Extend Your Pool’s Swimming Season
The days start getting longer, the temperatures rise, and the trees and flowers bloom. It’s officially summer, and you are scrambling to open your pool. By the time you do, it’s mid to late June. If you’re lucky, you’ll get three months to use it until it’s closed for the season.
Swimming season doesn’t have to be so short! You can do things to extend your pool's life and maximize your swimming season. Bump up your pool opening to the spring and extend your pool closing to the late fall!
Go Green and Add a Solar Cover
Did you know that evaporation can cause your pool to lose up to 70% of its heat? Evaporation happens when a liquid substance becomes a gas. When water is heated, it evaporates as molecules of water vapour. Heat drives the evaporation process and escapes, having a cooling effect on the surface left behind.
So, what can help prevent evaporation? You got it, solar covers! A solar cover, or solar blanket, is a lightweight floating barrier for the pool's surface and reduces the evaporation rate by as much as 90%. This fact allows pool owners to save money on water (to refill the pool from water lost), chemicals (chemicals can evaporate too! Or break down from UV rays), and heat.
A solar cover is a UV-stabilized polyethylene blanket that resembles heavy-duty bubble wrap. But don’t try to pop those bubbles! The small air pockets serve a good purpose, keeping the blanket afloat, insulating the water’s surface against heat loss during the cooler nights, and transferring solar heat energy into the water below for a warmer pool.
Solar covers serve another great purpose: keeping dirt, debris, and dust out of your pool. This won’t exactly save you money, but it will save you time cleaning and sweeping your pool in the long run (and your pool filter and skimmer baskets will thank you for it).
Not interested in covering your pool up or dealing with another thing to store away for the winter? You can consider a liquid pool cover, which is basically as it sounds. This specially formulated liquid combines alcohol and calcium hydroxide, creating a thin film on the pool's surface. You don’t see it or feel it, but it’s there, preventing heat evaporation.
Learn more about liquid solar pool covers in our blog post.
Use a Gas Heater to Heat Your Pool for Longer
With Canada’s short summers, a gas heater is the most common and effective way to heat your pool water quickly and extend the swimming season. Pool heaters have a natural gas or propane fuel source to heat the water. And they have a control system to set the heater to your preferred temperature. Gas heat is ideal if you want to heat your pool as needed.
The downside of pool heaters is the cost, as heaters can run anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000. But most people agree that the investment is worth it. If you rely solely on a pool heater to extend your pool season, you can expect higher utility costs, as your heater will have to run longer to warm your pool up during cooler months. Consider using a pool heater and a solar cover to save on bills.
Pool heaters from reputable brands like Hayward and Raypak are stacked with innovative technology and are built to withstand various weather conditions. These heaters are reliable, efficient, and high-performance. Plus, their flexible installation solutions make setup a breeze.
Heat Pumps as an Alternative to Gas Heaters
Heat pumps are another option to extend your pool season, but only if you’re in a sunnier climate. Heat pumps operate like an air conditioning unit, but in reverse. They utilize the air around the unit to heat your pool. But they can still be pricey, ranging from $1,500 - $6,000. You will save money, however, without the added utility costs.
So, for the heat pump to work, that air needs to be milder to heat your pool water. Any temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit will not allow the unit to work. So, if you go with a heat pump, know that you won’t be able to use it for as long.
If you’re looking for more assistance in extending your swimming season, we’re always happy to help!
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