While swimming pools are perhaps one of the best family bonding purchases that exists, there is one issue that spouses and partners commonly disagree on when it comes to swimming pools.

The ideal temperature for a pool?

We commonly come across one partner who wants the pool almost like a hot tub while the other partner prefers a cooler splash. So what is the temperature your pool should be maintained at? In our opinion, an ideal temperature range would be anywhere from seventy eight to eighty eight degrees depending. That probably didn’t solve much for your pool relationship temperature battle, as that is quite a spread, but here us out.

According to the red cross, they recommend kids at four years old in swimming lessons be in water of at least eighty four degrees. They’re not strong swimmers, or completely capable in water, so the warmth minimizes the impact on the child. Alternatively, if you consider elderly people in pools, or say someone who has an affliction such as arthritis, it is recommended to increase the pool temperature, perhaps as high as eighty eight degrees.

But what if you have no four year olds learning to swim, arthritic people or seniors in your pool with any regularity? If that’s the case, we’ll tighten our range down to anywhere from seventy eight to eighty two degrees.

Why not higher than that? There are three reasons that come to mind.

First, while we’re not going to go back on any of the things we previously said, maintaining a pool at temperatures higher than say eight two or so degrees, depending upon the weather/ time of year of course, starts to add up quickly.

Second, the higher you maintain your water temperature past a point can run you straight into issues such as bacteria and algae.

Third, the warmer you keep your pool, typically the more chemicals you need to use to keep your pool balanced and crystal clear, which again adds extra costs (above and beyond the heating expense!).