Topic

Pool Energy Efficiency Guides

Most pools waste money in exactly three places. These guides go after all three.

21 guides on this topic

A hot tub on a snow-dusted deck, its gray cover folded back on the lifter at one end, steam rising off the water and snow-laden evergreens on the hillside behind

Spas & Hot TubsGuide

Hot Tub in Winter: Keep It Running or Winterize It

What the hot tub makers' manuals say about winter: freeze protection, power cuts, snow on the cover, and how to winterize a tub you won't be using.

13 minUpdated Oct 4, 2026

A pool pump on a concrete pad with a new black motor and pale gray drive box fitted to its almond housing, the old rusted motor set down on the concrete in front

EquipmentGuide

Variable-Speed Pool Pump Conversion: Is It Worth It?

What switching from a single-speed pump really saves, what federal rules now let you buy, and when a new motor beats a whole new pump.

11 minUpdated Sep 26, 2026

A black pool pump on a concrete equipment pad, plumbed in white PVC to a multiport valve and filter tank, with the pool behind

EquipmentExplainer

Pool Booster Pumps: What They Cost and How They Die

A pressure cleaner needs a second pump running just for it. What it adds to the bill, the wiring rule that decides its life, and how a dying one sounds.

6 minUpdated Sep 13, 2026

A well-insulated hot tub with its cover on, steam escaping at the seam

Spas & Hot TubsCost guide

Hot Tub Running Costs: What One Actually Costs Per Month

A hot tub's electricity cost, worked from the standby watts each model is certified at and your own rate, plus filters, water and the costs nobody can pin down.

8 minUpdated Oct 1, 2026

A gray outdoor electrical enclosure open on a post beside the equipment pad

EquipmentGuide

Pool Timers: How to Set One, and When Not to Use One at All

Setting a mechanical pool timer properly, what the fireman's switch does, what fails first, and why a variable-speed pump usually should not be on one.

6 minUpdated Sep 6, 2026

Three pool cleaners laid out in a single row on wet decking at the same scale — a robotic unit, a suction cleaner

EquipmentComparison

Pool Cleaners Compared: Suction vs Pressure vs Robotic

How suction, pressure and robotic pool cleaners really differ on debris, running cost and what they do to your filter. Plus which one fits which pool.

9 minUpdated Sep 13, 2026

A large cartridge filter tank at a clean equipment pad

EquipmentGuide

Pool Filter Sizing: What Size Filter Do You Actually Need?

How to size a pool filter to your pump rather than your pool, what square footage buys you, and why oversizing a filter is nothing like oversizing a pump.

6 minUpdated Sep 5, 2026

A blue bubble solar cover being rolled across a pool

Seasonal CareGuide

Solar Pool Covers: Which Side Down, and Are They Worth It?

Which way up a solar cover goes, how much heat it really adds, how long one lasts, and the safety point that matters more than any of it.

5 minUpdated Sep 5, 2026

A pool lit from within by a color LED light at dusk

EquipmentGuide

Pool Lighting: LED Conversion, Color and Costs

Why LED conversion pays for itself, what color systems actually give you, and the electrical rules that make this a licensed job.

6 minUpdated Sep 12, 2026

A clean pool in a warm mild-winter climate, palms and low sun

Seasonal CareGuide

Year-Round Pool Care in Mild Climates: Month by Month

In mild climates, not closing is usually less work and less money. Here's the reduced winter schedule and the freeze protection that makes it safe.

5 minUpdated Aug 8, 2026

A weatherproof equipment enclosure open on a wall beside the pad

EquipmentGuide

Pool Automation: What's Worth Wiring In

What pool automation actually controls, when it earns its cost, and the features that turn out to be a login you never use.

6 minUpdated May 8, 2026

A mesh safety cover stretched taut over a pool and anchored to the deck by springs and straps

Seasonal CareComparison

Pool Covers Compared: Solar, Safety, Winter and Automatic

Solar, winter, safety and automatic pool covers compared from the makers' manuals: what each one is for, what its warranty covers, and which hold weight.

14 minUpdated Oct 2, 2026

A pool heat pump beside a pool with steam rising off the water in cool air

CostsCost guide

Pool Heating Costs: Gas vs Heat Pump vs Solar in 2026

Real running costs for each heater type by climate, why a cover changes the math more than the heater does, and what to expect per month.

6 minUpdated Oct 4, 2026

A gas heater and a heat pump installed side by side at a pool pad

EquipmentComparison

Pool Heaters Compared: Gas, Heat Pump, Solar and Electric

Which heater suits which climate and use pattern, how to size one properly, and where the marketing numbers fall apart.

7 minUpdated Sep 24, 2026

A clear cylindrical salt chlorinator cell mounted horizontally inline on a white PVC return pipe

EquipmentExplainer

Saltwater Pools: How Salt Chlorine Generators Actually Work

A salt pool is still a chlorine pool. What the cell does, what it costs to run, when to replace it, and the myths worth ignoring.

6 minUpdated Jul 31, 2026

A variable-speed pump filling the frame on its pad, smooth PVC suction and discharge pipes curving away from the volute

MaintenanceGuide

How Long Should You Run a Pool Pump? Longer and Slower

The 8-hours-a-day rule came from single-speed pumps and cheap power. Here's how to work out your actual run time and what it costs.

6 minUpdated Sep 24, 2026

Plain unbranded pool chemical containers and an open test kit lined up on stone coping — a white jug, a sealed white tub, a smaller bottle

CostsCost guide

Pool Maintenance Cost Per Month: What You'll Really Spend

Real monthly running costs broken down by line item, DIY versus service, and where most owners quietly overspend.

5 minUpdated Sep 24, 2026

A sand filter, a cartridge filter and a DE filter grouped on a pool pad

EquipmentComparison

Sand vs Cartridge vs DE Pool Filters: An Honest Comparison

What each filter type actually catches, what it costs to run, and which one suits which pool. No brand preference, no hedging.

6 minUpdated Sep 13, 2026

A modern variable-speed pump photographed cleanly at the equipment pad

ReviewsBuying guide

Best Variable-Speed Pool Pumps in 2026

Real model numbers, real prices and the spec that actually decides which variable-speed pump you should buy. Hint: it isn't energy savings.

7 minUpdated Sep 24, 2026

A robotic pool cleaner climbing a pool wall underwater

ReviewsBuying guide

The Best Robotic Pool Cleaners in 2026

Dolphin's Nautilus robots carry one year of warranty and its Premier and Sigma three. Here's what that means for which robot is worth buying, with real specs.

6 minUpdated Sep 13, 2026

A variable-speed pool pump on its pad with the control panel visible

EquipmentGuide

Pool Pump Sizing: Why Bigger Is Almost Always Wrong

How to size a pool pump properly using turnover and head, why oversized pumps are the industry default, and what variable speed changes.

9 minUpdated Sep 24, 2026

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Spas & Hot Tubs Equipment Seasonal Care Costs Maintenance Reviews