GOING GREENER 3 R 34 WHAT POOL & HOT TUB WAYS TO GO
‘GREENER’ WITH YOUR POOL
unning a swimming pool has many great benefits. But there’s also a sense of
environmental responsibility which comes with it. Certainly financial and environmental demands have put pressure on the use of water, energy and the whole carbon footprint implications which come with owning and running a swimming pool. But don’t despair – there are ways to cut costs and help the environment. Like most things the more efficient something is to run, the lower the running costs are – and swimming pools are no different. You’ll be pleased to hear that there are a number of ‘greener’ options which means that not only will the day to day cost of running a pool fall but it will be better for the environment in the longer run.
1.Covering up
The first and most obvious action any swimming pool owner needs to take is simple – cover up the pool when it is not in use. Swimming pools lose heat in a variety of ways but evaporation is by far the biggest source of energy loss. The latest estimates are that between 75% and 90% of heat loss is due to evaporation – that’s an awful lot of wasted resources and money! A pool cover of some kind is therefore an essential first step towards becoming ‘greener’.
The type of cover you go for will depend on your budget. The simplest form and one of the cheapest is an instant cover like Heatsavr, a bio-degradable liquid which prevents the water in the pool from evaporating. The liquid is dosed into the pool on a daily basis and works by forming a one molecule thick layer on the surface of the swimming pool whenever it is calm. It can’t be seen by the naked eye but it does stop the heat loss. The next step up in terms of costs are solar ‘bubble‘ covers which will both reduce evaporation and make the most of heat gain from the sun. You will need to choose a good quality cover of between 500 and 600 microns which is chlorine resistant so that the cover retains its colour and does not go brittle and crack before the end of the season. If your budget allows it then a fixed or slatted cover will do the job you are looking for in terms of heat loss and preventing evaporation but will also provide additional safety benefits also. And if money is really no object then at the top end of the market a number of covers on the market are fully automatic and close in a matter of moment. Size and shape isn’t an issue with these covers.
There are a huge variety of products on the market; designs allow all types of pool from standard to infinity pools to be covered. If you are looking at the greener options on covers then those fitted with a small solar panel on the end of the reel are the most environmentally efficient. Although these covers still use alternative energy it does mean their operational demands are much less. So that’s the first green action you can take – a cover will save you money and the higher up the market you go will provide safety issues as well.
2.Cutting down on chemicals Reducing the amount of chemicals you use in the pool will lead to savings and will also help to reduce the environmental impact of your pool. There are an increasing number of products on
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