Almost impossible to live in the great sunshine state and not have a swimming pool and for all of us citizens that are lucky enough to have one there a new law in town. That law is aimed at reducing energy consumption for swimming pools and spas and it is embedded in Florida’s House Bill 663 and tied to the upcoming 2010 Florida Building Code set to go into effect around the first of 2012.
A Beautiful Cape Coral. Fl Pool
Basically the Governor wants your old one speed pool pump to hit the landfill when it dies ( if it’s still not under warranty). The state will be sure that happens by having the local building departments inspect the pump when you go to have it replaced that is, if your building department requires a permit for replacement. If not, it will be the installers responsibility to choose and install a compliant model pool filter pump or a pool filter pump motor. If your pool pump/motor does stop working be sure to have a licensed, insured and reputable pool contractor install the right pump and replace the controls capable of operating at two speeds. Enforcement on existing pools may vary with each community, this is where the distributors and the industry as a whole must educate each other on the law and encourage compliance. The energy savings will benefit you the consumer as you will see below.
Old Pool Pump Motor
So here is how all of this shakes out in regards to how it will affect your pocketbook. A one horsepower pump cost about $ 150 or more not including installation, while the price of the new required pump will start around $700. Wow, you say, that’s a big of difference in costs but her is the upside. The old pumps cost about $2 a day to operate for eight hours a day, the new pumps will cost about 40 to 50 cents per day to operate a significant savings on a cost per day to operate. This can vary because of varying conditions such as; age, size and condition of your pool, how long you run the pump and how well it works. You can get an idea how much you can save by visiting Florida Power and Lights web site at: http://www.fpl.com, go to “My Home” and hit “Appliance Guide” and then “Pools&Spas”. Select the appliances that fit your pool and the number of hours a day that it runs. Conservatively, you will see soon enough that you can save anywhere between $100 to $200 a year in energy costs, quickly paying for that initial capital outlay. If you think of the big picture with all the swimming pools in Florida think of all that fossil fuel that is not being spent to keep our pools pretty and blue.
Remember always use a licensed, insured contractor for your swimming pool needs. Ask a friend or neighbor for recommendations and/or go to the State of Florida Licensing Portal and type the name of an owner, company or license number or you can call 850-487-1395. Check your contracts to be sure what you are getting and by all means ask for everything in writing.
For more information about this subject go to: http://www.floridapoolpro.com/industry/govtrelations/docs/EnergyChanges5_10.pdf
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Fred Sylvester, of Accredited Building Consultants, is a State of Florida Certified Home Inspector and Commercial Building Inspector with over 35 years of construction experience. Fred specializes in Southwest Florida, including Home Inspections and Commercial Building Inspections in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Naples FL. | ||||
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