Recent Harris Poll Survey Shows 61% of Americans Are Not Familiar With or Have Never Heard of Eco-Friendly Pool Care Products

To Celebrate Earth Day, Leslie's, the Pool Care Experts, Shares Tips to Make Pool Care Eco-Friendly with Ways to Save Water, Energy and Chemicals

PHOENIX, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for Earth Day this coming Saturday, Leslie's (NASDAQ: LESL), the largest and most trusted direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, shares tips for pool owners to help the environment, while saving energy and water and reducing chemical consumption. Easy changes to pool maintenance routines and simple equipment upgrades are among the top "green" tips for the upcoming 2023 swim season.

According to a recent Leslie's-commissioned Harris Poll of 2,000 adult Americans, only 39% are familiar with eco-friendly pool care products, while a majority are familiar with other green activities -- 94% familiar with recycling, 92% with reusable shopping bags, 74% electric vehicles and 54% eco-friendly lawn care products.

"Many owners are not aware that pools can be made more eco-friendly, but there are ways to save energy and water, as well as use fewer chemicals and there is an added benefit of saving money too," said Brian Wells, Senior Category Director at Leslie's. "The math behind eco-friendly pool care solutions is stunning – pool owners can quickly see the savings."

Save Energy
Every pool should cycle its entire volume of water through the filtration system at least once a day to remove debris, dirt, and germs. It can take as many as eight or more hours per day to fully cycle through, but this doesn't have to happen in one continuous cycling process.

The pool pump does this important work, and Wells noted that new variable speed pumps use far less energy than single-speed pumps – up to 90% less, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Single-speed pool pumps are often among the highest energy-consuming appliances of a home, second only to a whole-house air conditioning system. Variable-speed pumps can be set to run at different speeds throughout the day, using less energy to do cycling work. Pool owners can use this online tool to calculate their expected savings by replacing their old pumps.

According to Wells, another way to save energy is replacing an old pool cleaner with a robotic cleaner, which is more efficient because these autonomous robotic cleaners operate independently from pool pumps. They have built-in pumps and filters, use less power, and can be operated wirelessly and controlled via a smartphone app.

Another energy-saving tip should be familiar to anyone who's replaced the incandescent light bulbs in their homes with LED technology – do the same with in-pool lights. LED lights are less expensive to operate, last for up to 25 years and can be programmed to change colors to enhance pool enjoyment, especially for a night-time dip.

Save Water
Conserving water is ecologically responsible and saves on the water bill, too. The average pool loses about one-quarter inch of water per day during summertime heat, which adds up. In certain regions of the nation, there can be even more water loss. According to Wells, there are some simple measures to slow water evaporation:

Solar covers are thin plastic covers that come in a range of sizes and shapes to fit any size pool and protect against evaporation. They also use the sun's rays to heat the water by as much as 15 degrees over several sunny days, which saves on energy costs for heated pools and can extend the swimming season for unheated pools.  

Liquid solar blankets are pool water additives that form a thin, invisible barrier on the pool water surface, which works to conserve chemicals and reduce water evaporation, while also preventing heat loss.

Pool cartridge filters clean pool water better than the more common sand filters and, unlike sand filters, can be cleaned without the regular once-a-week backwash and rinse cycle, which wastes hundreds of gallons of water each rinse.

Use Less Chemicals
Keeping your pool water clean and free of bacteria is important for safety and enjoyment. While pool chemicals are necessary, using as little to do the job is better for the environment, saves money, and keeps pool maintenance simple. Chlorine is the most common pool sanitizer, but in order to use less of it while still maximizing chlorine's sanitizing power, pool owners can add triple-action, enzyme-based products weekly to their pool. These natural chemistry-based products reduce phosphates -- the food for algae -- to prevent algae growth. They also break down non-living organics to keep pool water clear and act as an evaporation barrier to reduce heat loss.

Testing your pool water is crucial. Regular testing can help ensure properly balanced water, especially that Free Available Chlorine is registering in the proper range of 1-4 ppm. Chlorine in this range is the most efficient at sanitizing pool water, and thus reduces the need to use excess chemicals. Water testing is fast and thorough with Leslie's AccuBlue total solution in-store water testing technology. It takes just 60 seconds to deliver a comprehensive 10-point water test, a pool health score, and a corresponding treatment plan – and it's free. 

"Pool ownership is all about providing a safe and enjoyable experience for family and friends," Wells said. "With the right equipment and minor changes in routine maintenance, that experience can be made even better by reducing the pool's impact on the planet."

About Leslie's
Founded in 1963, Leslie's is the largest and most trusted direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry. The Company serves the aftermarket needs of residential and professional consumers with an extensive and largely exclusive assortment of essential pool and spa care products. The Company operates an integrated ecosystem of more than 1,000 physical locations and a robust digital platform, enabling consumers to engage with Leslie's whenever, wherever, and however they prefer to shop. Its dedicated team of associates, pool and spa care experts, and experienced service technicians are passionate about empowering Leslie's consumers with the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and enjoy their pools and spas. 

For more information about Leslie's, visit lesliespool.com or follow and engage with us: @lesliespoolcare on Instagram, Leslie's on Facebook, and @lesliespoolcare on Twitter.

About the Survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Leslie's from March 31 - April 4, 2023, among 2,000 adults ages 18 and older. Results were weighted for age within gender, region, race/ethnicity, household income, education, marital status, and size of household where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. 

All sample surveys and polls, whether they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

SOURCE Leslie's