Tips to Extend Your Summer Pool Season
While we still have plenty of wonderful Cape Cod summer weather left, it’s also a good idea to be mindful that at some point, our summer’s long nights will be replaced by the cool breezes of autumn.
Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts residents will trade their marshmallowey S’mores and bathing suits for apple cider and pumpkins. Before you know it, preparations for winter will start to happen as our Barnstable County, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket neighbors begin to pull their windows shut, pack away their shorts, and wave goodbye to the migrating birds.
But fret not! Winter isn’t here yet, and fall is still some weeks away…and that is awesome news for all the warm weather fans out there!
For our Cape & Islands gunite pool owners, there are a few checklist items to keep in mind to be sure you can extend the summer season for your pool without having to head south:
Optimizing Your Gunite Pool Water Temperature
Just because it’s August doesn’t mean you have to start thinking about doing a polar plunge in your pool…you only need to make sure the temperature in your pool is maintained. While you don’t need to turn your pool into a sauna, you can raise the temperature up enough to cancel out any chill from the autumn air. How to do so, you ask?
Geothermal Heat
Imagine that you have a Yeti or similar travel mug. Have you ever watched someone at a coffee shop heat up your travel drink container before pouring coffee into it? If you have a material already heated around that liquid, what happens is that mug gets conditioned which keeps your beverage consistently warmer and for longer periods of time.
Think of your gunite pool in much the same way: almost as a heat sink that retains its heat from the ground around it. As we head from late summer into early fall, this geothermal heat retention keeps the water temperature in your pool warmer than the air temperature outside of it.
The Science of Keeping Heat Consistent
The more scientific term of this is known as “temperature homeostasis” …let’s use a home as an example. During cold or winter months, it’s normal to have a temperature setting on a thermostat change based on if a family is home or out for a time. As you know, making sure the temperature change stays minimal is crucial because more energy is consumed trying to raise temperature more than 5 degrees rather than keeping to a consistent temperature. Many families use this same tactic to maintain a more consistent temperature in their homes. Much is the same with your gunite pool: when working to extend your pool season by raising the heat of a pool, make sure it’s on a timer to keep it consistent, or that any changes in temperature are in small increments at a time. The result being that this will leave your pool at a more acceptable and higher temperature that is more efficient and cost-effective rather than drastically changing it up and down every time when you’re not using it.
Consistency is key!
“But I don’t HAVE a gunite pool…”
“That’s great advice, but I don’t have a gunite pool” you may say.
That’s where Living Waters Gunite Pools & Spas comes in!
Now, it may seem counter-intuitive to consider purchasing a gunite pool after the swim season is over, but in all honesty, NOW is the perfect time to plan for one!
What if you don’t have a pool?
Living Waters will continue to be installing gunite pools over the next few months, and our busy schedule already has us planning for 2025 projects, so right now, today, is the time to get your backyard pool project booked! This is also the perfect time to note the different nuances in your yard, and these thoughts are fresh in your mind while you are thinking of them. For instance, if you wait more than a few months, you may forget where in your yard the sun shines the most, where the ideal spot for a deck or part of the backyard would be best for lounging, where leaves tend to gather, etc.
These are all important details that help to determine what shape, size, and area of your backyard is best for gunite pool construction. Thinking about that dream gunite pool can keep warm weather thoughts to keep you going through the cold nights as well!
Understandably, this can seem like a lot to consider, almost to the point of being overwhelming. But don’t fret, Living Waters Gunite Pools & Spas works with you every step of the way, from design to build/construction and maintaining your Cape Cod gunite pool year-round!
Your Dream Pool Project Starts with One Small Step
There’s only one step you need to do, and that’s to call us today at (774) 368-4221 or visit our website at www.capecodpooldesign.com and start the process with a free estimate! Then you can look forward to enjoying that pool through all four seasons!