What is the ideal pool temperature in Southwest Florida? We ask people all the time, “what’s your desired pool temperature?” We get all kinds of answers, but usually it’s a number in degrees. I’d like to point out that it’s all relative!

An unheated pool today in Fort Myers was around 74°F. The outdoor temperature reached 84°F in clear sunny skies today. Getting into a 74°F pool might as well get you an honorary membership to the Polar Bear Club. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but a pool that is ten degrees cooler than the ambient temperature sure feels cold, especially at first. Even if you consider 74°F very comfortable, as my Canadian family might, the initial shock of a cold pool may make you think twice about enjoying your pool – and that’s a shame!

Naturally, this is the time of year that people start wanting to use their pools. Daytime temperatures are rising. Family and friends are visiting. Kids are on Spring Break. The disappointment of shockingly cold temperatures is enough to cause buyers remorse for that expensive pool in your backyard. The fact is, pool temperatures lag ambient air temperatures significantly, and most people do not get the enjoyment they want from “the most expensive room in their home” at the time when it’s more desirable to swim.

The solution, of course, is a solar pool heater. A typical solar heated pool in Southwest Florida today was 84°F – 89°F. Pools that remain covered when not in use are typically 5°F warmer. A customer told me today that his pool had reached 92 degrees and he had to turn his solar pool heater off for the first time this season already!

A solar pool heater remains important even into summer, especially for people who hate the initial shock of a relatively cool pool. Even an 85°F pool feels cold at first when it’s 95°F outside. It’s all relative!

P.S. A solar pool heater with an automated controller can actually cool your pool at night. If you like to really cool off on a hot summer’s day, we can make that relative temperature a reality, too!