With summer fast approaching many of us will be looking forward to spending time outside, relaxing at the pool, planting a garden or just enjoying the nice weather. The luxury of owning your own pool or hot tube can provide endless hours of enjoyment when the weather is warm. Unfortunately, due to drastic increases in the price of water many are deterred from the idea. Even having a simple sprinkler to water your garden is quite costly. There are many tricks you can use to properly maintain your pool, that will help you save water and energy--and thus money.

Here's 4 tips to save energy and water:

Pool Pool

1. Cover Your Pool

When owning a pool water conservation is the key to saving money on your utility bill each month. That is why getting a pool cover to put over your pool when it is not being used is very important. Just by covering your pool you can reduce water evaporation by 30 to 50 percent (Peterson).

2.  Plant a Windbreaker

Wind whipping across the surface of a pool will also remove water. Windbreaks provide a natural means of reducing the force of wind. The most effective windbreaks consist of a few rows of shrubs to create a wall of foliage guarding the pool from wind. Planting a windbreak can help you to conserve water as well as lower energy costs

3. Close Check Pool for Leaks

It is also vital that you check your swimming pool closely for potential leaks. Leaks in a pool can waste as much as 100,000 gallons of water per year (Peterson). A pool can leak through its fitting, equipment or plumbing. To check to see if your pool is leaking water walk closely around the pool’s edge and between the pool and equipment pad, check to see if there is eroded and damp soil caused by leaks. To see if your pool’s equipment pad is leaking closely examine the filter, pump, heater and valves for moisture. Then, turn the pump on and off looking closely for spraying water when the pump is turned off. Luckily, most small leaks can be easily repaired with pool putty. If you are unable to fix a leak yourself consult a pool repair professional who specializes in leak detection and repair.

4. Minimize Splashing

Another tip to conserve water in your pool is to reduce the amount of horseplay. As fun as it is to splash one another try to keep the amount of water your splash outside of your pool to a minimum, this will help you conserve your water usage. Following these tips will enable you to have a fun-filled, relaxing summer in your pool, while conserving water and energy, and saving money!

Peterson, Josh. "6 Ways to Conserve Water in Pools." TLC. N.p.. Web. 23 May 2013.

For information on how to conserve water go to:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/save-water-pool.htm

For more information on energy audits go to:

http://www.homeenergyefficiencyaudit.com/ http://jasminestuart99.tumblr.com/