With a new year upon us, this is the perfect time when you sit down, reflect on the past year, and write down some New Year resolutions you’d want to achieve.
Most people would focus their New Year’s resolution list to focus on personal and financial goals. But if you’re a pool owner, there is a good chance that you might also have a few things that you’ve always been wanting to do as far as your swimming pool is concerned.
Here are 5 things that every pool owner should include in their list of New Year’s resolutions.
New year’s resolution #1: Go green
The amount of water used in your swimming pool, the chemicals that you use to keep it clean and safe, and the amount of fuel consumed to keep your pool’s water temperature just right all contribute to making your swimming pool anything but eco-friendly.
The good news is that there ways on how you can make your pool friendlier to the environment.
One is to make sure that you cover your pool with a solar pool cover when it’s not in use. Swimming pool covers help reduce the evaporation rate of your pool’s water, which means that you don’t have to fill it up frequently. It also helps protect the water from all kinds of dirt, rain, and snow which would require you to use more chemicals to sanitize it and keep it clean and safe. More important, solar pool covers double up as heaters, so they help keep your pool’s water’s temperature regulated without the need for a separate heater that runs on propane or any other type of fuel.
Another way to make your swimming pool more eco-friendly is by switching to LED swimming pool lights. LED lights are powerful enough to light up your pool so that you can enjoy swimming at night, but only consume 20% of the electricity used up by regular swimming pool lights. Not only would this do wonders to your electricity bill, but it will also mean that less electricity is consumed so you contribute less to the world’s carbon footprint.
If you have been thinking adding renovating your swimming pool as part of your New Year’s resolution, then why not convert your traditional swimming pool into a natural one? Natural pools are called as such because they use plants to help filter and clean your pool as opposed to using harsh chlorine-based chemicals. They are a bit more challenging to maintain. But once you get the hang of it, natural swimming pools are cheaper, and so much safer for you and your family.
New year’s resolution #2: Learn to test your pool water’s chemistry
Taking a sample of your pool water to have it tested is not only time consuming. They can also be very expensive for you in the long run.
Instead, go and purchase a complete water test kit you can find online or in your local pool supply store. Most of these pool testing kits come with a set of instructions that are pretty straightforward and easy to follow. This will save you a ton of time and money in the long run.
New year’s resolution #3: Clean up your surroundings
A lot of the falling leaves and other types of dirt that you find in your swimming pool come from the trees and other plants surrounding it. So, make it a point to trim the shrubs, bushes, and trees surrounding your pool so that the leaves and branches don’t fall directly into your pool. Using a leaf net will also be helpful, especially during the autumn season when a lot of trees naturally shed off their leaves.
Another way to keep your swimming pool clean for a longer period of time is to install a wind block. This helps keep out any debris that could potentially land into your swimming pool during windy days.
New year’s resolution #4: Swim more often
After all the food eaten during the holidays, losing weight is most likely one of those that is on the top of every person’s New Year’s resolution list.
Swimming is one great and enjoyable way to lose those extra pounds. You can easily burn up as much as 500 calories per hour swimming. It is also considered a low-impact form of exercise, which is great if you’re a little bit up there in years or have suffered an injury in the past. Moreover, having to wear your swimsuit every time before you dive in will serve as enough motivation for you to keep at it and remain consistent.
New year’s resolution #5: Socialize more
If you’ve been so busy last year, and haven’t been able to go out with your friends as much, make an effort to hang out with them more this year. What better way to do this than to host a few parties by the pool right in your backyard? All you need is some food (you can even go potluck with your friends), drinks, music and, of course, a clean swimming pool.