of heat pump water heaters that are becoming increasingly popular due to their energy efficiency and ability to operate whatever the weather. Heat pumps extract heat from the air – similar to a reverse cycle air conditioner – and use this to heat pool water.

Then there are controllers, which constantly monitor pool temperatures so when it drops, the heater controller turns on the filtration pump to allow the heater to heat the pool.

Light fantastic
One way to radically reduce your energy consumption is to install Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights, not only because of their energy efficiency but also their longevity. LED lights do not require globe changing and last for many years, using very little power.

An incandescent bulb wastes a significant amount of energy while it is producing light. In fact, it acts more like an electric heater – warming the filament before there is enough energy to create light. LEDs on the other hand, do not have a filament to heat, so the electrical power is used simply to generate light.

For example, energy saving Britestream Niche LED lights have a long life span of over 70,000 hours while only using 15 watts of energy.