Eco-Friendly Maintenance Tips for Saltwater Pools

Saltwater pools are already a step in a greener direction, as they reduce the need to transport and handle manufactured chlorine. However, pool ownership inherently involves significant water and energy usage. By adopting a few smart, eco-friendly habits, you can further minimize your pool's environmental footprint, save money, and maintain a healthier swimming environment. This guide offers practical tips for sustainable saltwater pool care.

1. Conserve Water: Every Drop Counts

Water is our most precious resource. Reducing water loss is the number one way to make your pool more eco-friendly.

Use a Pool Cover

This is the single most effective way to conserve water. A good pool cover (especially a solar cover) can reduce water evaporation by up to 95%. This not only saves thousands of gallons of water per year but also reduces chemical loss and helps retain heat, lowering your heating costs.

Fix Leaks Immediately

A small leak can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day. Regularly check for leaks in your plumbing, equipment, and pool structure. Use our guide to finding pool leaks to perform a bucket test if you suspect you're losing more water than you should be.

Minimize Backwashing

If you have a sand or D.E. filter, backwashing sends hundreds of gallons of chemically-treated water to waste. Only backwash when the filter's pressure gauge indicates it's necessary (typically 8-10 PSI above the clean pressure). To reduce backwashing frequency, you can:

• Keep your skimmer and pump baskets clean to reduce the load on the filter.
• Consider a cartridge filter, which doesn't require backwashing. You simply remove and rinse the cartridges, saving a significant amount of water.

Also, redirect splash-out from slides or water features back into the pool.

2. Save Energy: Reduce Your Pool's Carbon Footprint

Your pool pump is one of the largest energy consumers in your home. Optimizing its use is key to saving energy.

Upgrade to a Variable Speed Pump (VSP)

This is the most significant energy-saving upgrade you can make. As detailed in our VSP guide, these pumps can reduce your pump's energy consumption by up to 90%. By running at lower speeds for longer periods, they circulate water more effectively and use a fraction of the electricity of a single-speed pump.

Run Your Pump During Off-Peak Hours

If your utility company offers time-of-use rates, schedule your pump to run during off-peak hours (usually overnight). This won't reduce your total energy use, but it will significantly lower your electricity bill.

Consider a Solar Heater

If you heat your pool, a solar heating system uses the sun's free energy to warm your water, eliminating the natural gas or electricity costs associated with traditional heaters. The upfront investment is higher, but the long-term savings and environmental benefits are substantial.

3. Reduce Chemical Impact

While saltwater pools generate their own chlorine, you still need to add other balancing chemicals. Being smart about their use can reduce your environmental impact.

Maintain Ideal CYA Levels

Keep your Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer) level in the optimal range (60-80 ppm for saltwater pools). This protects the chlorine your cell produces from the sun, meaning your cell can run at a lower percentage or for fewer hours, saving energy and extending its life. Use our CYA Calculator for precise additions.

Use Borates

Adding borates to your pool water (to a level of 30-50 ppm) is an excellent eco-friendly tip. Borates are a powerful algaestat and pH buffer. By preventing algae, they reduce your pool's chlorine demand, allowing you to run your salt cell less. They also help stabilize pH, which can reduce the amount of acid you need to add. Our Borates Calculator can help with this.

Physically Remove Debris

Don't rely solely on chemicals to do the work. Regularly skim leaves, twigs, and other organic matter from your pool. The less debris there is to decay, the less chlorine your pool will need to consume to oxidize it. A clean pool is a more efficient pool.

Avoid Over-shocking

Only shock your pool when necessary—after a party, if algae is spotted, or if combined chlorine is high. Unnecessary shocking wastes chemicals and energy. When you do shock, do it at night so the sun doesn't burn off the chlorine.

By combining these water-saving, energy-reducing, and chemical-optimizing strategies, you can enjoy all the benefits of your saltwater pool while being a better steward of the environment. A green pool is a clean pool in more ways than one.