Time to refute some pool gossip. It's not true that you should keep your pool at a
constant temperature because it takes more energy to heat it back up after lowering pool
temperature. The pure, unchlorinated truth is that
lowering pool temperature—or
turning off the heater altogether—
can save energy and money, especially if your pool
will see nary a ripple for a few days.
Heating a swimming pool can take a lot of energy. In fact, raising water temperature
one degree can tack on 10 to 30 percent more in energy costs, depending on your location
(so says the Department of Energy). The percentage is even higher in warmer climates, since
it's more affordable to heat a pool to 78 degrees there.
Lowering pool temperature to
78 degrees, which is what the Red Cross recommends for competitive swimming, can help
you save money—and no one will force you to do laps. (Young children and the elderly may require a temperature of 80 degrees or
higher.) Using a
swimming pool cover can help you save money on water heating, too.