Pool Chiller: Do You Need One in Vegas?
In a Las Vegas August, plenty of backyard pools stop feeling refreshing. A chiller is one answer, but not the only one.
What a chiller is
A pool chiller works like an air conditioner for the water. It pulls heat out of the pool and releases it into the air. Some heat pumps have a reversing valve so they can heat in winter and cool in summer, and others are dedicated chillers. Either way, they rely on air flowing across a coil, and they work harder when that air is very hot.
Try these first
- Run water features at night. Fountains, sheer descents and spillovers cool water by evaporation, and they work best after dark.
- Shade: sails, trees or a pergola cut the direct sun on the water.
- Skip the solar cover in summer during the day. It holds heat in.
- Check that the heater isn't on, and that no automation schedule is calling for heat.
These use water (evaporation) or money (shade). Weigh that against Southern Nevada's water-conservation priorities.
Who tends to consider a chiller
- Owners of pools in full sun with little shade
- People who already have a heat pump that can be swapped for a heat/cool model
- Families who swim mainly in the afternoon in peak summer
Questions before buying
- Is my electrical service adequate?
- Can one unit heat and cool?
- Where will it go? It needs open airflow.
- How does it work with my automation?
- What's your NSCB license number? (Verify it at nscb.nv.gov.)
Already have one that isn't keeping up? See heater & chiller repair.
Pool down? Request help online