Tips for Reducing the Costs of Owning a Pool

Owning your own swimming pool is an incredible feeling. Pool parties, games, and relaxing summer afternoons are instantly improved when you have your own pool. And it also gives you the freedom and flexibility to entertain and relax at your leisure.

However, the costs associated with keeping a pool well-maintained and operating efficiently may be staggering for first-time pool owners. Sustainable swimming pools are a great cost-saving solution without sacrificing their performance. But remodeling or replacing an existing pool is typically only feasible for those who have higher budgets to work with.

Thankfully, there are options to save considerable amounts on your costs with just a few additions to your pool system.

Automatic Cleaning System

You can expect to save anywhere between 197 kWh (or $59/year) and 2,989 kWh (or $897/year) using an automatic cleaning system. The exact amount you’ll save depends on its filtration pumps on the suction and pressure sides, as well as any booster pump features on the device.

Purchasing a high-quality robotic cleaning system results in significant benefits, most notably a 93% performance gain over traditional pool filtration systems. This leads to considerable savings long-term when it comes to water and energy usage.

However, energy costs are highly variable depending on your location. If you live in an area where energy costs are high, switching to a robotic cleaner is wise despite their higher upfront costs. Those energy costs will eventually offset and recover over time.  

Additionally, robotic cleaning systems clean the sides and corners of pools. This will save you the time and effort of doing it yourself.

[Related: Six Reasons to Buy a Swimming Pool Enclosure]

Solar Energy Collectors

Ask any long-time pool owner and they’ll all tell you the same thing: Keep the heater cranked down as low as you can stand it. 

Why? The energy costs for heating water in your pool increase with every tick you gain on the thermometer. Based on the most common pool temperatures, heating a pool 400,000 BTU costs $6.68 per hour.

The best way to offset the cost of heating your pool is to use solar energy collectors attached to its heating system. These units have gas and heat pump heaters, and while competitively priced, the improvement in heating performance is worth the investment. 

Pool owners who rely on a solar energy collector see a return on investment within two to seven years. But the majority of people who own pools expect to put it to use for several years to come, making solar energy a viable solution for pool owners. 

Fluorescent or LED Lighting

LED lighting has an array of benefits. They’re incrementally more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but you’ll use 90% less energy using LED rather than incandescent. 

Plus, LED bulbs last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs, making them a perfect solution for pool lighting systems. You’ll very rarely have to change them out for new ones. 

Pool Enclosures

There are many cost-saving benefits to pool enclosures

Reduces Water and Energy Consumption

A modern pool enclosure leads to substantial annual savings due to water conservation and preventing energy loss. 

In terms of water savings, pools lose between two millimeters and two inches of water every week due to evaporation. A complete enclosure will engulf a pool system as well the surrounding deck, which prevents water loss from wind, high temperatures, and even splashing from swimmers. 

Pool enclosures also protect your pool investment from convection and escaping heat. As a result, your pool water will stay at your desired temperature so you don’t have to use energy reheating it as often. You can save between 50% to 70% on energy costs associated with pool heating.

Weather-Resistant and Protects Swimmers 

Certain pool enclosures work better than others depending on your pool’s size and location. But regardless of these factors, pool enclosures will always protect your pool (and those in it) from harsh weather. 

Most high-quality pool enclosures are also resistant to harmful UV rays, which are highly dangerous with consistent exposure. A UV-resistant pool enclosure will regulate internal temperatures, keeping pool water and swimmers comfortable and cool during hot weather when temperatures scale high. They’ll also keep the pool water and interior temperature warm during the winter months when temperatures drop below freezing and snow starts to pile up outside. 

Protecting the health of swimmers helps you avoid potential medical bills and associated costs. You’re able to avoid certain pool damage as well with the help of pool enclosures, which will save you money on repair, maintenance, and cleaning costs.

Customizable and Versatile

Pool enclosures are a wise choice compared to flimsy mesh covers or loose tarps.  

Pool enclosures made of tensioned fabric membranes provide long-term use and are often customizable depending on the brand. WeatherPort® Shelter Systems provides customization options for pool owners who want views of their surroundings, expansion capabilities, and various aesthetic features. 

WeatherPort offers windows and skylights and even adjustable (as well as removable) side panel doors that allow you to see your surroundings without experiencing the negative, highly variable effects of the weather. These customizations help in reducing electricity consumption thanks to natural light illuminating your pool space through windows, skylights, and translucent side panel doors. 

Additional Cost-Saving Benefits of Pool Enclosures

Pool enclosures allow decreased usage of chemicals since the pool water is protected from outdoor elements by the pool enclosure. For example, rainwater falling into your pool requires treatment to ensure it’s safe for swimming. The costs to chemically treat your pool water quickly rack up over time without a pool enclosure.

You’ll also enjoy the benefit of year-round swimming with a pool enclosure. You won’t need to worry about winterizing and de-winterizing your pool, which requires an immense about of time and water supply to drain, clean, turn off piping and electricity in the winter, and then turn it back on and refill the pool come spring. Not to mention those chemical treatment costs you’ll have to repeat every spring without an enclosure. 

Pool enclosures ensure you get the most out of your pool investment throughout every season. 

Types of Pool Enclosures

WeatherPort offers a range of tensioned fabric pool enclosures for your various needs. 

Pool Enclosures for Backyards

Backyard pool enclosures are great for homeowners with pools behind their house or somewhere else on their property. They’re also great for apartment complexes with residential-sized pools. 

The GB Series and HGB Series are fabric shelter pool enclosures available for homeowners or renters with small or medium-sized pools.

The GB Series has straight walls and is available in widths between 8’ and 20’, any length, and a standard eave height of 5’. You can customize your eave height if additional clearance is needed for your side walls.

The HGB Series is highly customizable, featuring an array of configuration options. It’s available in widths of up to 30’, any length, and a standard “soft” eave height of 6’. The walls are traditionally arched rather than straight-walled.

[Related: How to Create a Backyard Oasis]

Pool Enclosures for Community Pools and Aquatic Centers

Community pools and aquatic centers are typically much larger than pools in a backyard, so they require a larger enclosure. The HGB Series and DAGB Series from WeatherPort are viable solutions for community pools and aquatic centers, giving full coverage and protection from the elements. 

The DAGB is available in much larger sizes reaching up to 150’ wide, compared to the smaller-scaled HGB Series, which caps at 30’ wide. The double truss design of the DAGB allows secure protection for swimmers and ample interior space for poolside activities. And despite their large size, they can securely anchor into almost any type of ground, including concrete foundations.

The DAGB Series is expandable and commonly installed as a permanent fabric shelter solution for community pools and aquatic centers.  

[Related: Advantages of Improving Parks, Community Facilities, and Event Spaces With Fabric Structures]

Contact WeatherPort to Reduce Your Operational Pool Costs

Minimize your operational costs, save energy and water, and reduce time and effort due to pool maintenance with a tensioned fabric pool enclosure

To learn more about WeatherPort or our pool enclosures, contact us today. Email us or request a quote through our online inquiry form to begin your free consultation. 

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