Monday, June 29, 2009

Essential Water Conservation Tips for Maintaining a Swimming Pool and Saving Money

Pool covers, shut off valves, chemicals, repairs and filters are the key to water conservation success with swimming pools. Educating yourself in these areas and finding the help you need, will help you become water saving savvy while also realizing that owning a pool does not have to become a financial burden! Pools have the reputation for causing high utility bills and environmental harm. You as an owner have the power to diminish this reputation while enjoying your pool in a water conserving, financially responsible way. Gorilla Pools has given you four simple guidelines to follow. Stick with these ideas and you will have nothing to worry about, but relaxation!

1. Keep a cover on the pool.


Just like a greenhouse traps water and sunlight, a pool cover help keeps your pool in balance with chemicals, heat and less water loss. According to the City of Glendale, on average, a pool cover can save 16,000 gallons of water from evaporation per year. Using a pool cover can help as an efficient way to keep in heat and also prevent water loss. This is a cost effective way of staying environmentally sound while protecting your pool as well.

2. Watch the shut off valve.


In order to make sure your pool does not overfill, keep an eye on the shut off fill. Overfilling your pool is wasteful and unnecessary. Follow all guidelines for filling your pool to its proper water height or ask for help. An overfilled pool causes more over-splashes during use, wasting water and wet dangerous surfaces.

3. Keep up on chemicals and needed repairs.


Repair any cracks or leaks found in your pool or on surrounding features. Leaks can cause damage to not only your water bill, but also cause mold, cracks in your cool deck, damage to landscaping, and even the foundation of your home or your neighbors’ if they are let go for too long. A tiny leak in pool plumbing can lose over 900 gallons of water a day. Pipe replacements and checking seals can save your water bill and home from many costly damages.

If your filter tank is leaking, do not waste time trying to seal it. Due to the water movement in the tank it will continue to leak though seals or patches. When these have leaks, they must be replaced with new tanks. A contact for assistance with replacements and the right tank for you can be reached at Gorilla Pools.

Keeping up with pool chemical maintenance and repairs is imperative not only to your health and safety but also the length of time you can keep the same water in your pool without draining and refilling it to correct the balance. Once a pool collects a certain amount of microscopic debris, there is no turn around miracle that can be implemented without draining and starting over again. With the proper balance of chemicals, properly maintained equipment to filter the debris, and a regular cleaning regiment, your pool water chemistry will be stable for a long period of time.

4. Avoid backwashing your filter if you can have it manually cleaned.


When you backwash your pool filter, you are sending gallons of water rushing out of your system to clean out your filter yet, it does not always clean your filter completely. Sand filters require this kind of cleaning, but other filters can be manually cleaned. If you have to backwash, the suggested rate of water loss is no more than 12 gallons per minute. Also, recycle the backwashed water by using it to water landscaping. Have your current filter replaced with a new enhanced cartridge filter or D.E. filter. Cartridge filters are maintained by rinsing them out and soaking them in solution if needed. They are no threat to the environment, and only need to be replaced every two to three years. D.E. filter parts need to be replaced annually on average, but in turn will keep your pool filtered from the finest debris, lengthening time between full drains.

Remembering these essential tips can assist in a water conservation and costs associated with your swimming pool. Your pool is meant to be a relaxing and beautiful asset to your home, not a burden. So observe and maintain in order to conserve, and let your pool investment show its relaxing returns!

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