A few short months ago it was too cold to use an unheated pool and now most pools are approaching 30 degrees and rising fast.  As the water temperature approaches body heat there is less and less ‘refreshment value’ in taking a quick dip. The water will continue to get warmer for the next several weeks, so if you want some relief from high temperatures - act now.

How can you cool down your swimming pool during extreme heat conditions?  How can you get your swimming pool water back to a cool and refreshing temperature? While dumping large blocks of ice into the pool may seem like a great idea, the cost is prohibitive and the effect is temporary. There are other ways.
The easiest and cheapest way to cool your pool is to install a fountain. There are many types available which can connect to your pool's return line (Jets line). By spraying the water into the air some of each droplet will evaporate, drawing heat out of the rest of the water and thereby cooling it down. This is the same method employed by the old water cooling towers you used to see on top of buildings.  Simply angling the Jets upwards, so that they disturb the surface of the water more, increases evaporation and contributes toward cooling the pool.
You will lose water to evaporation, but this is a small price to pay to increase the enjoyment of your pool. The increased use of the pool can actually save on water by reducing the number of cooling showers taken by the family, with a net result of saving on water.

Leaving the pool cover off overnight should reduce the temperature by a couple of degrees.

Every couple of years it’s necessary to partially replace the water in the pool, to dilute Cyanuric Acid (Chlorine Stabiliser), sulphates and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).  A perfect time to do it is when the pool is too warm - because refilling with cold mains water will cool the whole pool down.  Use some of the water that you will pump out of the pool to carry out an extra-long backwash of the sandfilter.

Many modern Heat-pumps can cool a pool as well as heat it - and do so quickly and economically. 

Providing shade to part of the pool will also help to keep water temperatures from rising too much.  By putting the shade over the steps of the pool, where the youngest children play, you will also be protecting the most vulnerable family members.

Algae, bacteria and viruses find life a lot easier in warm water.  In a pool, the chlorine is used up quicker when the water is warm, so test the water regularly and adjust the pH and Chlorine levels often - before you get a green pool.

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Copyright remains with Author - Ken Walker, Deep Blue Pools, 952 499 059