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Is your pool ready for summer?

Posted at 6:52 PM, Apr 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-14 10:16:09-04

It’s getting hotter and hotter, which means the swimming pool is looking better and better. There are some simple ways to get your pool ready for summer and save a little money in the process.

 

Clean your filters.

Mike King with Pool Kings in Chandler says cleaning your filters regularly is one of the most important things you can do.

“You physically need to take the filter off. You need to take these cartridges out of the filter and hose them down with your garden hose,” King says.

He says most filters need to be cleaned every three months and require a lot of pressure to remove the dirt.

 

Get your chemicals right.

Mike says a testing kit is a good investment and easy to do yourself.

“Your average pool PH (should be) 7.4. Your alkalinity should be at 100 so they give parameters between 80 and 120.”

He recommends checking chemical levels at least once per month.

 

Run your pool pump during the day could save you money.

I know, it sounds weird. But Mike says running your pump at night will cost you more in chemicals than electricity.

“In the summer time, you should run your pool during the hottest time of day. It needs to be circulating.”

If you are on a special program with your power company to be charged more during peak hours, Mike says turn it off during those hours then turn it right back on.

The general rule is one hour per ten degrees. “If it's one hundred degrees out, 10 hours a day,” he says.

 

Consider using a variable speed pool pump.

They have a high upfront cost—around $1200 installed—but Mike says the savings in electricity costs over time is worth it.

He says a normal pump runs on high for 8 to 10 hours per day. But a variable speed pump allows you to reduce how much power you are using.

“(With the variable speed pump) you only run it on high speed about two hours a day and then low speed, which is like a 40 or 60 watt light bulb in your house--for the other 8 hours a day.”