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How to Extend Your Pool Season Through Fall

swimming pool in the fall with additions that extend your pool season

No pool owner likes to see the daylight hours shortening or the blazing temperatures fading, but the reality is that summer only lasts so long. While there’s nothing that can be done to lengthen the summer months, there is plenty that can be done to extend the amount of swim time each year. So, if you’re nowhere near ready to start letting go, here are some ways to extend your pool season through fall.

Add Some Heat

One of the most obvious ways to lengthen swim season is to add heating to the pool. Those who don’t yet have a pool heater may be surprised by the added comfort that a pool heater brings. The intense summer sun does a fantastic job of heating pool water, but once fall rolls around, hours of daylight decrease, and temperatures dip. Pool water just doesn’t get as warm or stay as warm as it does during the summer.

Most pool owners want their pools to be between 78 and 82 degrees. Depending on what part of the country a pool is in, adding a pool heater can double or even triple the amount of time a pool can be kept in that comfortable zone.

Some pool owners worry that adding a pool heater will dramatically increase their utility bill. While traditional gas heaters can certainly drive up costs, electric heat pumps are a completely different story. Rather than creating heat by burning fuel (like gas heaters do), heat pumps pull existing heat from the surrounding air and boost it before transferring it to the pool water. And high-quality heat pumps, like those from AquaComfort, are even more energy efficient than their counterparts.

  

aquacomfort heat pump

AquaComfort Advantages

  • COP ratings from 6.0 to 6.7
  • Operate in 38-degree weather (as opposed to 50 degrees required for most heat pumps)
  • Up to 80 percent more efficient than gas heaters
  • Up to 30 percent less costly to run than other heat pumps
  • Smaller footprint and lighter than most of the competition

Light It Up

pal lighting bulbs

Safety should always be a top priority in and around swimming pools and with the reduced daylight hours in the fall, lighting is one element that is essential for added safety. Not to mention, pool lighting sets the mood for evening get-togethers and provides added visibility for the area around the pool as well.

Those who haven’t yet incorporated lights into their swimming pool will be amazed by the difference in both visibility and ambiance that replacing older incandescent bulbs with high-quality LED bulbs can make. These days LED pool lights are the lights of choice for pool owners looking to illuminate their pools, water features, spas, and more. PAL Lighting offers the EVENGLOW Sonar Retro Bulb that can be used as a retrofit bulb in the lighting housing of many different manufacturers..

EVENGLOW Sonar Retro Bulb Advantages

  • Highly energy efficient, using under 10 percent of the power needed to run a similar incandescent light.
  • Less expensive than replacing a whole light and cord. 
  • Run much cooler than incandescent bulbs, so they are not going to cause a safety hazard if swimmers come in contact with them in the pool.
  • LED lights are brighter at a far lower wattage than incandescent bulbs.
  • Long lifespan in comparison to incandescent lighting. While an incandescent pool bulb may need to be replaced once a year, an LED pool light can last 15 to 20 years.
  • Providing 15 million colors with instant color change.
  • More eco-friendly and cost-effective than traditional pool lighting choices, as they use far less power and don’t need to be replaced very often.
  • Remote control is included for quick and easy adjustments.

Bring the Fire

slickrock fire feature in the fall

While adding both heat and light to an outdoor space in fall is a great idea, incorporating fire elements increases both warmth and light around the pool. Gatherings around a cozy fire are synonymous with the fall season, so adding them to a pool area only makes sense for pool owners who want to lengthen swim time.

There’s nothing quite like the flicker of the flames on the surface of a pool. Having fire features set around a pool area provides enhanced safety around the pool and boosted warmth for those cooler fall days and nights. 

SlickRock offers sleek, striking fire tables that are as durable as they are functional and beautiful. Cast from ultra-high strength of 15000 psi (pounds per square inch) concrete, these bowls are made to withstand exceptionally high temperatures. The Oasis fire table is an outstanding choice for outdoor poolside gatherings as it can be used with either a natural gas line or a propane tank housed inside the table, increasing function and aesthetics.

SlickRock Oasis Fire Table Advantages

  • Eye-catching, modern design, with a wide range of color options. 
  • Manual and electronic ignition options available.
  • Natural gas or propane options (the propane tank hides under the removable mahogany top).

Keep It Clean

Leaves are synonymous with fall, and while they can be beautiful on the trees and even on the ground, they are an issue when they land in the pool. When the pool starts accumulating leaves, the water’s pH can easily be thrown off and the chlorine starts working overtime to rid the water of the contaminants. Not to mention the fact that, left too long, leaves can stain pool surfaces. And the longer leaves are left in the water, the more they break down and become harder to remove completely. 

It’s best to clean out the leaves regularly, either by manually skimming the pool or by using a pool cleaner. The Water Tech VOLT Rechargeable Leaf Vacuum is made especially for the purpose of clearing leaf debris from a pool.

VOLT Rechargeable Leaf Vac Advantages

  • Runs for 3 hours on one charge.
  • Comes with two leaf bags.
  • Automatically senses and turns on when it enters the water and turns off when it’s removed.
  • Cordless
  • Recharges in 4 hours.

 

At Alpha West, we bridge the gap between pool and spa industry professionals and product manufacturers. We represent only the best product manufacturers in the pool and spa industry. Interested in learning more about what we do or the manufacturers we represent? Reach out to your pool and spa manufacturer representative at hello@alphawest.com.

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