Cooling a Hot Pool

[rlanthony@excite.com]

My pool is way to warm. 90-92 degrees pool temp is the norm this time of year. How can I cool this thing down. Mostly sun from 10 AM to 5 PM, Central Texas. I've looked at air chillers but at $2600.00 no way. Would running the Polaris fountain help, other than running the pH up? Run the filter more at night? I would really like to cool off and not warm up when getting in.
Rick

[Phillbo]

Do you have an aerator? I run my pump at night with the aerator on.

[KurtV]

If you're in a hot, humid area like the SE U.S,, there's not much you can do. If you have solar heat, running it at night so that the panels radiate heat into the (slightly) cooler night air will help some. Likewise, some kind of fountain (as Philbo suggested) will produce some evaporative cooling, but with high humidity there'll be very limited benefit.

If you're in an arid climate a fountain will help quite a bit.

[matt4x4]

1. Run your pump at night only, this will move the water around at the surface allowing it to cool off better than just leaving a still non moving layer exposed.

2. If you are able to tie into your system easily enough near the pump using a couple of bypass valves, get a 100 foot coil of the black relatively stiff 2" hose and redirect your water through that while running the pump over night, this will act like a cheap low grade solar panel and do a heat exchange through the exposed plastic with the cooler surrounding air - you can leave the hose in a coil, so the area you would require for this is approximately 4'x4' near your equipment pad/shed.

[Spensar]

2. If you are able to tie into your system easily enough near the pump using a couple of bypass valves, get a 100 foot coil of the black relatively stiff 2" hose and redirect your water through that while running the pump over night, this will act like a cheap low grade solar panel and do a heat exchange through the exposed plastic with the cooler surrounding air - you can leave the hose in a coil, so the area you would require for this is approximately 4'x4' near your equipment pad/shed.

When I read this, I wondered about burying the coil if you were doing some construction such as building a shed.

[duraleigh]

If you have about an hour to build it, this will work:

http://www.troublefreepools.com/viewtopic.php?t=2501

[rlanthony@excite.com]

I hooked the polaris fountain up last night. I run the filter from 4-10 PM and from 4-10 AM. The temp last night was 92. I will check this evening to see if any cooler. I will change the filter times to run longer at night to get some surface and evaporative cooling with the fountain. Don't have an aerator. We'll see.
Rick

[joelq]

Rick - I'd be very interested in whether or not the Polaris fountain helps. I live in the Dallas-area and as you know, we're going through a spell of 100+ degree days. The pool temp was 94F when I got in at 8pm last night. I think 94's just a little too warm.

Let us know how it works out for you!

[aylad]

I live in the Dallas-area and as you know, we're going through a spell of 100+ degree days. The pool temp was 94F when I got in at 8pm last night. I think 94's just a little too warm.

I'm near Shreveport, so we're getting the same weather as you Dallas folks. I've been running my pump only at night and so far have managed to maintain no higher than 90 degree water. It helps too that the kids turn the slide on while they're swimming--the introduction of that much water actually will cool the pool by a couple of degrees over a couple hour period.

Janet

[cleancloths]

well you could always pump some water out and refill, I'm sure the tap water is cooler than the pool.