Pools and Spas
Pool Pumps
Researchers have studied pool pump energy use and found that it is the second largest user of electricity for the typical home, averaging 4,200 kW of electricity each year. Pool pumps can amount to $1 or more a day based on current electricity rates in Southwest Florida. Energy Star certified in-ground pool pumps use up to 65 percent less energy than standard pool pumps and can save $450 a year in energy bill costs. Certified above-ground pool pumps use about 17 percent less energy and can save more than $130 over the lifetime of the product.*
Pool Heating
LCEC recommends setting your thermostat no higher than 84 degrees, which uses approximately six to eight kW per hour of run time. Each degree higher adds about 8-12 percent to your energy costs. You can also cut costs by lowering the thermostat to 70 degrees when the pool will be unused for three or four days. Less energy is utilized to reheat a pool for a weekend or special occasion than to maintain a constant temperature all week.
Shielding your pool from wind helps reduce temperature loss. Winds above three to five miles per hour can lower the pool temperature significantly, and a seven-mile-per-hour wind can increase a pool’s heat loss by 300 percent. The use of shrubs, trees, or fences can provide an effective windbreaker.
Waterfalls, fountains and other features can also increase heat loss and evaporation.
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Solar Pool Heating
Solar pool heaters are the best source for heating your pool because there are no additional operating costs involved. The heat from the sun heats the pool for you. The payback of a solar pool heater is just under three years. The key to a quick return of your money is to retain the heat in your pool by using a pool cover, especially at night when temperatures drop and heat is drastically lost.
Although some advertisements indicate that heat pumps only cost a dollar a day, a 32-amp, 220-volt heat-pump pool heater actually costs just under a dollar for one hour of operation. Think of the daily cost of a heat pump running four to eight hours per day. This misconception may leave customers who have purchased a heat pump unhappy once they have received a high winter electric bill.
Spas
Your monthly energy …….
Source: https://www.lcec.net/energy-efficiency/energy-saving-tips/pools-and-spas