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Natural Swimming Pools: In The Swim With Nature

July 20th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

I had read about natural swimming pools a while back on an environmentally-oriented blog. I understand they are popular in Europe. This feature story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO, USA) looks at such a natural pool built by a family in Illinois and nicely covers the concept.

Natural pools are intended as ecologically balanced systems that rely on plants and microorganisms, rather than chlorine and commonly used pool chemicals, to clean and purify water.

[The featured] pool is cleaned naturally, filtered by plants and aerated by a stacked limestone waterfall. Skimmers installed at the edge of the pool collect larger debris, and a ultraviolet filter completes the process to ensure safe water. Two electric pumps alternately circulate water about 14 hours a day during the summer.

It looks like a huge natural pond, complete with turtles, aquatic plants and frogs (no fish); but it’s a swimming pool. The owners say they love the swimming experience. There are photos and a fair amount of detail on how the pool was put together; along with resources for more information. If you’re interested in a chemical-free pool and like the concept of introducing plants and select wildlife to your home swimming experience, check out natural swimming pools.

Swimming With Ecology - STLToday

Eco-Friendly Swimming Pools: Tips to Manage, Maintain

March 15th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Speaking of eco-friendly swimming pools, this is a great story from the Orlando Sentinel (FL) on green standards for pools.  No, not algae - we’re talking about managing your pool in an environmentally sound and sustainable way.  The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), a nonprofit organization, has published a Green Home Standard Reference Guide (note: PDF link requires Adobe Reader or equivalent) that recommends standards for green home building in Florida and is a resource for builders and consumers. The first two pages of the guide recommend steps for eco-friendly swimming pool management.

Not surprisingly, the FGBC would prefer you didn’t have a pool or spa at all due to water evaporation, energy use and chemical use concerns.  However, if you want an eco-friendly swimming pool, or want to maintain and manage your existing pool in a more eco-sensitive way, there are four steps you can take to minimize the environmental impacts:

Install a sanitation system that reduces/eliminates chlorine use.  The constant use of chlorine liquid or tablets to sanitize and shock the pool is of primary concern. Chlorine degrades and evaporates quickly from the water, necessitating weekly replenishment. FGBC recommends using salt water pool systems, ionization or UV sanitation systems to reduce or eliminate the amounts of liquid or tablet chlorine used.

Eco-friendly swimming pools use pool covers. Swimming pool covers keep the pool cleaner, reducing chemical and filter maintenance costs. A pool cover also reduces the amount of water and chlorine lost to evaporation. And, covers help prevent heat loss, keeping your pool water comfortably warm, miminizing pool heater usage and possibly extending your swimming season.  FGBC recommends “transparent or lightly translucent [pool] covers” which allow the sun to warm the water.  Opaque pool covers are specifically recommended for Florida pools to minimize heat loss at night.

Use a more efficient swimming pool pump. FGBC estimates that a pool pump accounts for as much as 20% of a home’s electrical use. To reduce this energy expense, they recommend using a pump no larger that 1/2 hp (horsepower) per 10,000 gallons of pool water, paired with an oversized cartridge filter and 2″ diameter PVC pipes instead of the standard 1 1/2″.  For example, I have a 30,000 gallon pool and I need to replace my pump - it took a nasty shock during our last electrical storm (ugh!). So according to this, seems I’d look to replace my ailing pump with a new 1 1/2 hp model.

It’s recommended to put the pump on a timer and run it no more than 6 hours per day in summer, three hours in winter. Six hours is pretty long; unless you’ve got hordes swimming round the clock, you shouldn’t need nearly that.  I set my timer for four hours in summer; and the water’s beautiful. You might also consider putting the pump on solar power.

Use a solar pool heating system.  This would lessen electricity and gas dependence, and is definitely eco-friendly.  

With water shortages, drought and water contamination in the news, we need to look for ways to responsibly and sensitively manage our swimming pools.  While I can’t implement all of the FGBC’s recommendations (solar power is out - too many trees) I’m happy to know my salt water swimming pool is considered green. The pool cover is coming.  The pool pump is a must; and I’ll measure my pipes. Having an eco-friendly swimming pool is not without expense; but if taking these steps can help the environment I think it’s worth the price.

GA Swimming Pools Might Open This Summer Despite Drought

February 8th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you follow this blog you may know that I live and own a swimming pool in Northern Georgia, USA.  And if you read the news you’ll likely know that we’ve been suffering through the worst drought ever in history.  There is currently a ban on all outdoor water usage, since late September, which includes filling public or private swimming pools or washing your pool filters.  Fortunately it’s winter and pools were mostly closed when the ban took effect.  However our severe drought continues and local pool owners, operators, builders and swim teams have been anxiously waiting to know if pool operations would be allowed this year.  This week Georgia’s governor stated he would relax the water ban to allow pool filling and maintenance.  However this edict can be overriden by local governments, who still must meet strict water usage requirements.

As a pool owner I am faintly relieved.  I say faintly because I’ll bet that my county government will continue to ban outdoor water use. But I fear the governor’s plan fails to address the real issue here; which is rampant overdevelopment and lack of a sensible water management plan.

Note that while allowing swimming pool operations, the governor also allows for “hand-watering” of lawns - no auto sprinklers - three times a week between midnight and 10 AM.  Say what?  Let the lawn fend for itself - most are overwatered anyway.  And what sane person is gonna hold a hosepipe and water the grass at 1 AM after a long day of work?  Come on, Governor!…  An unwatered lawn is not a health hazard - an ill-maintained swimming pool is.  The lawn bit was solely to appease the landscape industry which has been taking a beating with the lack of rain.  I am appalled (but not surprised) that no action was taken to place a moratorium on building permits for large scale developments or new swimming pools until their impacts on water use could be studied.

In anticipation that water rates will be raised substantially this summer to help enforce lower usage, I’m looking into buying rain barrels to help conserve.  In addition to swimming I like to garden, and this will supplement my recycling of gray water (water from bathing and dishwashing) for ornamental, non-edible plants.  I’ll also be doing some research into more environmentally-sensitive ways to manage the swimming pool.  I’ll write about what I learn.  I’d really like to see the swimming pool industry design and build more eco-friendly swimming pools that conserve water.  The swimming pool of itself is not the problem. How we build and manage that pool can go a long way to help save scarce water resources.

Salt Water Swimming Pools - A Popular Choice

January 22nd, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Salt water swimming pools have been growing in popularity over the last 3 - 4 years.  It’s reported that they account for approximately 40% of the pool sanitizing systems installed in the US. A saltwater pool has a special generator cell that converts salt to chlorine for the pool’s sanitization.  The system is self-regenerating - salt used in the process is returned to the pool after sanitization is complete.

Salt Water Swimming Pools DO Have Chlorine…Water Just Feels Nicer

Many people mistakenly think that a salt water swimming pool does not use chlorine.  While it’s true that one doesn’t have to buy chlorine to add to the pool water, the salt water pool is a chlorine sanitization system.  Salt is added to the pool water and dissolved.  The salt water runs over the special generator cell plates and is converted into chlorine.  The converted chlorine sanitizes the water, oxidizing bacteria and algae which is filtered out by your sand or cartridge filter. At the end of the process the chlorine is regenerated back to the pool as salt that can be used again.  You save a great deal of money and aggravation by not constantly having to purchase, measure and handle chlorine.  And because the salt is recycled into the water, one doesn’t even have to add salt very often.  I personally own a salt water pool and I only have to add salt one or two times a year.  You’ll add salt as the salinity of the water becomes diluted over time because of rains and having to add water when the pool levels are low.  When saline levels are too low, the generators cannot create the needed chlorine. You can easily know when salt is too low because the generators have a digital control panel that constantly monitors salt and chlorine levels and tells you. Fairly idiot-proof. Salt water swimming pools can save their owners as much as 35% per year in chemical operating costs.  Total alkalinity and pH seem to be easier to maintain in a saltwater pool; I find that the salt doesn’t radically throw off the water’s chemical balance.

A salt system is initially more expensive than a conventional chlorine system, but you recoup the upfront installation costs in about 4 - 5 years with what you save on chemicals.  The technology is becoming more affordable and is considered eco-friendly; so more and more people will likely be buying these systems.  Popular salt water chlorine generators include Goldline Aqua Rite (I own this one, pictured at top) and Chloramatic. Goldline is a Hayward company. Hayward makes many fine pool products. There are generators for above ground pools as well as in-ground pools (picture link at left above). The digital control panels for these systems should be installed by a licensed electrician. I love my pool; and overall, I think you’ll be very pleased with this type. If you are thinking about building a swimming pool, consider a salt water swimming pool.

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