Heat reducing factors

Pools lose energy in a variety of ways, but evaporation is by far the largest source of temperature loss for swimming pools. When compared to evaporation, all other losses are small. For example the pool is exposed to wind. The evaporative water temperature loss in a swimming pool is greater as wind velocity over the pool surface increases. By constructing a solid fence around the swimming pool to create a sheltered area, the energy consumption of heating water would be reduced by about 20 percent compared to a moderately sheltered swimming pool that is near a house or in a fenced yard. Pools with an open exposure would consume about 50 percent more swimming pool heating energy than a moderately sheltered one.

How can you stop evaporation?

Use a relatively cheap product like a swimming pool cover! Pool covers are the most effective way to reduce pool heating cost. By covering the swimming pool when it is not in use, you can greatly reduce your pool heating costs:

• Using a swimming pool cover regularly reduces evaporation by 90 to 95%.
• Without pool covers, an average swimming pool of 11m x 5,5m loses about 2,5cm of water per week in the peak of summer. This can add up to an annual water loss of 26500 liters!
• One of the most important benefits of using a swimming pool cover can be enhanced safety.

Swimming pool leaks

If you suspect your pool is leaking, there are several reliable ways to check. Try one of these:

Use a grease pencil to mark the water level of the swimming pool at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later. Your pool should lose no more than 6mm per day. Otherwise, a leak is indicated.

Try the bucket test:

1. Place a bucket filled with swimming pool water on a pool step (weight it with a rock or brick).
2. Mark the water level on both the inside and the outside of the bucket. The starting point levels should be about the same.
3. Check the mark 24 hours later. If there's a greater drop in the line on the outside of the bucket, a leak in the pool is indicated.

Be a sleuth. Here are clues to look for: 

1. Algae or other persistent water quality problems indicating imbalances in the chemistry can occur when a leak prevents the water level from staying constant.
2. Loose tiles or cracks in the pool deck can indicate a leak.
3. Cracks and gaps in the bond beam also can signify a leak.
4. Water-saturated soils in the area around the pool, pool pumps or plumbing. 

If you determine that your pool is losing water, turn off the filtration system and note where the water stops dropping. 

1. If the water stops at the skimmer, the leak is probably in the filtration system. The lines may crack at vulnerable elbows and fittings that are under stress from shifting soils. 
2. If the water stops at the light, the leak is probably there. 
3. If the water drops below the light, then there may be a leak in the drain at the bottom the pool.

If you suspect you have a leak in the filtration system these clues may help you pinpoint the location: 

1. If you see bubbles in the return water when the pool's pump is running, it's likely there's a leak in the suction side of the filtration system.
2. If the pool is losing more water while running the pump, then water is being lost on the return side of the system.

Pumps, Filters and Water Quality

Pumps

• A pump should be able to circulate pool water at least every 24 hours, but every 8 hours is preferred.
• Most existing pool pumps are oversized for the size of the pool and plumbing, which reduces filter effectiveness and causes more wear and tear on plumbing.
• For the average 32mm to 38mm plumbing pipes, a pump of only 1/2 horsepower is necessary. Many pool owners have bigger pumps, which dramatically increases electrical pumping costs.

Filters

• Current cartridge filters are now almost as effective as diatomaceous earth filters, are much easier and safer to maintain, and require very little water for cleaning.
• Each time you backwash sand and diatomaceous earth filters you use about 1900 liters of water.

Water Quality

• Proper chemical balancing can prevent and cure most water clarity problems.
• When is it appropriate to dump your pool water? Not as often as you may think. Pools can often go 10 or more years without draining and refilling. Here are some guidelines:
   1. When the water that is being added to your pool is consistently hard. This is more likely to happen during drought years when the water is being drawn off the bottom of the reservoirs. On the contrary, rainy years provide additional soft water.
   2. When the total dissolved solids (tds) get too high.
   3. Water quality problems often can be solved by draining only a portion of the water.
• If you have to drain your pool, make sure you take steps to prevent the pool shell from popping out of the ground. Using a hydrostatic valve or drilling holes in the bottom of the pool can prevent this problem.

Why use endurable, non-corrosive products made of titanium for example?

Titanium pool products are bulletproof to chlorine, bromine, salt water and all other common swimming pool chemicals. Chemical and galvanic corrosion can totally ruin an electric heater. The chemicals in swimming pool water, including chlorine, bromine and muriatic acid, can be extremely corrosive, especially when pools are shocked and very high levels of chlorine exist or if the owner lets the swimming pool chemistry get out of balance or if chlorine tablets are put in the skimmer. Most swimming pool heaters use copper or cupronickel heat exchangers, both of which will rapidly corrode in this water. In our big range of swimming pool equipment we also offer titanium electric pool heaters for your swimming pool.

In the case of pool heat pumps, if a water heat exchanger gets a hole in it (usually due to corrosion) and pool water enters the sealed refrigeration system, the entire pool heat pump is ruined! Even if the swimming pool heat pump is not running, once a leak has allowed all of the freon to bleed out, the pool pump will produce enough pressure to force water into the heat exchanger and eventually into the compressor. Once water enters the compressor, its internal parts will begin to corrode since they are made of carbon steel. In addition, the copper tubing in the evaporator will also begin to corrode, especially if the water is high in chlorine or acid content (the same conditions that caused the heat exchanger to corrode.) Only a electric heater made of pure titanium virtually eliminates all chemical corrosion. It is not a quite cheap product but it will last for a long time.