Since I can’t save at the gas pump ($51 yesterday for a Costco fill-up that recently cost $38!), maybe I can retrieve a few bucks from the swimming pool pump.

The Feds say you can save as much as 60% on your pool’s electric bill simply by cutting back the number of hours you run the pump. Well, I’ll believe that when I see the statement (and don’t see sheets of algae growing on the walls)...but I’m willing to give it a try. It sez here:

Pool pumps often run much longer than necessary. Circulating your pool's water keeps the chemicals mixed and removes debris. However, as long the water circulates while chemicals are added, they should remain mixed. It's not necessary to recirculate the water everyday to remove debris, and most debris can be removed using a skimmer or vacuum. Furthermore, longer circulation doesn't necessarily reduce the growth of algae. Instead, using chemicals in the water and scrubbing the walls are the best methods.

Reduce your filtration time to 6 hours per day. If the water doesn't appear clean, increase the time in half-hour increments until it does. In the Florida study, most people who reduced pumping to less than 3 hours per day were still happy with the water's quality. On average, this saved them 60% of their electricity bill for pumping.

Hmm. I’ve always gone by the advice that six hours a day is the least you can run a pool pump without getting green water, and you need to run it longer in 100-degree heat, when the pool water turns bathtub-warm. It’s hard to believe that you could get away with three hours in Florida―though maybe so, in the winter.

I do cut back the hours to six in the wintertime, no ill effect. Right now it’s set to run about seven hours. Let’s try shifting it back down to six for a week; then try five. It may mean you’d have to keep the chlorine level too high to swim safely, which is no trade-off. But if the system will stay stable with normal chemical levels and fewer pumping hours, bully!

categories: frugality