Water Temp

[jcpbnp]

Wasn't sure where to post this, so here it is. I live in San Antonio and my pool is in direct sunlight. During the summer the water gets up to 96 degrees which is way to warm to enjoy. Any recommendations on how to keep it cooler? I know they make a solar cover to keep it warmer, but do they make something to keep it cooler?

[waterbear]

about the only thing I know of is a reverse cycle heat pump that will cool the pool in warm weather and heat it in cold weather. I have an aquatemp Icebreaker but I don't know how good it is at cooling because I have not gone thru a full summer with the pool operational yet (Even thought it WAS supposed to be completed LAST June!) Works great at heating though!. As an alternative, you could tell your family and friends that it isn't a pool but a very very big hot tub!

[Brock]

The other way to lower the temp is run a foutain to get the water in to the air at night. You will loose more water, but it should encourage heat loss when the air cooler then the pool.

[aylad]

I live in Louisiana, and my water temp stays in the 90s for a good part of the spring and summer. I started running my pump at night instead of in the daytime, and that helps hold it down some. Also, I have a slide, and leave the water running on the slide while we're in the pool, and you'd be amazed at how much cooler the pool gets..

Janet

[fog80]

wow, pool water in the 90's.

my stupid neighbor has these huge pine trees right along his side of the fence and they cast a shadow over the pool after noon.

it sucks because the water temp never really gets too high.

[PoolDoc]

I live in San Antonio and my pool is in direct sunlight. During the summer the water gets up to 96 degrees which is way to warm to enjoy. Any recommendations on how to keep it cooler? I know they make a solar cover to keep it warmer, but do they make something to keep it cooler?

Hi jcpbnp;

Just to let you know, this probably should go into the Pool Ops section, so I'm going to move it there shortly.

Meanwhile, back to your regularly scheduled question:

1. Contrary to myths I periodically see on the net, ice won't work . . . unless you bring truckloads! A couple thousands of pounds of ice just doesn't have enough 'coolth' to remove all that heat in a 10,000+ gallon pool.
2. Reverse heat pumps could certainly work, but don't count on it, unless you confirm that function with the manufacturer for YOUR area, YOUR size pool, and YOUR heat pump.
3. Sprayers work, but how well depends on lots of variables. In dry air areas (AZ, NM, etc.) a sprayer can cool the pool a LOT, by evaporating a LOT of water. This in turn tends to concentrate the salts in from fill water that's already saline . . . and you are off and running toward a whole new set of problems. In wet air areas (FL, LA, MS), spraying during the day may not be too effective. But, high volume sprays at night, when the air is cooler can make a difference without evaporating much water.
4. Solar heaters -- really -- can also work, if you circulate the water at night, when temps are lower and there's no sun. They'll work best when night skies are clear, and if you can keep them from contact with heat storing surfaces like concrete or thick roofing.

But . . . there's little data on how to size the things that will work, so it's really hard to predict how well they will work. Your best bet is probably to start with things that are cheap and easy (like night operation of fountains quick connected to pool inlets) and test for yourself.

Of course, if you do, I'd love it if you could report results back here.

Ben

[duraleigh]

Here's food for thought:

I intend to divert my return water through a "cooling field". (You gotta' have a lot of room to do this) Once I can find a deal on 700' of 3/4" copper pipe, I'm gonna make a manifold and take my 2" return line into 7 - 100' runs of 3/4" copper. I'll bury those 7 pipes about 6" apart and 4' deep. By the time my return water makes it's journey through the copper and comes back together (joining my regular return lines), I'm hoping my return water temp will be around 80 degrees. The only thing I can't quite get a handle on is how well the surrounding soil will dissipate the heat given off by the copper pipes. If I cannot dissipate the heat quickly enough into the surrounding soil, my returning water temp will not get low enough to effectively lower the temp of the whole pool.

This experiment is waaaay too pricey with new pipe. I've been looking on the net and locally for something surplus....nothing yet...I'll post the results when I find the pipe!!

[waterbear]

Copper pipe? Aren't you afraid of the possiblility of introducing copper into your pool?

[duraleigh]

Copper pipe? Aren't you afraid of the possiblility of introducing copper into your pool?

Nope! Just as if I had a pool heater, I watch my pH.

Dave S.

[CarlD]

Running solar panels at night is nice and simple. They act like a car radiator.