If you put a pool on your property, you can enjoy the outdoors, and appreciate the added market value of your home. Pools are great additions to any yard but can easily become burdens if you’re using too much water. Read on to learn how to save water when using your pool.

Water Evaporation 

Evaporation is a normal occurrence for all pools. Be aware that depending on location and weather conditions pools can easily lose ¼” to ½” of water in evaporation in a 24 hour period. Evaporation does not stop in the winter. A bucket test is usually the first step in seeing what your evaporation looks like compared to pool loss. Here’s how to do a bucket test:

  1. Have your pool filled to its standard level. Using a 5 gallon bucket, fill it 1 inch from the top with pool water. If you are performing this on a commercial pool, turn any autofill valve off and close access to the pool. Homeowners also need to check if they have an auto-fill device and turn it off.
  2. Immerse the bucket in the pool to about 5 inches. Setting it on the first or second step of your pool should suffice.
  3. Mark the water level inside the bucket and the water level outside the bucket.
  4. Come back in 24 hours to compare the inside water level to the outside water level. If the water level outside the bucket has dropped more than the water level inside the bucket, you likely have a pool leak and need to call a professional.

Check for Leaks

One way in which you may not expect for you to be wasting water is if you have a leak in some of your pipes. If there are leaks in your pool’s pipes or your other equipment, you could be losing gallons of water without knowing. Check for leaks by looking for any wet spots along the piping to the pool. Cracked tiles or gaps in the bond beam can also be indicators of a leak somewhere along your pool. If you do find signs that point to a leak, be sure to have it professionally checked and repaired so you can begin saving water. Most common spots are pump seals, filter clamps, valves, etc.

Limit Water Features

One of the best ways to utilize your outdoor pool space is by incorporating water features that make your pool feel more like a resort. Things like fountains, waterfalls, or other water features can help your pool feel extravagant and spa-like. While these features are fun to use and enjoy, they can use a lot of water. The water does cycle through, but a lot is lost to evaporation. This means that you’re losing quite a bit of water, and needing to pump it back in. Only use these features some of the time, so that you’re conserving the water it takes to use them. Water features can contribute to evaporation quite a bit. Limiting their run time can help with water loss. In the winter months, you can have the water feature pumps shut down and winterized so you don’t have to worry about the freeze guard running them 24/7 in the colder weeks.

Avoid the Heater

If you’re lucky enough to have a heated pool, it makes it perfect for swimming during the colder months. However, running this heater all the time, especially during the summer months, can lead to greater evaporation and a greater need to pump more water into your pool. Lower the temperature anytime you can to preserve more water and reduce the rate of evaporation. This helps you save money on the heating and also reduces the amount of water you’re using in your pool. Most people don’t constantly heat the pool but running it will cause you to lose more in evaporation.

Adding a pool onto your property is a great way to increase your home’s value and add more outdoor space. However, if you don’t take good care of your pool, you can end up using hundreds of extra gallons of water. Follow these tips to save water in your pool.

If you’re looking to install a pool on your property, Gold Medal Pools is the best business to help you get it done. Click here to learn more about the company, and their commitment to providing you with high-quality service.