Building a New Pool

Backyard lap pools are very convenient for keeping fit, but a poorly designed pool can cost a lot to heat. Concrete pool builders use a number of tricks to improve the energy efficiency of a heated backyard pool to keep your running costs low. Here are a few you can adopt.

1. Dark Lining

Installing a dark lining in your concrete pool can help to keep the water nice and warm, without spending too much money on heating. Dark colours naturally absorb heat from the sun, heating the water on sunny days.

2. Include Natural Windbreakers

The landscaping around your pool can make a big difference in how quickly the water loses heat. The faster the air moves over the surface of the water, the more heat energy it carries away. Therefore, creating natural windbreakers around your pool can make it significantly more energy efficient. Plant bushes and shrubs around the pool to reduce airflow and enable your pool to retain more heat.

3. Use LED Lighting

Including lighting in a concrete pool extends the hours during which you can use it, allowing you to squeeze in a workout late at night or early in the morning. However, some types of pool lighting use a lot of electricity, leading to high energy bills. To keep energy costs low, opt for LED lighting, which is highly energy efficient.

4. Cover the Pool

One of the best features you can invest in for your concrete pool is a pool cover. You can choose between a manual pool cover, which you need to remember to close when you have finished using the pool, or an automatic pool cover. Both types of pool cover prevent heat loss via evaporation, therefore reducing the heating costs for your backyard pool.

5. Choose an Efficient Pump

Pool pumps vary widely in how much energy they use to circulate the water in your pool. Investing in a modern, energy-efficient pump sometimes results in higher upfront costs, but it will also lower the running costs for your pool.

6. Install Large Pool Filters

The design of your pool filters makes a difference in how much energy the pump needs to use to circulate the pool water. Larger pool filters allow a higher volume of water to flow, reducing the strain on the pump. Talk to concrete pool builders in your area about including large filters in the design to reduce its energy use.