We were out of town last week, finally visiting our grandson after more than a year! When we left, air temps were still in the 80s and our pool temp was in the mid-70s. Came home to 100° and pool temp of 87°. Started up our chiller for the first time. Pool only cooled down to 81° due to the humidity, but as long as I can keep it no hotter than mid- to upper-80s, I’ll be happy.
We added the chiller several years after building the pool. Best investment I’ve made in pool equipment, as we now enjoy the pool all summer. We have the evaporative type of chiller, like a swamp cooler, so it’s not expensive to run like a heat pump with a chiller option. Prior to the chiller, our pool water would hit 95° around July 4 and that was pretty much the end of the swim season. I had tried everything, from pool misters to sail shades. Misters would provide a slight overnight cooling, but water temp would rise back to the 90s during the day. Plus, the mist would blow into the landscaping, which damaged quite a few plants. Sail shades didn’t do much, as they only really provided shade when the sun was directly overhead. Any angle would allow sunlight to hit the pool. And my wife hated them.
