Potomac Pool Service

Go Green

In recent years a greater emphasis has been placed on installing and using products that are as environmentally friendly as possible. While we have no official affiliation with Pentair products, we have found their Eco-Select™ salt-based chlorine generators and variable speed pumps both effective and easy to use. The Eco Select™ brand is the keystone of the Pentair Water Pool and Spa® program, which is designed to meet the dual objectives of a growing percentage of pool owners: save money and make more eco-friendly choices. These products save energy, save water, eliminate or reduce noise, or otherwise contribute to a more environmentally responsible equipment system. In every case, a product that earns the Eco Select brand is clearly our “greenest” and most efficient choice.

Check out the savings that can be realized with an efficient Intelliflo variable-speed pump here. The secret is their ability to slow down to just the right speed for your particular pool, not wasting any energy in a one-size-fits-all approach. These pumps, in part due to their totally enclosed fan cooled (TEFC) design, and permanent magnet motors, have survived running dry without a need to replace internal seals or re-pipe any connections. Additionally they continue to run quietly year after year. Over the course of their lifetime they will pay for themselves through reduced energy bills, whereas as typical single speed motor will only get louder over time, require a periodic re-pipe and eventually burn out it’s windings from heat.

Salt chlorine generators are another way to reduce your pool’s environmental footprint. A salt chlorine generator such as the Intellichlor Salt Chlorinator will automatically generate chlorine for your pool throughout the season without the need to purchase, transport or store solid or liquid chlorine. An initial dosage of salt is added to the pool upon start up, and through an electro-chemical reaction in the generator, chlorine gas is generated and injected into the water. The salt is not consumed at this point, but is instead ready to continue generating chlorine at a steady and constant rate through the season. This constancy can prevent the spikes of high chlorine, and algae blooms from low chlorine, that many homeowners experience. The salt levels are relatively low – much less than the ocean for instance, and most people who do notice it say it has a softer feeling then typical water, and does not exhibit any drying effects on their skin. Periodic additions of salt (to replace that which lost to backwashing or splash out), as opposed to chorine, are all that is required to maintain the sanitizer levels. Additional advancements that will monitor and meter the pH of your pool in addition to the chlorine level are poised to automate water balancing this summer!

Lastly, we are beginning to see more environmentally products on our wholesalers’ shelves. We will be experimenting with a company named Orenda technologies and their Scale, Metal, and Phosphate Control products this year. Orenda Technologies has been setting trends in the use of enzyme technology in the recreational water treatment business since 1990, offering solutions to pool owners, pool care professionals, water parks and resorts, and municipalities. We are committed to exploring the use of non-toxic and non-hazardous additives that prevent algae growth and staining without harsh algaecides and toxic alternatives. We advocate bio-friendly solutions with science in harmony with nature.