By Mike Fowler
Thanks to the rebates offered by electrical utilities in various regions across the country (e.g. the Poolsaver program1 in Ontario), and the Department of Energy (DOE) in the U.S., there now exists a terrific opportunity for pool professionals to get on board in helping to make residential homes energy efficient—both inside and now in the backyard.
Just like air-conditioners, refrigerators, light-emitting diode (LED) lights, and home automation, the pool equipment room can also be a part of an energy-efficient home. It is important for consumers to be aware that, according to the Energy Star website, traditional single-speed pool pumps could be the second largest energy user for homes with an inground pool. With the Poolsaver rebates being offered now, and the new DOE legislation on pool pumps going into effect in 2021, pool professionals should begin to educate pool owners as well as hotel, motel, apartment, and condo (HMAC) aquatics market about how variable-speed pumps (VSPs) can save on energy usage and reduce the carbon footprint of outdoor living spaces.
Join the movement
Dan Lenz and Julie Kazdin are members of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) national service council and both have had the opportunity to work with, speak to, and educate service professionals throughout the country. Both agree now is the time to educate consumers about the energy-efficient equipment available for use in and around pools. These rebate programs and the incoming legislation on VSPs provides an opportunity for pool professionals, and pool owners, to join the energy-efficiency movement that has been focused primarily on the home, but is now moving into the backyard.
“This is an opportunity for our industry to elevate itself by proactively tailoring our businesses to offer energy-efficient solutions, not just in the pump room, but in all the products we offer in and around the pools—from lighting and equipment to pool covers and automation,” says Kazdin. “We have this amazing chance to embrace the movement that began inside the home.”
In fact, backyards are no longer called backyards, but more often referred to as outdoor living spaces. Now, pool pros can also move the conversation of energy-efficient products from inside the house to in and around the pool. Homeowners know about and understand the benefits of energy-efficient water heaters, air conditioners, washers, dryers, and dishwashers. So it is not a stretch to explain the same energy-efficient equipment is also available for pools.
Lenz says both the DOE legislation and the rebates available from local utilities (e.g. Ontario) validate what pool professionals are telling consumers and/or homeowner associations.
“We explain how variable-speed pumps will save them money, and they are more apt to believe us because it’s not just the pool pro telling them, but the utility company is also validating that same information.”
Depending on the region—especially in areas where pools are open year round—some service professionals say it is much harder to have the time to bring pools up to code or even just to upgrade them with energy-efficient pool equipment.
“Because of the volume of pools being serviced, pool pros tend to wait until something doesn’t work before looking to upgrade a piece of equipment,” says Kazdin. “This is very different than those markets where pools are opened and closed because we have the opportunity to proactively evaluate the pool’s equipment and make recommendations on more energy-efficient products.”
Barefoot Pools owner, Jose Garcia, says consumers understand that eventually their investment in an energy-efficient pump will pay off.
“And in the meantime, the other benefits of the pump, such as its quiet operation, make it easier to sell than I initially expected,” adds Garcia.
Erik Johnson, the service manager at Underwater Pool Masters in West Boylston, Mass., agrees. He has installed three VSPs in his retail store to demonstrate how quiet the pumps run.
“Once they see we can easily carry on a conversation while standing in front of three operating pumps, it’s much easier to sell them on the energy efficiency and electrical savings the product offers—even in regions where the pool season is only two to three months long.”
Johnson says he often hears complaints from some clients that as soon as they open their pool for the summer, their electrical bill goes up $100 a month.
“We use this complaint as a way to introduce the concept of the variable-speed pump,” he says. “When I explain the equipment can cut their electrical bill in half, they start to get interested, and then I mention the DOE legislation, which typically closes the sale.”
Michael Berggren, owner of Berggren’s Backyard Oasis Pool Construction & Service in Wenatchee, Wash., agrees.
“Consumers in our area understand the benefits of doing everything they can to make their homes energy efficient,” he says.
“Getting pool owners to agree to change their pool pump to a variable-speed pump isn’t difficult. They want to do their part to be eco-friendly and they enjoy the added benefit of the quieter operation, it makes their outdoor living space more enjoyable.”
