• Maintaining a swimming pool requires a lot of energy, from keeping pumps and filters running to illumination and heating. However, there are some changes you can do that can help any pool become more energy efficient.
  
  

Pumps

• One of the best ways to cut down on energy costs with a pool is to replace the pump. The most efficient pool pump is the variable-speed pump that changes the speed of the pump depending on the task. The variable-speed pump also offers the ability to use less horsepower by turning the pump motor at a slower speed. Pumps can also be run much less. A pump should never be run more than 10 hours per day and can often survive on as little as 3 hours of operation per day.
  
  

Covers

• If you use a pool heater, one of the best ways to reduce energy costs is to use a pool cover when not in use. The pool cover provides a ceiling for the heat and traps it in the water rather than having the heat escape into the surrounding air. Without a cover your pool heater is essentially trying to heat the entire yard, which makes it run almost constantly. The cover helps reduce energy costs by up to 70 percent.
  
  

Heaters

• A pool heater can be a big energy waster. Solar heaters provide energy efficiency and reduced operating expenses. Pump operated heaters will also cut down on energy costs and operation costs. Setting the heating temperature can make a difference as well. Lowering the heat temperature even by 2 degrees can add up to significantly reduced energy expenditure.
  
  

Chemicals

• Changing when chemicals are added to the pool can also help increase energy and cost efficiency. Whenever possible, chemicals should be added at night after the sun has gone down. This reduces the amount that evaporates due to heat and sunlight. The pool pump can also be used to distribute the chemicals while it is already on for cleaning. This saves on the amount of time that the filter has to run.
  
  

Filters

• The right filter can really help increase energy efficiency. Zeolyte is one of the most energy efficient filtration materials because it can be added to sand filters and easily filters out contaminantes. During a backflush, the zeolyte stays in place and is not flushed into the pool bottom. This means that energy does not have to be wasted rinsing the system and vacuuming the bottom of the pool.