With a new year comes planning for what’s ahead; that can include your pool maintenance and care regimen, as well. It’s easy after closing your pool for the winter to fall victim to the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. However, as all pool owners know, it’s not as easy as just set it and forget it. If you’ve slacked on your pool maintenance routine in the past, don’t worry, 2018 can be your year to finally master a proper pool maintenance routine and build out an effective pool care calendar.

Year-round pool care is essential in maintaining a properly functioning pool and here are the tips we’ve put together to help you stay on track. Follow these tips from our monthly pool care calendar to ensure you are ready to swim when the snow has melted and the warm weather comes back in season.

This is a great month to get organized!

Go through your inventory of pool chemicals and check that they are stored properly. Ensure they are away from windows or doors, are shelved off the floor, and are sealed properly. If you have excess pool chemicals or wetted stock, DO NOT throw away. Instead, contact your local solid waste management facility to inquire on proper disposal. In addition, here are procedures that the Environmental Protection Agency suggests.

This month is for the early bird!

The early bird gets the worm as they say…or in this case gets to take advantage of pool and spa chemical early buy discounts. Now that you’ve gone through your chemical inventory, take the month of February to stock up on what you will need for the upcoming swim season. Save yourself time and a little pocket change by purchasing the essentials now. This way, once you’ve opened your pool, you’ll already have what you need for proper water chemistry and won’t have to spend time driving to your pool retailer to get it. Want to know about our early buy program and discounts? Sign-up here to stay in the loop.

Book it now!

With the unpredictable weather that we are often #blessed with in the Midwest, we never know when it will be nice enough out to take that first dip. Nonetheless, when the weather is right, everyone with a backyard body of water will be wanting to take advantage of it as soon as possible. Take this month to make sure you’ve planned your pool opening and are on the schedule of your trusted pool service technician. You’ll beat the rush and be glad you did.

Check it off the list!

With your pool opening on the books, now is the time to look over your pool equipment for anything possibly needing replaced or repaired. Check things like your skimmers, lights, cleaners, and filters to ensure they are in proper order for the pool season. Make a list of any items you want addressed or looked at while your pool service technician is opening your pool. Go over the list at your pool opening to efficiently get your pool in working order by the beginning of the swimming season.

Open it up!

Memorial Day is always the official starting point of the swim season for most. Make sure your pool service technician has paid you a visit by now and get to planning your first pool party.  You’ve put in the work, now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of the backyard getaway you hold.

Stay tuned, for more tips from our monthly pool care calendar coming soon!

How do you keep your pool properly cared for in the winter months? Let us know by commenting below.

This week we broke out the confetti and cake for…wait for it…National Cut Energy Costs Day! Wait, you did too? Then you’ll love these tips we’ve put together on how to take full advantage of the subject and cut your swimming pool energy costs this year.

Energy efficiency continues to be a hot topic of discussion for our lifestyles in general, but when it comes to swimming pools, there are ways to cut costs and conserve energy, as well. Here’s what we recommend:

Invest in a variable speed pump

Whether you’re building a new pool or needing to replace the pump on your existing, investing in a variable speed pump is the most advisable way to save on your swimming pool energy costs. A variable speed pump can be programmed to run at the minimum speed necessary to complete tasks relevant to the upkeep of your pool e.g. cleaning, heating, etc.

Pentair offers a wide range of variable speed pumps to fit your needs and budget like the IntelliFlo VF and many more.

If you’re the type of person who needs proof…as in “Show me the money” proof, check out this handy savings calculator to learn just how much you will save by switching to a variable speed pump.

Make sure you have a pump that fits the size of your pool

Many pool owners commonly make the mistake of installing a swimming pool pump that is the incorrect size for the pool they have. The larger the pump, the harder it works; as a result increasing your swimming pool energy costs.

To reduce costs, make sure you have the smallest pump necessary to accommodate the size of your pool. Typically for residential pools a .75 horsepower pump will do the trick. Of course if you’re not sure if you have the “right sized” pump, you can always request a house call from us here to provide you with our expert analysis.

Use a robotic cleaner

A robotic cleaner may cost more upfront, however, the investment will save you on your swimming pool energy costs in the long run. There are three pool cleaner options: suction-side, pressure-side, or robotic. Robotic cleaners are considered the most energy efficient of the three, by far, saving you up to $500 annually based on lower kilowatt usage.

Kreepy Krauly by Pentair Prowler 920

Be mindful of off-peak times

As children we were taught to turn off the lights when leaving the room. The same lesson can be applied when running pool equipment, lighting, and water features.

During off-peak times and times when you are not using your swimming pool, turn off your pool lights, water features, or other pool equipment to conserve energy. With the advanced technology and automated controllers of today, you can event program the times that all of this occurs.

Flip the switch to LED lights

Upgrading to LED lights in your pool can not only save you money, but also the hassle of having to change lightbulbs constantly. If building a new pool, LED installation is common practice. If you have an existing pool, transitioning from incandescent bulbs to LED will depend on the light niche installed at the time of the pool construction, however, there are solutions for this, as well.

What are ways you have found to cut your swimming pool energy costs?