Owning and maintaining a swimming pool can be a costly investment, but there are many easy and interesting ways that you can save money while enjoying your pool and making the most out of your investment. Below are a few useful tips for saving money as well as caring for your swimming pool.  If you have some money saving tips of your own, please leave them in comments below.

1. Store  your vacuum head upside down and away from sunlight

You can cut down on vacuum head replacement simply by storing it correctly. Incorrect storage can lead to the brushes flattening or falling out. You should also keep it away from chlorine. Following these steps can double the life of the vacuum head and cut your replacements by half.

2. Solar covers are  multi-purpose

Not only do pool solar covers help keep your pool clean by keeping debris out, they also help to absorb solar heat from the sun and maintain the existing heat in your pool. Using one in conjunction with a heater can keep heat from escaping your pool, and really help to lower your energy bills. For example, you could set your heater to the desired temperature, then shut it off and keep your solar cover on during the night. By using the cover, that initial burst of heat will last you a long time- you will likely only need to use your heater once or twice during the year! Imagine all that money saved.

3. Baking soda increases alkalinity

In small increments, baking soda can help to increase your alkalinity levels. If you need to boost up alkalinity by a lot, this is not a smart option because the amount of baking soda that you would need might end up costing you even more, and will cloud up your water. This is a cheaper alternative if you only need to increase alkalinity by a little bit, and will not cloud up your water if added in small amounts.

4. DIY: Closing an above ground pool

It can cost up to $250 to hire someone to close your above-ground pool. Closing it yourself is actually an easy task, and once you learn how, you can perform it over and over again, saving you hundreds of dollars year after year. A simple Google search will bring up all sorts of tips to help you do it yourself.

5.       Clean your winter cover

By keeping your winter pool cover clean throughout the season, your pool will thank you come Spring.  Simply use a pool pump to pump the water off your cover, and once dry, sweep the dirt, leaves, and debris off your cover. This will allow you to save on pool cleaning or draining costs. If you are diligent in keeping your cover clean, you will be able to use it again next winter, as replacing your cover every winter can really add up.

6. Run your filter less

During the summertime, you should definitely not skimp on running your pool filters as the warm weather can be a breeding ground for algae and bacteria. It is recommended to run your filter 8-12 hours a day in warmer weather. However, during the fall and winter off-season, you can reduce your filter usage because it is harder for bacteria to grow in colder conditions. 6 hours a day will likely suffice in milder weather.

7. Stock up on chemicals early

Buying your pool chemicals at the beginning of the season can help to save money as major retailers often run special deals at the start of Spring to encourage people to start their pool season earlier. Buying in bulk can also save you money as well, and it makes sense as you will be using these chemicals all season long.

8. Change when you run your filter

Running your pool filter during the night-time can help you save on your electricity bills as it is during off-peak hours outside of 7:00am – 7:00pm, which costs the most money to use electricity.

9. Shock your pool every week

Being diligent in shocking your pool every week can help you maintain clear, quality swimming conditions and keep your pool healthy all season long.

10. Robotic pool cleaners make the job easier

Using a robotic pool cleaner can not only help you save time by cleaning quickly, but also help you save money by filtering the water when you turn off your pool filter and pump. This will help you cut back on filter system costs as pool cleaners are much more inexpensive to operate. ** Saving a little can go a long way** Most of the above tips are easy to implement and incrementally will save you some money over the course of the pool season.  If you live in Canada and have any questions about caring for your swimming pool, feel free to contact us here, we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.