Evaporation can be a huge problem to pool owners. How do we prevent pool evaporation? This is one of the most mystifying issues every pool owner has. Everyday, a regular swimming pool loses water for about a quarter to a half inches due to evaporation. Approximately, this goes around 2 to 4 inches per week. This means every pool owner refills the pool every week and most importantly, it costs money!
So it would be better if you were a water conscious pool owner. Not only you save money, but you also become environmentally responsible in conserving water.
Why does pool water evaporate?
It is essential to know and understand what causes evaporation. To put it simply, assume your pool as a pot of water on a stove, the higher the temperature, the more it contacts with the air, hence it causes to dissipate and evaporate quickly.
Pool evaporation does not only occur during warm weather, but it also occurs to whatever weather conditions.
Leaks or Evaporation?
Before we dive in on how to prevent pool evaporation, we need to check one very important thing. Check if the loss of water is due to leaking, before jumping to conclusion that the problem is pool evaporation.
Plug the leaks. If you see a drastic amount of loss in your pool every day, your problem may not just only be evaporation. Minor drips can provide an enormous effect on water loss.
Typically, as above mentioned, water evaporates around ¼ inches every day. Put a mark as to where the normal level of the pool, if this goes beyond ¼ or ½ per day, it would be best to call a professional to investigate where the leak is coming. The earlier it will be fixed, the better.
If the pool is cleared of leaks and the water loss is still immense, try our four easy ways to prevent pool evaporation.
How to prevent pool evaporation?
1. Pool Cover
This is the number one strategy every pool owner recommends. A pool cover can significantly gradual the step of water evaporation. There are pool covers for both above-ground and in-ground pools.
As an added benefit to owners, pool cover can help reduce energy and chemical consumption up to 50% as this minimizes changes of temperatures, chemical evaporation, and prevents bacteria and debris from getting in. You can also read our article about the convenience of getting automatic pool covers.
2. Liquid Solar Cover
The liquid solar cover is a microscopically thin layer of alcohol that lies on top of the water of your pool. The main job of liquid cover lessens the rate of evaporation. Therefore, it helps in retaining the heat of the water.
Is this safe?
Yes. This has been FDA approved, thus it is safe to use in pools. This has been designed to be used with pool’s filtration and circulation and will not damage in any way. This is also one of the 4 cheap but brilliant swimming pool heaters.
3. Decrease the Water Temperature
The warmer the body of water, the quicker it evaporates. Lessen the heat. The cooler the water becomes, the more invulnerable it is to dissipate. So when you do not use your pool, it will always be better to switch off the heater.
4. Add Wind Breaker
The windier it is, the quicker is the rate of evaporation. To counter attack this issue, consider creating a windbreaker.
You may want to add bushes in your backyard, fences or hedges. Any barrier as long as it will deter the speed of the wind and will not directly hit the water surface. Not only will it add beauty to your pool area, but it will also slow down evaporation. Pool fences can also be used as safety fence for children.
Final Thoughts
Water is one of the most important substance on earth. Evaporation is a natural process. No question to that. But the question here is how to slow down the process, to benefit cost-effectiveness for your pool sustenance. The more water evaporates, the costly it will become and the more water we need to refill.
The key here is preserving more of your water where it belongs. It will all be worth it to try to slow down the process. Take the right step and let us help conserve water.