How to Make Your Pool More Energy Efficient

By Mark Soto

October 01, 2024

One important part of owning a pool that homeowners don’t always consider is the ongoing monthly costs of maintaining it. You can significantly reduce those costs by making your home pool more energy-efficient. There are different ways you can make a pool more energy efficient, with options before and after it gets built or delivered.

This May Also Interest You: How Does a Solar Pool Heater Work and How Much Does It Cost to Install One?

Are Pools Energy-Efficient?

Pools typically use up a lot of energy and water, but the type of pool you have determines how energy-efficient it is at the start. If you have an in-ground pool, it won’t be as energy efficient as an above-ground pool. Since in-ground pools tend to be larger, they use up more water and require more heat to maintain, so you’ll need a better heating system.

A lot of homeowners install a heating system in their pool to comfortably use it outside of the warm summer season. While a heating system can provide you with more opportunities for outdoor fun in the pool, it can also increase your monthly bills. A gas heating system uses fuel to quickly heat up your pool, taking only a few hours. Meanwhile, an electric heating system is much more energy efficient but doesn’t work as fast and can take up to 2 days.

The pool finish can also impact its efficiency. A pool with a dark finish absorbs more sunlight than a light finish, requiring less work from your heating system. A pool with a light-colored finish might give your backyard a more aesthetic appeal, but you’ll need to decide if the higher monthly costs are worth the trade-off.

How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Pool

Regardless of the type of pool or its design, there are a couple of key ways you can make it more energy-efficient.

Install a Pool Cover

The easiest and often best way to reduce costs is installing a pool cover. Pool covers ensure that the heat produced by the pool’s heating system is kept by acting as an insulation layer. Pool covers also reduce water evaporation. Water evaporation not only requires your pool to use more water to replace it, but it also uses up heat.

You can even buy solar pool covers that absorb sunlight and make the water warmer. Pool covers also have the added benefit of keeping debris out, maintaining the cleanliness of the pool, and ensuring its longevity.

Choose the Right Size Pool Pump

The size of your pool pump also plays a critical role in how much water and energy a pool uses on a monthly basis. The goal is to have a pool pump that’s just the right size for your pool size. A bigger pump than what’s needed will simply waste energy and water. Even if you need to shop for a new one, choosing an Energy Star-certified pool pump can save you almost $300 in energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The size of the pump is measured in horsepower, which mostly depends on the size of your pool. It’s often best to speak with a professional to recommend the ideal size for your pool.

Select a Variable-Speed Pump

If you have a single-speed pump, replacing it with a variable-speed pump is also worth the investment. A variable-speed pump can run faster or slower depending on your current pool's needs. Increase it when you're cleaning the pool or using jets, and decrease it when the pool isn’t in use, or you want to maintain the water temperature.

Install LED Lighting

Replacing the lights in your pool can also save money. If your pool has incandescent lights, replace them with LED lighting. LED lighting is 80% more energy efficient and has a longer lifespan. A smart lighting system that only turns on when it detects movement near the pool is also worth looking into.

More Related Articles:

Invest in an Efficient Pool Heater

The pool heater can make a world of difference in your pool’s energy efficiency. An electric heat pump uses less energy than a gas heater and lets you control the exact temperature, but it just takes longer to heat up the pool. Solar pool heaters can simply use solar energy to heat up the pool without incurring any energy costs. The downside is that it requires the sun to be out, making it difficult to use in various weather conditions throughout the years, and it also takes much longer to heat. The initial costs of a solar pool heater are also much higher than those of an electric or gas one, but in the long term, they can save you money.

Add Insulation to Your Pool

Adding more insulation to a pool can prevent heat loss. While most in-ground pools have insulation built into them upon construction, the pipes that deliver the water to the pool can benefit from additional insulation. Insulation can also be added to above-ground pools quite easily since they don’t typically come with any. Talk to a professional if you’re unsure how or where to add insulation.

Install Windbreakers

Adding windbreakers like wind barriers, curtains, hedges, and mesh screens near the pool area prevents heat transfer loss and water evaporation caused by the wind. They help your pool rely less on the heating system to maintain the temperatures and can add a more aesthetic appeal.

There are many ways a pool can be made more energy efficient — whichever option (or options) you choose, you’ll be happy with your decreased costs.

Follow us