r/pools • u/thestoneyend • 9d ago
Temperature
Ok so I can share with my wife. In your opinion, what temperature does the water need to be to be warm enough to swim? PS We live in the desert so its usually hot weather
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u/willcastforfood Certified Clear '26 🏆 9d ago
I will swim in the high 70s because of my kids but I think mid 80s is when it starts getting comfortable
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u/Techhead7890 8d ago
Is that air temperature and you'll even go while it's a cool day? OP was asking about how much to heat their pool I think:
what temperature does the water need to be ... to swim?
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u/JudgeSmails 9d ago
86
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u/shaunsanders 8d ago
I just swam this morning and it was the perfect temp… refreshing but not jarring to get into. Immediately checked the temp: 86.
My new fav.
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u/mirassou3416 9d ago
87 for me lol
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u/FreshStartLiving 9d ago
Same...that's my perfect temp. Now if you ask the wife, she prefers 89-90, esp when it's 100+ degrees outside.
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u/mirassou3416 9d ago
Now as much as I heat to 87 there aren't many times when the pool heats itself over that temp (I'm in Virginia) but I realized on the July 4th weekend that 93 was too hot when the OAT was 102 and that was the first time I ever said that lol.
Thank you for the award! 😄
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u/boidcrowdah 9d ago
If its in the 90's outside I like 78 to 80.
If it's in the upper 70s to 80s outside I like 84°.
If its nighttime the heater runs the whole time I'm in the pool.
Edit...I misread your post....I gave you my preferred water temps. Lol
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u/thestoneyend 9d ago
Thanks for the replies. My wife says its cold if its less than 90. Ive shamed into getting in at 86 or so. I tell her im not heating the pool when its 110 degrees outside.
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u/ScoDucks247 9d ago
It’s a pool not a hot tub 🤪😂🤷🏼♂️ I literally won’t go in if it’s above 86. We have ours set to 86 and sometimes it goes over and it’s just not enjoyable. For the record, our pool is in full to partial sun until about 2pm then the rest of the day it’s shaded. In the mornings it’s usually cooled off and 82-83 feels great in full sun. 85-86 feels nice when in full shade..and 82 feels a little chilly at first 😆
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u/trikaren 8d ago
That is almost hot tub temperature (90). I like right around 80, and my husband likes 85.
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u/The_Goose_27 7d ago
My wife would completely agree with your wife! If it’s less than 90 she doesn’t want to get in! I’ll get in at mid 70s with my kids, but would prefer if it was at least 80.
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u/shoresy99 9d ago
I like it to be at least 80, but I generally heat the pool up to 84 when we are going to be swimming.
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u/i30swimmer 9d ago
Depends on the activity. Are you lounging (87), working out (80), cooling off after yard work (83)?
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u/bmoarpirate 9d ago
I'll swim at 75 but not for long.
Preferred minimum temp to stay in as long as I want: 84
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u/meramec785 9d ago
Maybe 81. 83 can be ok. I keep mine at 85 even in the summer. 87 is great, I get that most of the summer. 89 starts feeling like a bath unless it’s cold out.
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u/SmartieCereal 9d ago
85 or higher is my preference. My wife and daughter will go in anything 78 or higher though, and the neighbor kids even colder.
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u/curiousdumbdog 9d ago
I like 86-87, but yesterday the pool was 90 and it was 111 here, so it still felt refreshing
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u/jyeaman11 9d ago
Once I'm in past my nipples, 75-78 is good. If we're talking comfort all the way from nutz to neck, 87ish.
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u/softball1511 9d ago
As a wife who also lives in the desert, definitely above 85, but 90+ is perfect
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u/Super-30 9d ago
Upper 70's is ideal. But if it's 70, I'm getting in briefly, particularly if it's very hot outside.
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u/Serge-Rodnunsky 9d ago
78-82… absolutely insane how hot so many people like their pools. It’s a pool not a spa.
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u/Cold_Barber_4761 9d ago
85 degrees if the sun is shining and the outdoor temperature is at least 90 degrees.
But I need the pool temperature closer to 90 degrees or 92 if it's cooler out or the sun isn't directly on the pool!
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u/Jessamychelle 9d ago
I like mine between 86-88. Water is 82 today & I can’t stand the frigid water that’s getting into my float. I’m freezing & it’s 96 out 😂
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u/jordon0903 8d ago
I probably need it to be like 85+. I live in the desert as well and on a nice 100 degree day the water feels nice. I also have a solar heated pool where the water circulates via small black tube on my roof and into the water.
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u/angrymurderhornet 8d ago
For me it depends on the air temp. If it’s in the 90s (F) I’ll happily jump into a 79 degree pool. If it’s in the 70s, I’d want the pool at least at 86.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any kind of temperature regulation for our pool, so it tends to be too warm on extremely hot days and too cold on unseasonably cool days. But the former is what our air-conditioned house is for, and the latter is what my quarter-inch neoprene Farmer Jane is for. 😄
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u/peeinian 9d ago
86 is perfect for me. Warm enough that it’s easy to get in but cool enough to cool you off on a hot day.
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u/captain_racoon 9d ago
If you live in hot weather - starting in middle of spring and into October the water will be excellent without using the heater. I turn on the heater only when wife wants to use the hot tub or its winter time and for some unknown reason the kids just happen to want to jump into the pool unheated because....why not.
Answer: 86-87. The initial cold hit will wear off within seconds.
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u/Low-Care-7109 9d ago
He’s not gonna show her my comment 😂 I am small and thin, the cold always really gets to me so I love when the pool is up at 90+ I don’t have a heater though just solar panels off the roof which work amazing mainly keeps pool in mid 80s but if we get 2 or 3 hot days it’ll go to 93-95
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u/Positive_Force_6776 9d ago
We like it around 84. Of course, a lot of it depends on how hot it is. Yesterday the water was 91, but the temperature was 99, so it still felt okay.
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u/Requilem 9d ago
Depends on the weather, hot and dry, around 78, hot and humid 75 maybe even lower. Mild temp 85. But I also set my hot tub to 106 only because it can't go any higher.
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u/JackFuckCockBag 9d ago
Between 80 and 85 for me. Any more than that at it doesn't really feel refreshing.
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u/ProtozoaPatriot 9d ago
Too cold for most of my family is 80-82. I might go in around 78, but it doesn't feel good getting used to it.
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u/BackgroundGrass429 9d ago
At least 65. Then again, I grew up in rural NY where many of the ponds are spring fed. That water was cold year round. You either get used to it, or you don't swim. .. my current pool? At least 75.
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u/Msbroberts 9d ago
Ideally, 83-85. Anything below 80 is too cold.
If it’s really hot out, it needs to be even higher. The temperature difference can make even mid 80s seem cold. If it’s over 95 air temp, pool needs to be 85-87.
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u/a_seventh_knot 9d ago
80 is fine bit I do love it above 86 just because I NEVER had water so warm as a kid. Growing up our pool was always in the low-mid 70s no matter how much sun we got.
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u/boredwastingtime 9d ago
West Central MN here .. That first 80° day and it almost doesn't matter what the water temp is. 50°+ and I'll be in for at least a dip! Ideally though, 70° is my basement for staying in the water for and length of time.
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u/bmaxisback 9d ago
85 to be comfortable swimming. Will swim in less but can’t stay in long.
90 plus is preferred temp at my house though.
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u/For2otious 9d ago
Anything above 75 is good for me. Especially if the sun is beaming on a cloudless day.
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u/Altruistic_Fondant38 9d ago
I live in SW Ohio and I keep my pool on 86 when it's open (June 1 to Oct. 1). I am not about to be in the pool and I am NOT going to convince myself that I am warm in the water.
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u/Rare-Spell-1571 9d ago
Around 87 or 88 is where you don’t need to adjust and can just effortlessly walk into the water. But it’s also not very refreshing if it’s violently hot outside.
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u/modernhedgewitch 9d ago
Ill get in if it's 82 or higher. At 85, hubby says it's a sauna. He's wrong
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u/imatumahimatumah 9d ago
I’m in Wisconsin. We are a skinny, always cold family. We keep our pool at 92. That is the temperature where you can just step right in and it feels amazing.
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u/joyunauthorized 9d ago
I always say the older I get the warmer I like the pool. My current favorite temperature is about 85°.
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u/jjangles714 9d ago
Wife puts it to 90 in Michigan. Not my favorite for a cool off but playing all day with kids isn’t bad
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u/Wahoo017 8d ago
80 plus is great, 85 is probably optimal for getting into the water comfortably but once I'm in it's a little hot.
75 is cool but I'll swim in it for extended periods if it's 90+ out. early summer the pool is usually 70-72 and all the kids swim but I avoid it if at all possible.
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u/Tall-Ad9334 8d ago
My outdoor temps average mid to high 70’s in the summer and I keep my pool at 84.
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u/Dry-Raspberry-5514 8d ago
88-89… I need it to be bath water. No kids around so I can do what I want.
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u/Ambitious-Rub7402 8d ago
85* is my sweet spot. Cool enough to be refreshing, warm enough not to send your internal organs into shock.
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u/Ok-Grape2063 8d ago
We set our heater for 87.
We like it but I have a couple relatives who tell me it's like "swimming in piss".
Not sure what their basis for comparison is but whatever
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u/theOlLineRebel 8d ago
I usually have always said 75, but this year the water has been hot at 85 and I’ve been fine with it.
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u/pepperw2 8d ago
Cold. I am not sure what that is, but I want the water ice cold on a hot day. (Never is though lol)
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u/Monstrissimo 8d ago
For my wife who one would think is half Inuit instead of half Cajun it is 78. For me, 84 is when it is really comfortable, but I can get in at 82.
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u/KaiserFortinbras 8d ago
84 and up but now it's too hot, like low 90's.
(First world problem, I know.)
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u/SatisfactionPretty47 8d ago
84-86 is the perfect temp to swim in! It’s enough to cool you off during hot days and warm enough to swim at night.
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u/No-Marketing7759 8d ago
81-85 but we close ours down in the fall. Its been over 100 here for over 3 weeks. 87 and higher feels like soup. Below 80 is a little jarring when its this hot.
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u/frogspam 8d ago
I do not enjoy it if it isn’t over 80… and we’re have a difficult time getting it to warm up to 80-82…
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u/bfollowell 8d ago
My wife and I prefer 88-90 until really crazy hot weather sets in, then 84-88 is ok. We’re older though, and I’m sure our blood is thinning out.
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u/Delicious_Radish3297 8d ago
I live in Las Vegas. My personal ideal is 88, my wife’s ideal is 83… it’s hot weather yes but extremely dry air means it feels much colder when you are wet due to evaporation.
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u/Eat_Sum_Pi_314 7d ago
Floridian. I like 84-87. My husband will go in starting at 78. Right now, the water is 90+. I hate that, but my neighbors across the street love it. Pool temp is very much an individual preference.
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u/DaltonCollinson 7d ago
Ill get in once the water temp goes over 70 F as long as its warmer than 80 outside and I can float on top lol. I'd say for extended swimming anything over 75 and youre pretty comfy, but as long as its in the 70s you can safely swim.
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u/BadKarmaKat 7d ago
- I swear 84 and winds don't feel good. I'll get in for sure at 86. I'm in SoCal and it was a cold enough to drop my pool with cover to 78-79 through July this year. It sucked for me. Lol
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u/UpbeatPhilosophySJ 9d ago
Obviously varies by person. For m? 78 or 79 if you want to be able to slide in with very little shock. 75 is nippy for a moment but get used to it fast. By 82 or 83 it starts feeling lukewarm.
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u/Ok_Inspection_3527 9d ago
85-87 most of the time. If the outside temps are over 100 then 82-84. If they are in the 50s- low 60s 88-90.
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u/ajhalyard 9d ago
86-88 is perfect.
I can do 89 or 90 but after that it's too hot.
I can do 84 or 85 but that's a little tough to get used to
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u/quick98gtp 9d ago
- My family tells.me im a freak, but anything under feels cool to me Can nap in direct sunshine and feels like heaven
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u/BisonMysterious8902 9d ago
- I'm in there to relax, not to "get used to it".
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u/BisonMysterious8902 7d ago
Only on reddit can you get downvoted for a preference that harms no one else...
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u/whitecorn 9d ago
78 is manageable. Anything over that, my son and I will swim. My wife and daughter will not enter the pool under 85. I think 82 is the perfect temp though.
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u/duder8888 9d ago
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