Fountain coolers--what performance are you getting?

[xyz]

Some of you are using fountains to cool your pools. Ive got a few queations:

1) how many fountains/sprayers do you have?
2) what type?
3) how many degrees per day reduction in temperature do you get?
4) do they work better during the day? Or night?
5) do they work when the relative humidity is high?
6) do you wind up causing a PH issue?
7) is the ultimate result very low TA over time

 

[YippeeSkippy]

As noted in my link (in siggy line) we dropped our temp 5 degrees in a day using Skippy's single fountain. I have read that running them overnight will improve on that but we've not needed to so have no experience there.

Georgia humidity is like living in an armpit. yeah, it works then too.

We've used it along with a sump pump discharging back into the pool at the same time when we have wanted to raise our pH, but we don't use it so much that it is an issue.

Sometimes its just nice to hear the tinkling of the water and don't have it on so much that it causes much change in the pH/TA front.

 

[xyz]

Thank you Skippy!

any other people having luck with fountain cooling?

 

[Stephenmayer]

I'm curious about the same thing ... and also whether it is recommended to run the fountain during a SLAM. Our pool temp is way too high right now (92 degrees by evening) and we would love to bring it down some using the fountain ... but then there's the SLAM.

We have one of these:https://www.amazon.com/Splash-Pools-30730-Blossoming-Fountain/dp/B000FZY2KY/
I haven't seen it significantly cool the pool during the day ... but it does allow the pool temp to drop 5-8 degrees at night. I haven't tried running it 24/7 to see the effect of daytime use.

Thanks,
Stephen

 

[xyz]

I'm curious about the same thing ... and also whether it is recommended to run the fountain during a SLAM. Our pool temp is way too high right now (92 degrees by evening) and we would love to bring it down some using the fountain ... but then there's the SLAM.

We have one of these:https://www.amazon.com/Splash-Pools-30730-Blossoming-Fountain/dp/B000FZY2KY/
I haven't seen it significantly cool the pool during the day ... but it does allow the pool temp to drop 5-8 degrees at night. I haven't tried running it 24/7 to see the effect of daytime use.

Thanks,
Stephen

So pools will cool at night all by themselves. Are you saying that with the fountain you get an *extra* 5-8 degrees at night?

Do you have high humidity at night?

 

[Stephenmayer]

I'd have to do a more scientific test to answer your question with certainty. I'm personally wondering whether the type of fountain matters ... and whether the type and size of spray stream matters.

As a brief experiment, the water was around 90 degrees this morning and I turned on the fountain. It's been running about 5 hours and the water is now around 91 degrees. I'd imagine without the fountain running it would be at about 93 degrees with the extremely hot sunny day we have going on outside (temp 93+ degrees, pool in full sun). So I think it is mitigating the effect of the sun warming the pool to some degree.

Thanks,
Stephen

 

[xyz]

Thanks! Wow that is warm.

 

[hillemp]

Installed mine yesterday and am seeing improved water temps. 5 degrees.

 

[smankins]

I have not tracked temperature but my fountain does seem to help. You get more evaporation running during the day and evaporation is how they cool. Temperatures drop at night so my pool cools down from that and then the sun heats it back up. I also have only one return so I turn the fountain "off" by closing a diverter so there is circulation to mix chlorine. I don't always turn it back "on" right away but I probably should. I guess I should try to track this but it would be hard to isolate the fountain effect without considering ambient temperature, cloud cover, humidity, wind, etc. It does feel very cool just getting under the fountain when it is spraying.

 

[KS Mike]

I have a single fountain and see that it decreases the speed of temp rise during the day, but have switched over to running the pump at night with it on. Without it we get a 2 degree temp drop at night, with it we get up to 7 degree drop. If it's windy it seems to help.

Have needed to add more MA, but my TA was a bit high so it works out fine.

 

[KS Mike]

Forgot to say that we are using Splash Pools 30700 that we ordered from amazon.

 

[Stephenmayer]

We switched to using Splash Pools Fountain (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026MTCOU) and have seen a considerable difference when compared to our other fountain (Nepta Blossoming Water Fountain https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FZY2KY). This is probably because the Splash Pools Fountain throws the water a considerable distance into the air, allowing the water to cool more before hitting the surface of the pool. We also have just one return jet ... I found that it took the pool temp from 92 down to 85 the next morning over night ... and kept the temp below 90 degrees when also run during the day. Right now I'm running with the fountain 24/7 due to extreme temps ... trying to get the average pool temp down in the 80-85 range rather than the 85-90 range. I'm hoping that by running it fairly aggressively 24/7 it will work its way down to that point.

Note that this fountain is a bit like a fireman's hose ... you can spray water WHEREVER you want ... including 20-30ft into the air ... or even beyond the pool at full force. The spray will effect a considerable portion of the pool if configured to do so.

Edited to add: I also like the Splash Pools fountain better than the Blossoming fountain because its easier to turn it on/off at the return ... this makes it easier to manage the pool when adding chemicals (as another poster alluded to). I simply turn the fountain down and add the chemicals and allow it to circulate for a few hours before turning the fountain back on each night.

 

[xyz]

Thanks everyone!

seems like 5 degrees is not an unreasonable expectation.