Customers often come to us and ask how they can make their swimming pool more…
What you need to know to cool your pool
In some regions, swimming pools can heat to uncomfortable temperatures during spring and summer months. Therefore, consumers often ask us at AquaCal about ways to cool their swimming pools. Here are some helpful tips.
Run your swimming pool pump at night
You can cool your swimming pool by a few degrees by simply circulating your swimming pool water at night.
- If your swimming pool has any water features (fountains, waterfalls, etc.), you can also run them at night to accelerate the cooling process.
- You can install specialized misting bars on your swimming pool wall returns. Misting bars enhance evaporation and therefore help to cool your swimming pool. Keep in mind, however, that this method results in water loss from evaporation and thus requires you to regularly add water to your swimming pool.
- If your swimming pool has a solar heating system, you can run it at night to further lower your swimming pool temperature. As the swimming pool water passes through the solar panels, heat radiates to the cool night sky and lowers your swimming pool temperature.
Advantages of running your swimming pool pump at night include: simplicity and affordability. Disadvantages include: extended run times of your swimming pool pump, minimal decreases in swimming pool water temperature, and inability to control or maintain swimming pool water temperature, and required regular water additions due to evaporative water loss.
Install a mechanical evaporative cooler
Mechanical evaporative coolers are installed in your swimming pool plumbing system after your pump and filter and before your salt chlorine generator. These coolers use fans to cool swimming pool water as it travels through the evaporative cooler system. By utilizing a cooler at night, you can lower your swimming pool water temperature by up to 10°F (6°C).
Advantages of mechanical evaporative coolers include: significant decreases in swimming pool water temperature and relatively low initial and operating costs. Disadvantages include: extended run times of your swimming pool pump, inability to control or maintain swimming pool water temperature, required regular water additions due to evaporative water loss, and susceptibility to corrosion when exposed to salt-water swimming pool chemicals.
Install a reverse-cycle swimming pool heater
Reverse-cycle heaters are also installed in your swimming pool plumbing system after your pump and filter and before any salt chlorine generators. These heat pumps use a refrigerant to maintain a specified swimming pool water temperature by running either heating or cooling cycles. Some reverse-cycle heat pumps can only switch on and off, while others, like AquaCal Icebreaker can also switch between heating and cooling cycles.
Advantages of reverse-cycle swimming pool heat pumps include: ability to heat and cool your pool on demand, affordability (especially when compared to gas heaters), and resistance to corrosion when exposed to salt-water swimming pool chemicals. Disadvantages include: high initial costs and higher operating costs than mechanical evaporative coolers.
So there are a few tips for cooling your swimming pool. By taking advantage of any of them, you can cool your swimming pool quickly and easily! If you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions, feel free to leave us a comment below.
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I liked that you said that one thing to consider having installed when you are having a swimming pool built on your property is to purchase solar heating panels to reduce the amount of energy used and money spent. I have been thinking about getting a swimming pool installed but I have been worried about the cost. I would be sure to consider having solar panels installed with my swimming pool so that I can save money and energy and not have to worry about a crazy cost.
I like what you said about how you can cool down your pool by running the pump at night. My aunt owns a pool and needs to get a pump for it. Getting a pump from a professional would be really nice for her.
Informative post. It’s totally great, appreciate your work. Keep share more and more post with us, your post will be helpful for people.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the idea to run water features such as a fountain at night to help accelerate the cooling process for a swimming pool. It has always been one of my dreams to install a swimming pool in my backyard, and a fountain was a feature I was thinking about getting as well. After I find the right installation service to help me install a pool with a fountain, I’ll be sure to keep it running at night to keep it cool.
Hi Larry,
We appreciate your input.
Are there any advantages/disadvantages to shutting down a heat pump and draining it for the hot Florida summers?
good Afternoon Tom,
Hope you are doing well. The main disadvantage to draining a heat pump during the summer is the inability to run test it once a month to make sure that all the moving parts stay moving.
The only real advantage would be the 2-3 pound of pressure relieved from the filter & pump motor leading to minimally less wear & tear on the pool system.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us at 727-823-5642
Thanks
Robert Brown
AquaCal/AutoPilot Tech Support
I have the Aquacal Cooler and would like to know what is the most efficient time to use it. Should we turn it on each morning for afternoon swimming or leave it on all the time. We left,it on all the time last summer and our electric bills were out of site.
Hi Sharon,
Chillers will be most efficient when run during the coolest time of the day. It’s best to run the circulation pump, and your chiller, from 10 PM – 10 AM.
Just attach a ground loop 6 feet deep and 400 ft long. The soil will cool the water as soil temps are 55 degrees year round.
Those pool owners who are looking for deals may find that buying “last year’s” model could save them money and no one would even know it wasn’t the “latest and greatest!”
visited aruba in december and they have a pool at the resort. The temp averages 88 all this month and averages 81 annually. When we jumped in the pool it was really refreshing and cool how is that possible in our home in florida we find our pool really hot especially in the june july august september october months almost like a very hot bath tub. why would the pools there be so much cooler then at home? I also found this to be true in they cayman islands and in the bahamas. This is true for most of the months that we have visited these areas even in the summer months to get away from our extensive heat in florida. only thing I can think of it the cool trade winds that blow constantly at night could that be the cause for them to be so much cooler? any one please let me you as it confuses me that it can remain so cold in these areas yet mine is so so hot in the summer months
Hello Laura,
AQUACAL manufactures units that will heat your pool when it's too cool, and chill your pool when it's too warm. These locations in the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas probably have some type of chilling system. You can learn more about our heat/cool model heat pumps and our chiller only units on our website.
Thank you so much.
Thank you Konko!
It might be a little expensive but you could purchase a small chest freezer and install a cooling loop inside that could transition trough the door. I'm thinking several feet of plastic hose the same dice as your pump/ pool connections. Route the flow off the filter through it and back to the pool return.
That would be interesting indeed Gus! If anyone tries it please share the results with us!
How about chillers ?
Chillers are an excellent suggestion Sli, you can read more about our chillers by following this link: http://www.aquacal.com/tropicool
Thank you!
Excellent, excellent info. As a fellow pool industry professional I've also found that running the pump at night will cool the water. I also turn on all water features on (increases the water surface area and exposes more water to the cool night air) and send water to the solar system (if present).
Thanks for sharing,
Mike
Thank you very much for the additional information Mike!
thanks for sharing nice post
I tried the giant ice block and it doesn't work…even for a small above ground blow up pool, it did little to nothing….but I live in Arizona so that is a factor in the temperature ..it just never cools down here in the middle of the summer.
Morning Jwing!
Sorry the ice block didn't work. Have you looked at our heat/cool heat pumps? It may be a solution for your issue, please follow this link to read more about it!
http://www.aquacal.com/blog/post/129-What-Are-the….
I am moving to AZ from SoCal shortly and am thinking of buying a home with an existing pool. If the home does not already have the heat/cool heat pumps, am I able to install after market? Does this type of pump work with both chlorine and salt water pools?
While the initial cost is higher, is the running costs higher as well?
Thanks in advance
Good morning Heidi-
Yes, a heat/cool pump can be installed after market and it does work with both chlorine and salt water systems, please feel free to reach out if you need help finding a dealer and have fun house shopping!
lol I guess blowing on it won't help
LOL David, no- we don't think it would help!
All great ideas, the ice block would definitely cool it very quickly!!
natural way would be having a part of the pool in the shade, since the cold water sink and then hot water nearby would replace it to cool
I do agree. Using a fountain in your pool helps to cool it. Many people wanted to cool down. Its another resolution of cooling down the water.
or you can place a giant ice block in your pool
Agreed, get a large bowl or bucket (like a 5 gallon), fill with water, place in deep freeze. 8 hours later you have a block of ice that will cool your pool at least 5 degrees in 30 minutes. Very refreshing in July and August! Works like a charm and costs almost nothing.
To cool a 10,000 gallon pool by only 5 degrees, it takes more than 2,100 lbs. of ice.
That is a great addition…thanks!
Its really a matter of tension of cooling a swimming pool to those people who have swimming pools. Above ways are all ok but, I would like to recommend the last one of installing a reverse-cycle swimming pool heat pump. However, it is costly but quicker than others.