I just installed a glacier pool chiller a week ago. I'm running from 12am-10am then running just the filter pump from 10am-7pm. I don't feel like it's as cool as it should be. It's 84 first thing in the morning but by the afternoon it's 88. Any suggestions? I live in the Houston, Tx area and it's getting HOT.
Glacier pool chiller
- Thread starter cdgreen
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,380
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Sorry you have not gotten any responses.
The Glacier chiller is an evaporative cooler. I would think with the humidity that Houston has it would not be very efficient. Have you contacted the installer?
The Glacier chiller is an evaporative cooler. I would think with the humidity that Houston has it would not be very efficient. Have you contacted the installer?
an1vrsy
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,144
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Suggestions? Yes. Keep your overnight schedule because that is going to be your biggest pool water temperature decrease. Run it during the day to maintain the pool temp so it doesn't continue to rise.
Yeah definitely odd. Is your pool in full sun? I run my chiller initially pretty much 20 hours a day for first three days to start the season Then go to 12 hours a day after that (morning to afternoon). My pool stays at 83-84. I could probably get it colder but my wife gets angry.
one thing I have noticed with my pool and Chiller is I need to raise RPM’s on my Intelliflow to get the same flow out of my returns when the Chiller is on. I’d check to make sure u feel the water coming out of all your returns at the same rate and pretty hard. Find the highest rate you can run your pump at without any water spilling out of the Chiller. is your Chiller in full sun during the day. Mine is mostly in the shade. Wander if that makes a difference?
one thing I have noticed with my pool and Chiller is I need to raise RPM’s on my Intelliflow to get the same flow out of my returns when the Chiller is on. I’d check to make sure u feel the water coming out of all your returns at the same rate and pretty hard. Find the highest rate you can run your pump at without any water spilling out of the Chiller. is your Chiller in full sun during the day. Mine is mostly in the shade. Wander if that makes a difference?
an1vrsy
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,144
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Full sun for my pool and chiller, all day. I have the same temp ranges that the OP wrote. I’m about 84 in the morning then the temp starts rising. With the chiller I can keep it to 87 - 88 as long as I uncover the pool. Then I have to deal with high evaporation with Las Vegas‘ extremely low humidity.
swamprat69
Well-known member
How well evaporative coolers work is dependent on temperature, relative humidity and dew point. At lower temperaures when the air cannot hold as much moisture, the relative humidity increases and can approach the dew point ( 100% Rh = rain, mist and fog). When this happens, the evaporative cooler is pretty much useless since the air will absorb very little moisture ( from evaporation ). As the temperature rises and the relative humidity decreases (with the same volume of moisture in the air), the air is capable of aborbing more moisture and the evaporative cooler works better. If the temperature is high, the evaporative cooler does not work as well as when the RH is the same at a lower temperature because a cooling differential temperature is starting at a higher set point ( 105 degrees minus 20 degree differential = 85 degrees vs 90 degrees minus 20 degrees differential = 70 degrees ). This would indicate that the best time to run the evaporative cooler would be when the relative humidity is furthest from the dew point at a given temperature. Refer to psychometric chart Psychrometric Chart Use | Parameter Generation & Control
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Sorry for joining the party late, but just now saw this. Our water temp has barely gotten into the 80s so far this year. It has been a mild summer, though, as we’ve yet to hit 100°. I had the chiller off for a week while we were on a trip and pool temp had reached 88° when we got back. Chiller had it back to upper 70s in a couple of days and even got to lower 70s when we had a spell of low humidity. While our pool gets sun for the majority of the day, the chiller is in a heavily shaded area, which helps. Like you, I’ll see a 2-3° rise during the day, but it’s not too noticeable.
So is the concensus the glacier chiller will or will not keep Houston pool water in the mid to low 80's? My 15,000 gallon pool is getting up to 91-92 with ambient air temps finally hitting 100F. Would love to keep in mid to low 80's. If the glacier can accomplish this, about how many hours per night to run it so I can calculate $$ per month. I would probably only run in Thur - Saturday.
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I think mid-80s is a realistic target, but there are a number of variables. Your humidity is quite a bit higher than what we have in DFW and that will impact the temperature decrease. I’ve seen others on this forum from the Houston area with Glacier chillers and they’ve had good success. Do a search on Glacier, go into the threads that pop up and I’m sure you’ll find them. Also, if you can place the chiller in the shade, that helps. Even though my pool gets full sun, I’m fortunate that my equipment is heavily shaded.
We hit 100 for the 2nd straight day and my pool temp maxed out at 81° today. I run it for 17 hours every day (3am - 8pm). I’m in the pool almost every day and have found that staying ahead of hot temps helps. I can’t get a big temp drop overnight. It takes 2-3 nights to drop temps 8-10°. Since your pump is also running, you’re consuming electricity, but the chiller itself is very efficient. The only electrical draw is the fan motor. It’s not like a heat pump/chiller unit that uses Freon. Those consume electricity like an AC unit.
We hit 100 for the 2nd straight day and my pool temp maxed out at 81° today. I run it for 17 hours every day (3am - 8pm). I’m in the pool almost every day and have found that staying ahead of hot temps helps. I can’t get a big temp drop overnight. It takes 2-3 nights to drop temps 8-10°. Since your pump is also running, you’re consuming electricity, but the chiller itself is very efficient. The only electrical draw is the fan motor. It’s not like a heat pump/chiller unit that uses Freon. Those consume electricity like an AC unit.
I’ve had mine for 4 years. I get it down to 83/84 EVERY year. May be able to get lower but my wife says that’s enough! I run it for 3-4 nights from 6:30-1:00 am. Then from 6am-6pm. After those 3-4 nights I turn off the night running. Pool 83/84 deg. My chiller is in the shade most of the day. Make sure u don’t put it near a bedroom window. Puppy is loud..
Loud not good.....I don't want to irriate my neighbors or anyone running it at night.
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
The noise it makes is fan noise, so it’s not that bad - like a large industrial fan. As Bvacchiano states, you wouldn’t want it next to a window. Ours happens to be placed in a back corner of our yard, which is also the back corner of our neighbors’ yards.
It’s a white noise kind of thing. I don’t really notice it when it’s running, but if I turn it off, I can definitely tell it was turned off.
It’s a white noise kind of thing. I don’t really notice it when it’s running, but if I turn it off, I can definitely tell it was turned off.
Interesting. Our AC units are much closer to our bedroom window than this unit would be located and we can’t here them. And there r 2 units for a 4200 square foot house. If this unit was 15’ further away from the house than them u think it would be an issue? Thanks. How much u think it costs to run for 10 hours?
Been reading a little...let me make sure I understand. In a manual install you would turn the Glacier unit on and it would continue to run whether the pool pump was running or not, correct? This means if my pumps run for 6 hours during the night the Glacier would be running from the time I turn it on (say 8pm) until the time I turn it off (8am). Is it ok for it to run with no water flow? Unfortunate they didn't build in a little flow switch similar to SWCG to only turn on when there is flow...or am I missing something? Thanks!!
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
The chiller has it's own on/off switch. You should have your pool pump running to turn the chiller on. However, the pump in the chiller is activated by water level (float switch), so it only comes on when needed.
I think you are asking if you schedule your pump to run 6 hours during the night and you turn your chiller on before bed and off when you get up will it hurt the chiller to run after the pump shuts off. I don't believe it would hurt anything, but it's not ideal.
A better solution would be to wire the chiller into the timer for your pump and leave the switch on the chiller on all the time. Then it will kick on and off with your pump.
the chiller is worth every penny and then some in my opinion. When it’s 110 deg outside the last thing I want to do is jump into 95 deg water. I’ll handle the noise.
Im not sure u could run the chiller without the pump on. Think about it. You chill the water and you need to get it distributed throughout your pool. Pretty hard to do without the main pump on.
In terms of cost I would say it’s pretty much nothing. I’ve never noticed a difference from running it versus not running it. It’s a big FAN. Not like running your AC unit.
Im not sure u could run the chiller without the pump on. Think about it. You chill the water and you need to get it distributed throughout your pool. Pretty hard to do without the main pump on.
In terms of cost I would say it’s pretty much nothing. I’ve never noticed a difference from running it versus not running it. It’s a big FAN. Not like running your AC unit.
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
+1 on the value. It’s the best investment I’ve made in my pool. The chiller needs the pool pump running, otherwise you’d have no water flowing into the chiller. Pump pumps water into the chiller, which is cooled and then pumped into the pool using a float-controlled pump in the basin of the chiller. I’ve also not noticed any electricity cost difference. Prior to the chiller, I was running my pump for the same amount of time with misters, which didn’t drop the temp much.
Ok....all sounds good but just trying to get a better understanding of operation - if you can't tie it into main pool pump (not sure if I can or not, I just know I couldn't add my landscape lights to it without spending another $700 on a board with more points). So if I run my main pool pump 2 hours on and 2 hours off and 2 hours on during the night and then another 2 hours during the day, how will this interact with the chiller. If you cannot tie it into pool pump operation, Do you have to manually turn chiller on and off every time main the main pool pump turns on and off?