MONEY

SAVING
IDEAS

For Your
SWIMMING POOL
Hey there, and thanks for downloading this book! I hope
you’re ready to save some money, because we have 25
awesome ideas to keep you from going broke while taking
care of your swimming pool.

Taking care of your swimming pool can be expensive. But

fear not, because I’ve done extensive research to find some
excellent tips and tricks to save you money.

Some of these tips you can put into action right away,
including using household products as pool chemicals and
controlling the amount and time you run your pump. Other
tips, however, require some planning and time.

We’ll start with small, simple tips that can get you saving
money right away. Then, we’ll move into more advanced tips,
like using the power of
the sun to keep you from
going broke.

Everything underlined is a
clickable link :-)

- Matt Giovanisci
Table of Contents
1. Properly Store Your Pool Equipment
2. Use a Solar Cover with Your Pool Heater
3. Use Baking Soda to Control Alkalinity
4. Run Your Pump Less in Mild Climates
5. Run Your Pump at Night
6. Keep Your Winter Cover Clean
7. Maintain Proper Water Chemistry and Frequent Cleaning
8. “Bump” Your D.E. Filter
9. Turn Down Your Gas Pool Heater
10. Use Calcium Hypochlorite Shock to Increase Calcium Hardness
11. Reduce and Reuse Splashing
12. Shut Off Fountains and Waterfalls
13. Use a Tennis Ball to Collect Dirt and Oil
14. Reuse Filter Backwash Water For Landscaping
15. Open and Close Your Pool Yourself
16. Buy Pool Chemicals Early and in Bulk
17. Invest in a Robotic Pool Cleaner
18. Invest in a Variable-Speed Pump
19. Invest in a Cartridge Filter
20. Use LED Lighting
21. Invest in a Heat Pump or Solar Panels
22. Use Strategic Poolside Landscaping
23. How to Make Your Own Underwater Pool Light
24. How to Make Your Own Solar Pool Heater
25. How to Make Your Own PVC Hose Reel
1 Properly Store Your
Equipment

The number one reason

pool owners replace their
vacuum heads is because
the brushes on them have
either flattened out or
completely fallen off.

Store your vacuum head upside down and out of the

sun. Over the winter, be sure to keep it away from any
chlorine. This will double the life of your vacuum head. The
same goes for your other equipment including:

• Hoses
• Telescopic poles
• Skimmer nets
• Wall brushes
• Toys, games and floats

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2 Use a Solar Cover
With Your Pool Heater

Solar covers attract and maintain heat while keeping debris

out of your pool. Use a solar cover at night to keep the
heat from evaporating from your pool.

If you have a heater, crank it up to the desired temperature

and use a solar cover at night, which will allow the heat
to last for a long time. Think of heating your coffee in the
microwave, then putting a lid on it while you’re not drinking it
to keep it warm.

Bonus: If you don’t feel like taking a solar cover on and off
every night, then you can invest in a solar reel or liquid solar
blankets. Liquid solar covers are easy to use and cost less in
the short term, and they really work!
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3 Use Baking Soda to
Control Alkalinity

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate

and will increase your pool’s
alkalinity and pH levels. I would
only use baking soda, however, if
you need to increase the alkalinity
just a little — perhaps after a rain
storm or shocking your pool. Baking Soda

If you do the math, buying boxes

of baking soda to increase your
alkalinity by 100 ppm (parts per million) might end up costing
you more money than buying alkalinity increaser at a pool
store. I recommend only using baking soda throughout
the season just to keep your alkalinity and pH levels in
check.

NOTE: Add baking soda in small doses and spread it around

the pool so you don’t make your pool water cloudy. You can
add it directly to the water and swim in it right away.

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4 Run Your Pump Less
in Mild Climates

In some parts of the world, owners keep their pools open

year-round. If you live in such an area, you can run your
pump less during the colder months (4 to 6 hours a day).

When it’s hot outside, I recommend you run your pump and
filter for 8 to 12 hours a day.

You need to keep that water clean and moving so that you
don’t run into any problems, such as an algae growth or
cloudy water.

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5
Run Your Pump at
Night or During
Off-Peak Hours
Peak hours for most electric
companies are from 7:00 am to 7:00
pm during the week. This is when
it costs the most money to use
electricity.

To save money, run your filter

during the off-peak hours. Also,
invest in an automatic timer so
you can set your pump to run
during these times.

NOTE: The only exception to this rule is when you add

chemicals. Your pump must be running when you put
chemicals into the water. Try to add chemicals a night so
they are more effective and you won’t have to change your
running times.

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6 Keep Your Winter
Cover Clean
If you frequently clean your cover during the winter, you will
increase your chances of opening a clear pool in the spring.
Dirt and debris that collect
on the cover can weigh it
down, and when it rains,
you may have a giant
coffee filter on your hands.

Throughout the winter, use

a cover pump to get the water off the top of your cover every
time it rains or the snow has melted.

When the cover is dry, use a broom to get as much leaves

and debris off the top of your cover as possible.

In the Spring, you will thank yourself for keeping a clean

cover. It will be easier to remove and you’ll be able to re-use
your cover the following winter. No one wants to buy a new
pool cover every single year — it can get expensive.

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7
Maintain Proper
Water Chemistry
The pH Scale and
1
Very Acidic

2 3
Frequent
4 5 7 6
Cleaning 8 9 10 11 12
Very Basic

13 14
Ideal

pH Alkalinity Calcium
Ideal Ideal Ideal

7.4 - 7.6 100 -150 100 -200

ppm ppm

pH is a measure of Alkalinity is a pH Calcium hardness

the acid or base of stabilizer which helps prevents corrosion of
Keep your pH, alkalinity and sanitizer at healthy levels all
your hot tub water. keep your pH from equipment & etching
changing drastically. of plaster.
season long, and you will run into less problems like cloudy
and green water, which will cost you a lot of money to fix.

Buy test strips and check your water at least twice a week.
Keep a good supply of these chemicals on hand to make
adjustments.

Also, keep your water free and clear of debris. Skim, brush
and vacuum your pool daily, if possible. It’s like brushing your
teeth to fend off plaque.

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8 “Bump” Your D.E.
Filter

Inside every D.E. filter, there is a set

of grids or fingers that has caked-
on D.E. powder. Some filters come
with a “bump handle” that allows you
to shake the powder off the grids or
fingers inside the tank, and others
don’t.

If you don’t have a handle, you can

gently, but firmly, hit the side of your
tank using a rubber mallet or your fist
to knock off the caked-on powder from
your grids or fingers.

You can do this 2-3 times before doing a full backwash.

This will lower the pressure for a few days to a few weeks,
increasing the length of time between full backwashes.

When the pressure rises in your filter tank (8-10 psi over your
normal running pressure), “bump” your filter with a 15-second
backwash to relieve the stress on the tank and replenish the
grids or fingers with new D.E. powder.

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9 Turn Down Your Gas
Pool Heater

Lowering the thermostat on your pool heater by only 1

degree can save as much as 10% in fuel cost.

I suggest that you turn down

your heater.

If you’re worried about the

water being too cold, The
Association of Pool and Spa
Professionals and the American
Red Cross say the most
healthful swimming temperature is 78 degrees. I would try to
keep it right around there. Swimming in bath water is lame
anyway.

Turn your pool heater down to 78 degrees, and use a solar

cover to make the heat last longer.

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10 Use Calcium
Hypochlorite Shock
to Increase Calcium
Hardness
I recommend that all pool owners
shock their pool at least once every

Pool
two weeks.

It’s not always necessary (if you keep an Shock

eye on your free chlorine reading), but it Active Ingredient:
Calcium Hypochlorite ................... 60%

acts as a defense against bacteria. If you

use Calcium Hypochlorite pool shock,
then you are not only protecting your pool
water from harmful bacteria, but you’re NET WT. 1 LB.

also raising the calcium hardness levels

which can prevent damage to your pool’s
plaster, tile, stone and concrete.

It won’t dramatically raise your calcium hardness levels, but

it will help to keep it in check throughout the season. If you
need to raise your calcium hardness level by a lot, then you
will need calcium. However, once you get it to the right level,
you won’t have to think about it all year.

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11 Reduce and Reuse
Splashing

Conserving water will save

you money. Do your best to
keep the water in your pool so
you don’t have to keep refilling
it. Ask swimmers to reduce
splashing — easier said than
done, I know.

You can also:

• Channel splashed-out pool water into landscaping.

• Lower pool water to reduce amount of water splashed
out.
• Plug the overflow line when the pool is not in use.
• Use a broom (not a hose) when you are cleaning around
the pool.

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12 Shut off Fountains
and Waterfalls

When you introduce air into the water, a significant amount

can be lost to evaporation. Using a fountain or waterfall will
cool down your water temperature, which might be counter-
productive if you’re trying to heat it up.

I recommend that you only run your fountains and waterfalls

while you’re entertaining or you just want to look at it.

Otherwise, when the pool is not in use, shut them off.

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13 Use a Tennis Ball to
Collect Dirt and Oil

Keep a few tennis balls in your pool to

remove oils from the surface caused
by skin lotions, soap and makeup. Its
velvety surface will absorb the oils
left behind from swimmers.

Once they’ve collected enough, go play

some tennis.

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14 Reuse Filter
Backwash Water
for Landscaping
Don’t waste the water that
comes from backwashing
the pool. Instead, use it to
water your lawn or plants.

If you’re worried about

watering your garden
with chlorinated water,
backwash your pool into
a plastic storage unit
like a new trash bin or rainwater collection drum. If you let
the collected water sit out for a couple of days, it will allow
enough time for the chlorine to oxidize into the air and debris
to settle to the bottom.

NOTE: If you continue to backwash normally, don’t allow

runoff to enter adjacent properties unless you have some
sort of agreement with your neighbor. Check with your city
government — in some regions it is illegal to empty pool
backwash water into the street or storm drains.

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15 Open and Close
Your Pool Yourself

Did you know it can cost up to $250 to close an above

ground pool, and even more expensive for an inground pool?
The best thing you can do is learn how to close down the
pool yourself.

We have some videos and tutorials to walk you through the

process of opening and closing your own swimming pool:

• How to Open Your Inground Pool

• How to Close Your Inground Pool
• How to Open Your Above Ground Pool
• How to Close Your Above Ground Pool
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16 Buy Your Pool
Chemicals Early and
in Bulk
Pool stores generally run spring start-up specials to entice
people to get a jump start on the season. It’s a good move,
especially if stores have some leftover chemicals from last
year.

Check your local newspapers and coupon magazines. If

possible, buy in bulk at the beginning of the season, whether
it’s on sale or not. Buying in bulk will save you money,
especially in chemicals. If they’re not having any discounts,
ask them for one since you’re buying so much — this will
be easier to do at a local mom-and-pop pool store than at
Walmart.

Make sure you always have a big supply of shock, chlorine,

and alkalinity increaser. These chemicals are usually sold in
bulk and will last over a year. If you have any leftovers, you
can use them the following year.

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17 Invest in a Robotic
Pool Cleaner
Robotic pool cleaners are
self-contained units that
run off of electricity and can
clean an entire swimming
pool faster than YOU.
They drive around the pool
on their own, climbing up
walls and stairs, collecting
dirt and debris in their fine
mesh filter bags.

These bags also filter the water, so by running your robotic

cleaner while the filter system is off, you are actually saving
money while keeping your pool clean. It costs much less to
run a small pool cleaner than it does to run your filter system.

Check out our list of the top 10 best robotic pool cleaners and
buy one.

If you’re not convinced, you can also see our 11 Reasons to

Buy a Robotic Pool Cleaners Infographic.

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18 Invest in a Variable
Speed Pump
The variable-speed pump, as its name suggests, adjusts to
multiple speeds at which it moves water. This saves energy…
and money!

For example, it takes more energy to move water through

the system while you’re vacuuming than during normal
circulation. A single-speed pump simply revs up the
motor, pushing water and burning energy at the same rate
throughout all of these tasks.

A variable-speed pump, however, will slow its rate of energy

consumption during the heating or circulating phase of the
pool cycle. These pumps are known to cut energy use up to
90%. That’s 90% less hard-earned money being needlessly
sucked through the outdated system that may be running
your pool now.

Also, depending on location, governments and local utility

companies sometimes offer rebates for installing variable
speed pumps, just as they do for other energy-saving home
improvements.

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19 Invest in a Cartridge
Pool Filter

Cartridge filters, unlike sand and D.E.,

don’t require backwashing: the act of
sending water in reverse through the
filter to clean it.

To clean a cartridge filter, remove the

cartridge from inside the tank and
spray it down with a garden hose or
let it soak in a filter cleaning solution.
You will use far less water cleaning
a cartridge filter than backwashing a
sand or D.E. filter.

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20 Use LED Lighting

LED lights are more energy-

efficient, using less electricity to
provide the right amount of light.
In fact, a simple demonstration
of an LED versus a florescent
light shows a 70% decrease in
energy consumption. The cost
of an LED light is more upfront,
but the savings in the long run
more than makes up for the initial
costs.

If you have a pool light installed or use lights around your

pool, consider switching to LED bulbs to save up to 70% off
your electric bill.

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21 Invest in a Heat
Pump or Solar Panels

Operating a gas heater is costly.

There are ways to reduce that
cost by using a solar cover, as we
talked about above, but it’s best
to stay away from installing a gas
pool heater.

Heat pumps use electricity

to capture heat from the
atmosphere and apply it to your
pool water. While the unit uses
electricity, it will not use gas AND electricity like a traditional
pool heater.

You can also invest in some solar panels to heat the water.
Solar pool heating is the most cost-effective use of solar
energy in many climates. Check out this link for more
information.

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22 Use Strategic
Poolside
Landscaping

Plant shrubs and tall ornamental grasses near your pool to

help reduce water loss from wind evaporation. Decreasing
the occurrence and amount of wind going across the pool will
cut down on evaporation and keep your pool warmer.

If you want more information, read How to Landscape Around

Your Inground Pool in a Weekend.

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23 How to Make Your
Own Underwater
Pool Light

Feeling handy? You can construct your own underwater light

with just a few pieces you can pick up at the hardware store
and right in your kitchen. Click the link below:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-pool-light/

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24 How to Make Your
Own Solar Pool
Heater

Save a ton of money by building your own solar heater with

parts you can find at Home Depot! This step-by-step guide
walks you through the entire process:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Pool-Solar-water-heater/

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25 How to Make Your
Own PVC Hose Reel

Hose reels costs more than $50 and water will stay in the
hose and never drain out. This PVC pool hose reel only
cost about $25. You can find all the materials in your local
hardware store:

http://www.instructables.com/id/PVC-Pool-Hose-Reel/

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 Thank You!

I want to thank you for reading this book and signing up for
our email list. I hope you employ a few of these ideas to help
you save money while enjoying your swimming pool. Swim
University was built with the goal of providing easy-to-follow
pool care instructions while saving you money in the process.
I invite you to bookmark our site and keep us in mind any
time you need help with your pool.

Happy Swimming!

- Matt Giovanisci

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