Looking for the best ways to cool down your pool?
There’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with pool water that’s too hot. Because if you’re like most people, the whole reason why you got a pool was have an easy, convenient way to cool off and stay active at home.
In most cases, a warm swimming pool is a great thing. It extends your swim season, and let’s you enjoy your pool when otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
But if you’re swimming pool is warm enough to give a hot tub competition, then you probably won’t be enjoying that water much at all.
That is…unless you know how to cool down your pool. And not only lower the pool water temperature, but KEEP it cool and comfortable for whenever you want to swim.
Whether you’re looking for short term solutions, or want permanent control over your pool temperature, you’re at the right place. In this post, we share 9 of the best ways to cool down your pool and stop getting beat by the heat.
9 Best Ways To Cool Down Your Pool & Lower Water Temperature
NOTE: The 9 pool-cooling solutions outlined in this post are in order from least, to most effective.
1.) Run pool filter at night
There are three reasons why running your filter at night helps cool down your water:
- The outside air is coolest at night
- It facilitates evaporation, which contributes to heat loss
- It’s SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper than running during day time
When you run your filter at night, it cycles your water, and exposes it to the now, colder outside temperatures. So as long as your pool is left uncovered for this purpose, your water will begin letting off heat. That is, right until it’s daytime again and you’re back where you started.
2.) Uncover pool & turn off heater
This one may seem obvious, but if you’re used to running your pool heater on a schedule and keeping your pool covered, then it may seem counter intuitive.
After all, under normal circumstances, you want to contain the heat in your pool, and keep your water warm and comfortable. So, it makes perfect sense to keep the heater running often, and the cover on to lock in that heat. It’s more efficient, and saves you money.
But if you want to cool down a hot swimming pool, then do the opposite: keep the pool cover off, and turn off the pool heater
Like running your filter at night, this exposes your water to cold atmospheric temperatures, and allows heat to evaporate from the surface more easily.
That said, you won’t get consistent results with this method, as you’re at the mercy of the weather. And it doesn’t afford you much control over the temperature of your pool, just an easy way to cool it off.
3.) Cool down pool with ice
No, this isn’t a joke. And yes, you’ll need A LOT of ice.
And know that when we say “A LOT” we don’t mean 20 pounds, or even 100. No, we’re talking a hefty 2,100 pounds of ice.
That’s how much ice you would need to cool down a small, 10,000 gallon pool by just 5 degrees.
But unfortunatlely, while this may get your fast results, the effects wear off equally quick. So within 1-2 days, your pool will be just as hot as it was before.
That said if you need a quick, one-time fix to cool down your pool, and can get a good deal on bulk ice, why not?
4.) Remove landscaping that blocks wind
If you’re trying to keep your water warm, then adding a wind-blocking enclosure around the pool can help. But again, if you want to lower the temperature of your swimming pool water, then you actually want more wind to come through.
So by removing windblocking landscaping around the pool, like thick shrubs and bushes, your pool will be more exposed to natural breezes. And those natural breeze are key to cooling off your pool, as they create movement on the surface of the water. And as the surface area of your pool water increases with each gust of wind, so does the heat loss.
Related: 11 Cheap and Simple Pool Landscaping Ideas
5.) Run solar heater at night
Yes, solar heaters are designed to warm up your pool whenever the sun is out. But they also have a cool side feature that you can make use of on ocassion.
By running your solar pool heater at night, when the sun is down, you release some the excess heat in the water through the solar panel system. This strategy is known as nocturnal cooling, and works by exposing your pool water to colder air temperatures by moving it across the panels, which aids in the heat loss process.
That said, this will only have a noticeable effect if there’s a significant different between the hottest point of the day and coolest point where you live. Also consider that if you live in a hot climate,, then you’ll have to do this constant just to lower your pool temperature. A habit that can qwuickly drive up your electric bill
But odds are, if you don’t already have a solar heat, then you prob wont be byying one jsut to cool off your water. Especially when far more effective, and reliable options exist for that very purpose.
6.) Install a pool fountain or waterfall
A pool water fountains works similar to running your solar heater at night, but actively works during the day and night.
Pool water fountains aerate your water, and give it constant exposure to the ambient air. Naturally, this aids in the heat loss process, allowing your water to stay noticeably cooler.
The bigger the water fixtures, and the more waterr it moves, the greater the pool cooling effects will be.
But again, everything up to this point only stands as temporary and situational solutions. IF you’re looking for a simple and permenant ways to lower your pool temperature, and cool off hot water on demand…keep reading.
Related: 15 Cheap Ways To Upgrade Your Pool
7.) Install a pool shade/awning for shade
This pooling cooling strategy takes advantage of simple trick almost everyone knows for beating the heating:
Find shade.
Or in this case, create it.
By adding a sun-blocking pool awning above your pool, you can keep your pool substantially cooler. And the effects will be lasting, since all you need to do is set it up and let it do it’s job.
You can buy pool awnings at your local pool shop, or make one yourself. A few good methods include using thick canvas tarps, or repurposing 2-3 aluminum car canopies.
8.) Install a pool chiller/cooler
A pool chiller, or pool cooler, does the exact opposite job of your pool heater. It’s a machine made to cool down your water by removing excess heat. So basically, it’s an air conditioner for your water – a simple way to cool down a hot pool with the push of a button.
If you already have a pool heater, then a pool chiller is the perfect add on to give you double the control of your water tmeperATURE. And the more comfortable you can keep your water, the more often you can swim whenever you want.
But what if we told you there was something, even more effective than a pool chiller?
9.) Install a heat/cool pool heat pump
Did you know heat pumps come with the option for heat/cool capability? Through reverse cycling, pool heat pumps can both heat up your water, and cool it down on command.
They’re essentially pool heaters with a built-in pool chiller, whichs gives you limitless control over the temperature of your water. So whether you want to cool down your pool a few degrees on a hot summer day, or heat it back up for a refreshing night time swim, it’s easy.
Just set the temperature, and let the heat cool heat pump do the rest. There’s no better way to cool down a swimming pool, and extend your pool season all at the same time.
Related: How To Choose The Best Heat Pump For Your Swimming Pool
Closing Thoughts: How To Cool Down Your Pool
Let’s recap on all the pool cooling methods covered in this post. Here they are, listed from least to most effective:
- Run filter at night
- Uncover pool, turn off heater
- Cool down pool with ice
- Remove wind-blocking landscaping
- Run solar heater at night (nocturnal cooling)
- Add a pool waterfall/fountain
- Install a pool awning/canopy
- Install a pool chiller
- Install a heat/cool pool heat pump
If you just need a short term, or one-time pool cooling fix, choose one of the methods from 1-5. But if you want permenant control over your temperature, and and easy way to cool down your pool on command, choose methods 8 or 9. And for something in between, go with 6, or 7.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
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