Question 1

How often should you add water to a pool?

Accepted Answer

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How often you should add water to your pool depends on how quickly the water evaporates. Keep an eye on your skimmer box, if you have one. Top up the water in your pool if you notice the water levels are lower than the bottom third of your skimmer. This helps prevent damage to your pump.

Replace all the water in your pool every five to seven years, depending on how often you use your pool, the weather, and whether or not you close your pool for the winter.

Question 2

Does chlorine kill frogs?

Accepted Answer

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Because frogs require fresh water for survival, they can die from repeated exposure to swimming pool chemicals. Chlorine dehydrates frogs, which can lead to their deaths. To ensure frogs don’t hang out in your pool for long periods, safely remove them once you spot them in your pool and install a frog log so they can easily hop out on their own.

Question 3

Does a pool pump use a lot of electricity?

Accepted Answer

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Yes, pool pumps use a significant amount of electricity, making them one of the biggest energy consumers in a home. A pool pump can use up to three times as much electricity as a refrigerator. Typically, a residential pool pump consumes about 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) for every hour it runs. Because pumps often need to run for about eight hours a day to properly filter the water, this can add up to an annual consumption of 3,000 to 5,000 kWh, which can cost between $480 and $800 per year based on average electricity rates.

The amount of electricity your pump uses depends on its size, energy efficiency, and daily run time. To lower your energy consumption, you can choose an energy-efficient or variable-speed pump, ensure it is correctly sized for your pool, and run it only for the minimum time required to keep the water clean.

Question 4

What happens to a pool pump if it isn’t primed?

Accepted Answer

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A swimming pool pump has to have water in it to run properly. If the pump isn’t primed and tries to run when it’s dry, the components will overheat which can cause the pump to seize up and can even damage the PVC pipes that carry the water into and out of it. Essentially, running a pump that isn’t primed can lead to having to replace the entire pump.