12 Ways to Conserve Water in your Swimming Pool

#EarthDay 12 WAYS TO CONSERVE WATER IN YOUR SWIMMING POOL How does a pool waste water? Water Pool Splash Filter Evaporation Leaks out Backwashing Did you know? Without a cover, an 18' x 36' pool loses about 1 inch of water per week, which can add up to 7,000 gallons annually In Arizona, a typical pool can lose up to 25,000 gallons a year in water evaporation Up to 30% of all pools have a leak A normal 2 minute backwash for a sand filter wastes about 200 gallons of water. 12 Ways to Conserve Water Have your pool tested for leaks. Repair any visible leaks immediately. 1 Use a grease pencil to mark the water level of your pool at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later to see if you have a leak. Keep your pool covered when not in use to minimize evaporation, 2 especially at night. Use a liquid solar cover in the spring and fall. Do not overfill or leave running water unattended when topping off the pool. Install an automatic fill device which turns on and off to keep water at the 3 proper level. If you have an automatic refilling device, check your pool peri- odically for leaks. 4 Avoid excessive splashing games or splashing of water out of the pool. Use chemicals judiciously and always try to use the least amount possible to achieve the intended purpose. Turn off unnecessary fountains and waterfalls. Use timers to automatically shut off fountains, waterfalls, and pool filters when not needed. You'll save 6. energy by turning off the pumps, and reduce the amount of water that's lost to aeration and evaporation. Keep your water level low. Besides conserving water, keeping a lower water level in the pool helps reduce water loss from extreme splashing and boister- ous water play. It's a good idea to keep the water level 1 inch above the bottom of the pool tile. If you have a pool heater, try reducing the temperature during the summer. Doing so reduces the occurrence of water loss to evaporation, and is espe- cially important when the pool isn't being used. Better yet, use a pool cover. Keep the pool and filters clean to reduce the frequency of backwashing. Only backwash long enough for the water in the sight glass to run clean. Properly maintained systems can lead to better water quality and lessen the need for heavy chemical use which leads to more frequent draining. Water your plants with backwash water. Empty the filter backwash onto 10 lawns and shrubs or collect it to reuse. Make sure your landscaping has ab- sorbed the backwash before it leaves your property. Add pool chemicals at night. The sun quickens the dissipation of chlorine, 11 making the evening the best time to add sanitizer to your pool. Use plants to cut down on water evaporation. Plant pool-area shrubs and use fences or privacy screening as barriers or to help reduce water loss from 12 wind evaporation. Decreasing the occurrence and amount of wind going across the pool will cut down on evaporation. SWİM A special thanks to: Terry Arko of SeaKlear UNIVERSITY The Ultimate Guide To Pool Care & Hot Tub Care www.SwimUniversity.com Sources http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/ http://poolandpatio.about com/od/maintainingyourpool/tp/DroughtPoolTips.htm http://www.savewater.com.au/how-to-save-waterin-the-home/pools-and-spascase-study-swimming-pools http://ic.howstuffworks.com/home/save-water-pool.htm http://www.mesaaz.govlconservation/paf/pool_info_2010 pdt http://www.marinwater.org/controller?action=menuclick&id=268 http://www.clean-pool-and-spa.com/loss-of-water-during-backwash.htm http://www.gilbertaz.gov/water/popups/swimmingpools.ctm #EarthDay 12 WAYS TO CONSERVE WATER IN YOUR SWIMMING POOL How does a pool waste water? Water Pool Splash Filter Evaporation Leaks out Backwashing Did you know? Without a cover, an 18' x 36' pool loses about 1 inch of water per week, which can add up to 7,000 gallons annually In Arizona, a typical pool can lose up to 25,000 gallons a year in water evaporation Up to 30% of all pools have a leak A normal 2 minute backwash for a sand filter wastes about 200 gallons of water. 12 Ways to Conserve Water Have your pool tested for leaks. Repair any visible leaks immediately. 1 Use a grease pencil to mark the water level of your pool at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later to see if you have a leak. Keep your pool covered when not in use to minimize evaporation, 2 especially at night. Use a liquid solar cover in the spring and fall. Do not overfill or leave running water unattended when topping off the pool. Install an automatic fill device which turns on and off to keep water at the 3 proper level. If you have an automatic refilling device, check your pool peri- odically for leaks. 4 Avoid excessive splashing games or splashing of water out of the pool. Use chemicals judiciously and always try to use the least amount possible to achieve the intended purpose. Turn off unnecessary fountains and waterfalls. Use timers to automatically shut off fountains, waterfalls, and pool filters when not needed. You'll save 6. energy by turning off the pumps, and reduce the amount of water that's lost to aeration and evaporation. Keep your water level low. Besides conserving water, keeping a lower water level in the pool helps reduce water loss from extreme splashing and boister- ous water play. It's a good idea to keep the water level 1 inch above the bottom of the pool tile. If you have a pool heater, try reducing the temperature during the summer. Doing so reduces the occurrence of water loss to evaporation, and is espe- cially important when the pool isn't being used. Better yet, use a pool cover. Keep the pool and filters clean to reduce the frequency of backwashing. Only backwash long enough for the water in the sight glass to run clean. Properly maintained systems can lead to better water quality and lessen the need for heavy chemical use which leads to more frequent draining. Water your plants with backwash water. Empty the filter backwash onto 10 lawns and shrubs or collect it to reuse. Make sure your landscaping has ab- sorbed the backwash before it leaves your property. Add pool chemicals at night. The sun quickens the dissipation of chlorine, 11 making the evening the best time to add sanitizer to your pool. Use plants to cut down on water evaporation. Plant pool-area shrubs and use fences or privacy screening as barriers or to help reduce water loss from 12 wind evaporation. Decreasing the occurrence and amount of wind going across the pool will cut down on evaporation. SWİM A special thanks to: Terry Arko of SeaKlear UNIVERSITY The Ultimate Guide To Pool Care & Hot Tub Care www.SwimUniversity.com Sources http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/ http://poolandpatio.about com/od/maintainingyourpool/tp/DroughtPoolTips.htm http://www.savewater.com.au/how-to-save-waterin-the-home/pools-and-spascase-study-swimming-pools http://ic.howstuffworks.com/home/save-water-pool.htm http://www.mesaaz.govlconservation/paf/pool_info_2010 pdt http://www.marinwater.org/controller?action=menuclick&id=268 http://www.clean-pool-and-spa.com/loss-of-water-during-backwash.htm http://www.gilbertaz.gov/water/popups/swimmingpools.ctm