GOING GREEN

Trying to be eco-conscious? Salt water pools are where it’s at! Here at PT Pools & Ponds we can help you make the transition from a traditional chlorine pool to this new, greener alternative. Salt water pools use far fewer chemicals than traditional chlorine pools, thus providing a safer, healthier alternative to traditional chlorine pools. Say good-bye to red itchy eyes, damaged hair and swimsuit discoloration. It’s easy to turn your traditional pool into a salt-water pool! With one new part (a chlorine generator) and salt, your pool will be transformed!

How does this process work? An electrolytic cell is plumbed into the swimming pool system that breaks the salt into its components, chlorine and sodium. The chlorine gas oxidizes the bacteria to sanitize the pool water. Next, the components recombine to salt. Additional salt must be added to the system periodically due to the necessity of backwashing the filter. Salt water pools run with an energy efficient pump with variable speeds and programming capabilities, which is essential in the minimizing of energy consumption.

Heat pumps, rather than producing heat to warm a pool, transfers heat. Heat from outside air warms a refrigerant in the heat pump, which is further heated by a compressor, and then transfers heat to the pool. Gas heaters typically use more energy than heat pumps because they produce heat rather than just transfer it. Also, a portion of the energy used to create the heat with a gas heater gets wasted because it is used to make the heater work rather than heat the pool. Solar heat uses roof mounted collectors, which heat and return warmer water back to the pool. The one-time purchase and installation of such system is by far the most efficient way to heat a pool, bypassing the fluctuating gas prices and electric costs. Solar collectors also have a longer life span than gas heaters up to ten years.

Other going green factors include LED lighting and solar covers, which reduce evaporation and chemical consumption, as well as providing a great way to save money on expensive running and heating costs.