I never use my swimming pool. Is there a way to cover it permanently?

It’s not a good idea to fill in or permanently cover an old swimming pool. A better solution is to build a temporary deck over your swimming pool so you can remove it if you decide to sell your home later. A pool can add value to your home.

Plus, if you fill in a pool and hide it under the dirt, you must disclose that fact when you sell your home. And the excavation costs for a new pool in the location where the old one was could be astronomical.

Rosie recommends that you cover your unused pool with a deck made from a composite material like composite wood.

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For more information and for answers to all YOUR Home Improvement, Landscape or Gardening questions, visit our website www.rosieonthehouse.com

What are some steps I can take to save money on my electric bill by running my pool pump more efficiently?

Sign up with your electric utility for a “time of use” rate plan; both APS and SRP offer them. You’ll pay a reduced rate for electricity if you run your pool pump and other appliances—like your dishwasher or washing machine—during hours of the day when demand for electricity isn’t at its peak.

1. Example: SRP will cut your “off-peak” rate from the standard 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (a measure of electricity use) to around 6.5 cents if you run your pool pump and other appliances between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. during the summer. If you run the devices between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., you’ll pay more to use the same electricity.

SRP estimates that “time-of-use” customers save up to 7 percent on their electric bills.

2. Run your pool pump less. It’s not necessary to run it around the clock. Most manufacturers recommend running it between eight and 10 hours a day in the summer and about half that in the winter.

3. Put a timer on the pump so it automatically shuts off after those hours, and set it to run only when you’re paying off-peak rates.

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For more information and for answers to all YOUR Home Improvement, Landscape and Garden questions, visit our website: www.rosieonthehouse.com