ECO POOLS – HOW TO BUILD A POOL THAT’S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

With growing evidence of the impacts of global warming as well as continually rising electricity costs, it is little wonder that more and more people are paying close attention to eco options when it comes to the major purchases in their lives.

Reducing our carbon footprint at home is one of the many ways we can make a difference to the environment in the long term. The good news is that making eco-friendly decisions often results in pocket-friendly outcomes when it comes to reducing the cost of living. If you are considering investing in a new pool why not make it an eco pool.

If choosing an environmentally friendly swimming pool is important to you, then you will want to make sure you have several key elements covered off before you take the plunge. Let’s take a look at the key ingredients you need to build a clean green oasis in your backyard. (To be clear by green we mean good for the environment because your pool water should always be crystal clear).

We can all do our bit to reduce negative impacts on the environment. From reducing the use of plastic packaging through to planning smarter transportation routes, increasing recycling, diverting waste from landfill, choosing environmentally conscious suppliers and reducing electricity consumption.

As a large manufacturing facility it is important to us the we are hunting opportunities to make improvements to our production and operating processes. It’s not for the sake of profit, it’s about being able to hold our heads high and know we are consciously looking after our planet.

In recent months some of the initiatives we have implemented with an aim to reduce our environmental footprint include:

• Collecting and recycling all soft plastics and diverting them from landfill. They are now turned into park benches, decking and roads.
• Creating a specific transport and logistics coordinator role within our team to reduce unnecessary travel and fuel consumption.
• Undertaking packaging reviews, with a view to eliminating packaging the will end up in landfill.
• Re-designing our pool-mould building processes to reduce material consumption, and to use more renewable resources such as wood.
• Conducting energy audits to reduce electricity consumption.
• Building new on-site facilities with modern extraction systems and lower energy demands.
• Sharing our environmental commitments and ambitions with suppliers as we encourage our industry partners to take steps to reduce their impact too.

They say making a whole bunch of small changes can add up to make a big difference. We’ll keep making changes until we’ve made a big difference!

We’re aligning ourselves to work alongside the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. In particular, the above measures reflect some of the steps we’ve taken to work towards 1) reducing global warming 2), improving life below water 3) using responsible consumption and production practices 4) adopting clean and affordable energy sources. You can read more about the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals here

1) PICK A FIBREGLASS POOL

If you are interested in Eco Pools then you’d be sensible for choosing a fibreglass pool. Fibreglass pools require the least ongoing maintenance over the lifetime of the pool. Vinyl-lined pools often need to be replaced after 10 to 15 years and unfortunately, those old liners end up in landfill. Concrete pools also need acid washing, resurfacing and repainting on a semi-regular basis.

2) MAXIMISE CIRCULATION IN YOUR POOL

Eco pools always have optimal filtration! The more your water moves the healthier it remains. Water that sits still for too long becomes the perfect breeding ground for algae and bacteria to grow. When a pool goes green it requires more work to correct including the addition of more chemicals and running pumps and filtration equipment for longer (resulting in greater energy consumption).

That’s one of the reasons we advocate our in-floor cleaning and circulation system – it ensures that water is mixed thoroughly throughout your pool which can reduce chemical demand by 50% while making it harder for your pool to turn green!

3) CHOOSE ENERGY-EFFICIENT POOL FILTRATION EQUIPMENT

In most cases, a swimming pool will need to run the pump, filtration and sanitization equipment for anywhere between 8 and 12 hours per day over the summer months and 4-8 hours per day during the colder seasons. One smart way to reduce energy consumption is to opt for an energy-efficient pump (often referred to as an EEP). EEP’s  work by running at full speed for a short period of time and then switching to a low speed for the remainder of the cycle, this dramatically reduces energy demand.

The trade-off is that when you run an EEP at a lower speed, you effectively reduce water flow and therefore circulation (making it easier for your pool to turn green). In short, EEP’s work best when you have designed your pool to maximize circulation (in-floor cleaning circulates water right throughout your pool).

4) OPT FOR LED LIGHTS

Just like the lights inside your home, switching to LEDs can reduce power consumption. The great thing about LED pool lighting is that they have a much longer life span than older halogen lamp-based systems. This means that you will have less hassle over the life of the pool and you are less likely to need to replace them (which reduces your carbon footprint).

5) GET A HIGH-QUALITY POOL COVER

Pool covers are an essential part of all eco pools for three reasons. The first is that they reduce the evaporation of water. We all know that water is precious so adding a cover is a must-do!

The second benefit of a cover is that it reduces chemical wastage. Did you know that the sun breaks down the bulk of your pool chemicals?

And the third reason is that it insulates your pool (which can reduce energy consumption on heated pools). 90% of heat loss is through the pool surface. Adding a blanket/cover can reduce overnight heat loss by around 5 degrees!

6) USE SMART ENERGY RESOURCES

Solar heating has always been popular for backyard pools. Ask your pool builder about their recommendations for solar pool heating systems. These days, many people are opting to add solar panels to their homes as a means of producing electricity for use throughout the entire home. This means you can ensure your pool pumps, lighting and heating units can be run off entirely renewable energy sources – that’s got to be a win for mother nature!

The truth is there are plenty of great ideas that you can use to build your family pool an eco-pool. All across the world, the industry is investing in research and development into ‘green’ improvements. We absolutely encourage you to have a conversation with your pool builder about the practical things you can do to ensure you have a great looking, low effort pool that is kind to mother nature too!

Talk to your local Compass Pools Dealer about how they can help you get your dream pool while minimising your environmental impact at the same time. Reach out now to book an onsite consultation.