Experienced Pool Builders Can Help You Create More Eco-Friendly Pools

Can a swimming pool be both relaxing and friendly to the environment? This is a question that many pool owners ponder. Fortunately, there are many ways to lessen your pool’s environmental impact. Check out these suggestions for a greener swimming pool.

Get the right pump

Your swimming pool needs a pump to circulate the water and ensure that it remains clean and swim-worthy. The typical pump, however, is single speed and pumps water at the highest flow rate, which is likely way more than your pool needs. Naturally, this extra power consumes extra energy.

When getting a pool pump, ask pool contractors to install a variable speed pump that allows you to adjust the flow rate accordingly. Another way to save on electrical consumption is to get a solar-powered heater. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2woXVmN

Swimming Pool Safety for Your Pet Dog

With so many online videos of dogs swimming in pools, one might assume that there’s nothing wrong with letting your pet canine take the plunge. That said, although swimming offers plenty of benefits for your four-legged friend, certain precautions must be taken before you unleash your dog to the water.

The dangers

If your dog can swim, it’s okay to let him swim, just be sure you keep an eye on him at all times. When he gets out, check his eyes and skin for signs of itchiness, redness and other signs of irritation. These may indicate an imbalance in your pool chemicals, or that chlorine or some other pool chemical is affecting him negatively. Saltwater pools are better for dogs in general than chlorine pools.

Pool surfaces and equipment

If you own a vinyl pool, it’s best to not let your dog swim altogether, as the material is highly susceptible to damage from your dog’s claws. Stronger pool materials, such as concrete and fiberglass, are better options for swimming dogs, so upgrade your pool with the help of Orange County pool builders if you must. Be prepared to perform pool maintenance more frequently when you let your dog swim in the pool regularly.

Keeping him safe

Your dog should never swim without you, but if you can’t supervise him the entire time, make sure he knows how to get out on his own. To keep him afloat, you can equip him with floaters especially made for pet dogs. After the swim, rinse him thoroughly to remove the chemicals from his fur. Leaving them on can remove natural oils from the fur and dry out the dog’s skin.

What is Pool Automation?

Backyard swimming pools are generally believed to be high maintenance home additions. Homeowners not only need to ensure that their pools are clean, they also have to check that the pool has the right temperature and chemical levels, among many other conditions. Fortunately, pool technology has taken some long strides forward in recent years, particularly in the area of pool automation. Now a warm, clean pool ready for use is just a few swipes and clicks of the smartphone away.

Automation takes pool maintenance tasks out of the equation. Today, there are machines, equipment and devices that can perform practically every pool maintenance task, from adding chemicals and balancing the water, to running the filter, and even scrubbing the pool surfaces clean. Depending on your setup, pool automation can handle all these functions and more for you via remote control.

Below are examples of pool automation technology.

● Automatic pool cleaners -robots that scrub the walls and vacuum the pool floor.
● Automatic timers – devices that maintain your pool temperature by triggering your pump and pool heater.
● Chlorine generators – machines that automatically test water and release the necessary amount of chlorine to keep it balanced on a daily basis.

Homeowners already have a lot on their minds. Many don’t have the time to be cleaning pools, checking chemical levels, etc. Pool automation ensures pool maintenance is no longer one of them. With this technology, you can have a self-sufficient and low-maintenance pool. Get in touch with expert OrangeCounty pool builders and discover how pool automation technology can benefit you.

Planning a Pool? Why Not Throw in a Spa?

Planning for a pool may sound like a great idea now that spring and summer are on their way, but that might not be the only thing you should be drawing up with pool builders. 

You should also consider designing a spa. With its hot water jets and smaller basin, a spa might sound counterintuitive to summer activities. Yet there are a few good reasons a spa would be a worthwhile add-on to your pool.

Warm days, cool nights

Spring and summer will give you enough warm days to content your Southern Californian heart; nowadays, even in Orange County, they’re also likely to come with more cool nights. A spa should come in handy once you want to take a late-hour dip. 

Besides, after a day of laps, water polo with friends, or chasing kids around a pool, doesn’t a quiet night soaking in your private spa sound appealing? 

Two projects in one job

Constructing a spa with your pool also figures to be cost-effective. After all, builders already have to excavate, install the plumbing, and source chemicals and materials as they work on your pool. 

Of course it would cost extra, and maintaining a spa’s hot water system won’t come cheap long-term. However, it could still cost less than having to heat an entire pool.  

In-ground vs. portable

But why should you have a spa built with your pool? Wouldn’t a portable hot tub be more practical? 

True, portable tubs are easier and faster to install. However, they come in fixed shapes and sizes, limiting your room for customization and integrated design. In-ground spas can be built to your specifications – and, along with your pool, make your yard and garden more stunning than before.

Going Green with Your Swimming Pool Equipment

These days, with rising public concern on environmental impact and decreasing natural resources, more and more homeowners are starting to make eco-friendly decisions especially when it comes to their home improvement projects. Take the construction of swimming pools, for example, wherein the USA Swimming and National Swimming Pool Foundation estimate that there are 10 million swimming pools in the United States and that the average backyard pool holds 25,000 gallons of water--a fact that can be a problem in areas suffering from drought.

This is why Orange County pool builders are taking an environment-friendly initiative by utilizing green technology to make sure that the pools they construct are energy-saving, ecological, and beautiful. Here are more ways to make swimming pools and spas less harmful to the environment:

Consider variable-speed pumps

Did you know that a well-designed variable-speed pump can reduce energy costs of running a swimming pool by up to 90 percent? It’s no wonder, therefore, that pool renovation projects to reduce energy consumption mostly focuses on finding the best pump. Unlike single-speed pumps that rely on one speed to do its job, a variable-speed pump can be programmed to operate in the right speed for the task at hand, such as operating waterfalls, spa jets, or suction-side pool cleaners. Your initial investment on a variable-speed pump can be recouped after two years.

Choose energy-saving pool equipment

The pool pump may be the biggest energy-eater in a pool, but there are more energy-saving pool equipment for you to consider. The filter, for one, have an impact on the pool’s energy consumption. Generally, cartridge filtration systems offer the least resistance to flow, saving energy in the process. You may also want to invest in digital automation systems to automatically schedule cleaning and filtration cycles.