The best parts of summer can also end up being the most expensive. Keeping your swimming pool maintained can rack up a massive bill.
Keeping up with your pool maintenance costs doesn’t have to be a disaster. There are smart ways to help reduce some of the worst of it.
We here at Sahara Construction & Custom Pools want you to get the most out of your pool. Below we have compiled some of the best tips for keeping your maintenance costs low!
The 9 Tips to Controlling Your Pool Maintenance Costs
Your pool can have a lot of details that can wrong with it. There are so many different kinds of chemicals to care about. You need to worry about dirt and debris in your pool. Not to mention electrical costs for pumps and filters.
All of these little details have tricks that can tip the scales in your favor. Here are 9 tips you should look into for lowering your pool maintenance costs.
1. Keep Your Pool Vacuum Head Secured
With the chemicals, covers, and cleaners, there are a lot of accessories that you can forget. One of the biggest ones you need to keep an eye on is your pool vacuum attachments.
They can be expensive to replace and can be easy to damage in many ways. The best way to keep them alive and in good shape is to store them upside down, off the ground, and out of the sun.
2. Save Energy with a Solar Cover
For the cooler months, you might want to keep your pool nice and heated. The problem is running the heater for that long can be a huge expense.
Solar covers are a great tool. They attract and absorb heat from the sun to spread to your pool. They also cover the pool to keep heat from escaping it. They don’t need direct electricity, so you only need your heater for initial heating.
3. Use Baking Soda as an Alkalinity Increaser Alternative
One of the many chemical worries of your own pool is keeping the alkaline levels suitable and high. The problem is that most alkaline increasers are expensive.
The trick here is baking soda. Baking soda can provide the same effect as some of the best alkaline increasers.
The word of warning here is that baking soda is a bit more powdery than the usual alkaline increaser. As such, if you use too much, your pool can get clouded. You only need a little bit, so when in doubt, use less to be safe.
4. Keep a Clean Cover on Your Pool
Anytime you cover your pool, you are trying to keep a lot of the other parts of nature out of your pool. The problem is, your cover may be detrimental to that idea if you aren’t careful.
You may pull back the cover after a few months and reveal and gross, swamp-like pool! How do you avoid this? There are some steps.
Make sure there is a space between your pool and the cover. It will be impossible to have a complete avoidance of bacteria, but if the pool isn’t touching your cover, it will help them not spread.
Next, keep clearing off your cover. Water and debris that sit on your cover will make it harder to remove come summer again. As well, the dirty water on top can drip into your pool and contaminate it.
5. Use a Variable-Speed Pool Pump
A water pump is vital for keeping a clean pool. A good pump will keep your water healthy and flowing, stopping algae buildup and other contaminates. In the heat of summer, you might need to run your pump for 10 to 12 hours a day.
Because of this intense pumping regimen, you want a pump that has as much electrical efficiency as you can. Variable-speed pool pumps do well in keeping costs down by operating as needed.
6. Buy Pool Chemicals in Bulk During Early Sales
Pool chemicals can get expensive. You will also need a lot of them. The cure for this problem is simple, buy early and buy in bulk.
A lot of pool stores will have bulk sales at the beginning of spring for all those people eager to get a headstart on their poolside fun.
These sales can save you massive amounts of money on enough chemicals to last you the whole year, if not more. Take advantage of them when you can!
7. Keep Up With Pool Shocking
Shocking your pool is a vital part of keeping it healthy. It can be super effective, but don’t let the effectiveness of it make your vigilance falter.
Missing a single week of shocking your pool, combined with frequent use with a bunch of sweaty bodies, and your pool can become a hazard in a week. Then you’ll have to triple your shocking routine while your filter works 24/7.
A simple and consistent shocking regimen will keep your pool neat and tidy.
8. Run Pumps During Evening Electricity Hours
Here is a neat trick that doesn’t involve the pool in a direct manner. Most electrical company’s peak hours for energy use is 7 am to 7 pm. As such, to save a bit of money on electric bills, run your pool pump at night.
Evening and night time can be a great time to run a lot of “set it and forget” systems. Systems like robotic pool cleaners.
9. Use a Robotic Pool Cleaner
Cleaning your pool is a hassle. There are many robotic pool cleaners that can make the work seem like no effort at all.
The initial investment of these robots can be expensive, ranging in the several hundred dollars. The upside is not only the time they can save you but also the extra money they can save by not needing to run your pump and filter as much.
Custom Pools For Your Swimming Needs
With these tips, you can keep your pool in great shape without the major cost. Keeping your pool maintenance costs down allows you to indulge your fantastic ideas for custom pools.
We here at Sahara Construction & Custom Pools are eager to help you get the pool of your dreams. Contact us today for more details!
