Evaporation, leaks, and improper pool maintenance are major causes of water loss in our swimming pools. Admittedly, some of these causes are hard to detect, meaning they may go unnoticed for a long time. In most cases, improving your pool water efficiency requires simple DIY skills. Measures such as curbing water evaporation, fixing leaks, changing filters, and improving pool maintenance require little expert knowledge but can significantly reduce water loss.
Below is a detailed overview of the vital steps you will need to take to conserve your pool water and keep your water bills low.
Find and Fix Leakages
Leaks through pool walls and pipes are widespread. It is thus prudent to have a pool system check-up routine to identify and correct them in good time.
A sudden rise in water bills may indicate that you are losing a lot of water. As such, always counter-check your statements for any unexplained surges.
Alternatively, you can mark your pool water levels using a water-soluble grease pen or a piece of tape. After 24 hours, check and note the new water level. In most cases, you will record a decrease in water levels. However, a drop of more than a quarter an inch is a cause for concern as leakages may cause it.
If you can’t spot the leakage point after your checks, you may enlist the service of a swimming pool maintenance expert to help you identify and solve the problem.
Uphold Proper Pool Water Maintenance
Is your pool showing signs of scale resulting from crystalline mineral buildup? If so, this may be caused by low calcium levels in the water. As such, you need to clean the spots and balance your pool’s alkalinity, pH, and calcium hardness levels to prevent scale buildup.
Poor pool maintenance and improper pool water chemical balance may also lead to pool plaster damage. For example, a low pool water mineral level may make the pool water draw calcium from the pool’s plaster and cause etching.
Etching and scales diminish the visual appeal of your pool. With such damage, you may need to repair the interior of your pool. Unfortunately, re-sanding, re-plastering, and acid washing the pool’s interior mean you will have to empty the pool.
So, to avoid the accompanying water loss, it is prudent to monitor and balance the chemical levels of your pool water regularly.
Only Clean the DE or Sand Filter When Need Arises
Is your pool’s filter clogged and full of debris? If so, then you will need to clean your filters.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) and sand filters often need regular cleaning to eliminate debris buildup. The filters get cleaned by backwashing the pool water through the filters. The backwashed water containing debris is then left to exit the pool.
DE filters must be backwashed three to five times a year, and you may lose approximately 300 gallons of water during each cleaning process.
Keep your pool clean to avoid clogging the filters, and only backwash them when the pressure gauge is 8-10 psi above the usual start point.
Replace Your Filter with a Cartridge Model
Instead of backwashing your DE and sand filters, replacing them with cartridge model filters may be a better option since you will get to conserve water at a larger capacity.
Cartridge model filters are easy to clean since all you have to do is open the filter tank, draw out the cartridge and use your garden hose to clean it.
Using a large cartridge model filter is an added advantage because such models go for longer without requiring cleaning. For example, some cartridges may only need cleaning once or twice a year.
Are You Still Stuck and Unable to Curb Your Backyard Swimming Pool’s Water Loss?
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