One tactic for water-conscious pool owners is installing an automatic safety cover, which can reduce evaporation and water waste by 90-95 percent. Pools lose water to evaporation in varying degrees, depending on many factors, including air, heat, shade in the pool area, wind and water temperature, but an uncovered, 16 by 36 foot pool can lose at least 180 gallons of water a week, or 720 gallons of water a month to evaporation. Pool size also contributes to water loss when the pool is kept uncovered. A larger pool, in the 20 by 40 feet range, can lose between 250 and 999 gallons of water per week, depending on the evaporation factors. Clark advised pool owners to mark their tile at the pool water level, and then check that mark in a week to determine the evaporation rate.
An automatic safety cover can also cut chemical evaporation and heating costs for pool owners. Pool covers act as giant solar collectors, absorbing energy that falls on the pool’s surface. When a pool is covered water temperature increases as much as 10 to 15 degrees, making it cheaper to heat the pool. A pool cover eliminates heat evaporation, keeping the pool warm when the air temperature cools off at night. As far as chemicals go, one gallon of chlorine will evaporate in two hours on a hot day in an uncovered pool, where it can last up to several weeks in a covered pool.
Just as safety covers are only ‘safe’ when they’re used, they also only save water and money when they are properly installed and used. Fortunately, automatic safety covers tend to be used more often. The pool can be easily covered when it is not in use, simply by turning a key.
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