In answer to the post regarding solar pumps….good luck with that. The type of pump and the capacity needed to achieve a successful result with solar are not even close to one another in terms of any practical solution. Experience in keeping a pool enables the user to refine the process or conservation to an acceptable level. OTOH if the owner lets the pool go it will end up costing more.

I don’t hire people to upkeep my pool, one less expense. I have my pump on a computer timer and I use a cover. Once the water is balanced the pump doesn’t need to be run as often, especially using a pool cover. A much larger and overlooked expense is in heating the pool. The cost of pump operation is small compared to it.

I purchased a 250,000 gas heater used a several years back and made use of it for awhile. It wasn’t really practical for me because I don’t have access to natural gas and the only other option was propane which is fairly expensive here. In addition I decided there was no way I was renting a propane tank since I had a few 100 lb cylinders already and the local companies here won’t deliver to you unless you rent their tanks….a racket….I ended up loading the tanks up and taking them to someone to refill. Then the powers that be imposed a law that says the tanks must be mounted vertical and supported in a trailer.This and a few other new regulations actually closed at least one local dealer down. He decided the changes weren’t worth his effort. Once filled the tanks would be empty after one weekend event. So it might cost me $200.00 to have a heated pool for a few days. Don’t misunderstand….I think gas is a good way to go if you have access to it and for short stints with longer periods of cold water in between.

Last weekend I bought a pool heat pump. Being the handy type I recently installed it myself, everything up to electrical code and piped. I got a good deal on it since it was a showroom model. Heat pumps need a certain water flow in order to function properly. This rules out a variable speed pump motor. The nice thing about a heat pump is that it is ready to go whenever I turn it on. No need to worry about a propane delivery of if I’ll have enough. It takes between 24/48 hours to get a pool this size up to temp with a heat pump but they cost less to operate than a gas fired heater. Once the pool is up to temp during the swimming season, cover it and lower the temp to 74 when not in use. If you want the pool nice by the weekend simply set the thermostat to 84 on Thursday. The warmer it gets the less money you spend because the sun takes over and the heat pump then becomes an assist to the sun and pool cover.This means the heat pump only runs occasionally. In the warmer months we were able to get the pool in the 80′s with no other source of heat. When it gets cooler the heat pump extends the swimming season and compensates for those cooler days here and there.

Some people golf, some people have a boat or spend money on a summer home or all of the above. I am willing to spend the 100/200 extra dollars a month during the summer months to have a nice place for the kids and grand kids to come and enjoy a nice warm swim. I don’t consider it a huge extravagance compared to so many others. If my electricity fails( and my well pump) I have 22,000 gallons of chlorinated water at my disposal.

A person can invest in a pool, be prudent in its use and not kill the power grid.