Tip 14 - Don't Get Soaked |
| The 20 million waterbeds in the United States consume the power of four large power plants. |
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ENERGY FACTS
- A heated waterbed can use as much energy as a large refrigerator. Leaving it unmade in the fall or winter can double that loss as the heat dissipates in the air.
- Evaporation can be a major source of heat loss from hot tubs. When only five gallons of water evaporate, they chill the remaining 500 gallons by 1°F and the water must be reheated.
- U.S. swimming pools contain enough water to cover San Francisco with a layer of water about seven feet deep. About 30 percent of that water is heated, burning as much natural gas as a city of 600,000.
- For every hour it's in use, an average pool heater consumes three times as much energy as a home furnace.
- Pool blankets -- insulating sheets that float on the surface -- cut the energy consumption of pool heaters up to 70 percent.
- Pool pumps use about the same amount of energy in an hour as window unit air conditioners.
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SIMPLE WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY
- Cover your spa or hot tub. Use a well-insulated cover such as two-pound foam to prevent heat loss and evaporation.
- Use a pool blanket.
- Try solar heat.
- Add an inch of polyethylene foam around the edges and the bottom of your waterbed, which can cut energy use by 30 percent.
- Make your waterbed and consider using an insulated bed pad.
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