Okay, it is summer and it’s HOT!  So lots of people turn to pools to cool down.  So we thought we’d touch on a few things you can do to be eco-conscious and water-wise while filling up the pool to beat the heat.  One HUGE fact to consider about why we should all be eco-conscious when it comes to our pools: In 1950, Americans owned only 2,500 private residential swimming pools; by 1970 they owned 713,000. There are more than 7 million private swimming pools in America today.   That’s a lot of water, chemicals, and electricity getting used up.  So here are some tips for running your pool this (and every) summer.

Definitely get a pool cover and, with the flip of a switch, the tarp type material automatically glides over the top of your water.   This expense up front will save lots of dollars down the line as it saves your water from evaporating.  This can also save the life of a child.

Energy consumption can be cut down with more efficient pumps and heaters. Typical pumps run at about 50 to 60% efficiency.  Exotic Pools offer pumps that are 90 to 92% efficient and uses about the same energy as your hairdryer.  Typical pumps run about 8 to 10 hours in the summer with energy efficient ones running for half of that.

Salt is another way to be eco-friendly cutting down on chlorine. The salt produces chlorine (or sodium chloride) outside of the water but pumps the salt water into the pool. You won’t have the itchy eyes, dryness of the skin, or green hair.  T he salt is barely noticeable and you can get a cartridge filter.  Typical filters require that you backwash to clean it which means you're backwashing that salt water into the environment.  This wastes more than 100 gallons of water!

Here are a few more additional tips that you can research further to make your pool cost you less money and be environmentally sound:

• Reduce your pool’s water temperature and the amount of months you heat the pool. Reduces energy, carbon footprint, and bills.
• Switch your pool filter and sweeper operations to off-peak hours. When it’s hot outside, air conditioners suck a lot of power out of the grid. During these peak times, many electric companies have to run dirty backup generators and they also charge higher prices.
• Keep your pool’s cleaning and heating equipment well maintained. This means more efficiency and will last longer before it needs to be replaced.
• Install a new water-saving pool filter.  Just one backflushing with a traditional filter can waste up to 250 gallons of water.
• Shorten the operating time for your swimming pool filter and use the automatic cleaning sweep. In the winter, two hours a day of filtering could cut your filter’s energy use by 40 percent to 50 percent, without any noticeable difference in clarity or sanitation.
• Create a windbreak around your pool with native plants and shrubs. This can prevent breezes from reaching your pool and keep hot, dry air from sucking away moisture.
• Use a “green” pool cleaning service. The traditional way to clean a pool is to drain all the water, acid wash the lining, and then refill the pool with thousands of gallons of additional water.

Now go swimming and feel better that your pool is being used and cared for in an environmentally sound fashion.