Blog- Your luxury lifestyle shouldn’t end when you step out the door

The humble backyard swimming pool is a part of our Australian culture, bringing fitness and enjoyment to families. Some of the best days of your life are spent in your backyard pool; it is and always will be a meeting place that brings people together.

 

As pool builders, we often get asked about ways to prevent Evaporation and pool water loss. Most people are surprised by what seems like enormous quantities of water that an average pool can lose through evaporation.

 

There is no such thing as a non-evaporating pool; all pools will experience some kind of evaporation. On average, swimming pools lose about a quarter of an inch of water each day. Even two pools at neighbouring properties can have different evaporation rates.

So what is Evaporation? It is the process whereby liquid water becomes a gas and dissipates as the water tempera- ture is increased.

 

The 4 main factors that affect evaporation rates from domestic swimming pools are:

1. Surface Area of the Pool. The bigger the pool the more surface area therefore the greater the evaporation volume.
2. The highest evaporation rates occur when the differences between water and air temperatures are the greatest. This may not be in the middle of the day when the pool is in use. At this time of day the pool water may remain warm, but the air temperature has fallen substantially – that means a greater temperature difference between the air and water – and greater evaporation.
3. The drier the air is, the greater the evaporation rate. In very humid conditions less evaporation occurs.
4. The final and very significant factor for home pools is wind. A gentle breeze of just 11km per hr can more than double the evaporation rate by removing the insulating layer of warm, moist air directly above the pool surface.

"Splash-out” water is probably a much more significant source of water loss in any backyard pool also.

The best way to find out how much water your pool is losing simply follow this easy step.

 

Mark the water level of the pool at the skimmer. Using a piece of tape mark the water level. Check the mark 24 hours later. Your pool should lose no more than ¼ inch per day. Otherwise, a leak may be responsible. The most common leak is a separation between the plastic skimmer and the concrete pool. This is easily fixed with pool putty.

 

Leaks in and around the pool light are most often either in the conduit line that the light cord will run through, or are in the plaster and gunite surrounding the light pot. This problem can be easily fixed with epoxy putty, it works underwater and is inexpensive to purchase from most pool supply stores.

 

Try Beau Corp Aquatics clever ways to reduce water evaporation and avoid costly refilling of your pool.

1. Prevent wind exposure. Consider adjusting the landscape around your pool with walls and hedges that create shelter from the wind.
2. Increase shade. Covering your pool with a shade will further reduce evaporation as well as protecting swimmers from harsh sunrays. Shade cloth or shade sails are very affordable and can add a lovely dimension to your outside pool area.
3. Pool blankets offer an affordable option and are available in bubble plastic or form, which float on the water’s surface. If used with a roller they can be easily removed before pool use, then spread again after pool use.
4. Pool covers are generally more expensive and aesthetically can look better. They also have an added safety benefit, as it is difficult to fall into the pool when the cover is in place.

They do prevent up to 95% of evaporation and avoid gaps which pool blankets sometimes do not cover.