Beat the Heat: Your Guide to Pool Chillers and Coolers

If you’re an Austin resident, you’re familiar with the pattern. By the end of July, after several weeks of unrelenting triple-digit temperatures, your backyard pool goes from sounding like a good idea to resembling a vat of warm soup. Outdoor pools in Westlake or Central Austin exposed to the afternoon sun can reach temperatures up to 95° F. At that temperature, your backyard pool feels more like a hot tub than a way to cool off. August heat waves find you using your pool way less than you planned when fantasizing about those everyday afternoon swims. If only there were some way to lower the temperature a few degrees so you could take a truly cold plunge to beat the heat.

Those are the reasons pushing more and more pool owners to add a chiller or cooler to their pool equipment pad. Some want to decrease the temperature of the pool by a few degrees, others want to transform their spa into a cold plunge. Ok, if jumping into a nice cool pool sounds heavenly on a hot summer day in Austin, then let’s take a look at pool chillers and coolers.

There are different types of chillers available in the market, let’s review what is available today:

Glacier Pool Coolers: Large overnight cooler typically requiring a 20-amp breaker from the pool subpanel.

The Glacier Pool Coolers work overnight to cool the water of the pool. They are not very demanding in electricity, but require your main pump to work overnight. It uses an evaporation technique (a large fan cooling the water). It can reduce the water temperature by a few degrees but will not be able to transform the spa into a cold plunge.

The units themselves are large (52 x 34 for GPC25 (20K gallon version) and 54 x 42 GPC210 (30K gallon version)). It is important to consider space when considering a Glacier as many backyards or equipment pads are too small for them. As they are less demanding electrically, it is typically possible to install them without a lot of electrical work as they can run from a 20-amp breaker from the pool subpanel.

The installation of those coolers is more complex, as they need 2 additional valves to run the water through them when the pool owner wants to cool the pool. Often, installation includes 2 electric actuators so the pool owners can control the valves from the panel, remote, or mobile app remotely.                              

Chillers: Large units using a refrigerant working during the day from a 50- amp breaker.

The Chillers are basically a Heat Pump with one function: chilling the water. They use a compressor and a refrigerant gas to get the water to the desired temperature. They can work during the day like an HVAC unit. They can chill the water significantly more than a cooler and can transform a spa into a cold plunge (down to 40 Fahrenheit).

Tropicool is the most famous brand of specialized chillers for swimming pools. They offer 3 models (TC500, TC1000 and TC1500). TC1500 can transform a 4,000-gallon body of water into a cold plunge. Pretty impressive. Dimension-wise those units are smaller than the Glacier Pool Coolers: 34″ x 34″ x 44″ for the larger unit, 34″ x 34″ x 28″ for the smaller unit. With more capacity to chill the water, they need more electrical power to run. Typically, they will need a separate supply line (like your HVAC). An electrician will be able to confirm if your home can add a chiller to the electrical load and run the new supply line. Outside of that, the installation is more straightforward than for a cooler, no need for new valves or actuators.

Heat & Chill Heat Pumps: They are large units that utilize a compressor to heat or chill the pool during the day.

Not every pool is equipped with a heater (natural gas or propane). So, if you are considering a chiller for your pool, you might as well get a Heat and Chill unit so that you can use two functionalities from one unit. Like the chillers, they run from a separate electric supply line and are large.

Got a heat pump already? It depends on what you have as some of the newer heat pumps will heat AND chill. If yours is only a heat unit, you will probably still need a separate chiller to provide cooling. Let us evaluate your setup and see if we can upgrade or replace your current unit with a combo.

Hayward has 3 different models in the HeatPro Series Heat+Chill Pump (110K BTU, 120K BTU and 140K BTU). Jandy’s Heat pumps (Versatemp) are all Heat and Chill (103K BTU, 116K BTU, 130K BTU). Pentair Ultratemp Heat and Chill Heat Pumps come into 2 sizes: 120K BTU and 140K BTU and 2 colors (almond or black). If you can afford it, choose the largest unit.

Small Yards, Stock Tanks & Cocktail Pools: Raypak Crosswind

The Austin area is experiencing a minor renaissance in small-yard pools. Be it East Austin cottages or the dense developments happening along South Lamar, homeowners are foregoing the traditional in-yard swimming pool in favor of stock tanks and stylish, manageable cocktail pools. The problem is many people think a heat and chill unit simply won’t fit in their available equipment space—or that there isn’t even a product designed to fit into a pool so small.

That’s where the Raypak Crosswind heat and chill unit comes in. Engineered specifically for smaller pools of around 10,000 gallons or less, the Crosswind 50-I and 65-I have a small footprint, boast inverter-driven efficiency, and offer true dual heat AND chill capability in one compact unit. Built with a non-corrosive spiral-titanium heat exchanger and whisper-quiet, eco-friendly operation, there simply is no better product for heating and chilling small “acreage” pools.

Applied to an Austin stock tank or cocktail pool, this means you can cool your water down to a comfortable 78–82° F during the hottest days of summer AND heat it back up during cooler evenings—providing year-round enjoyment and usefulness from a pool that without a heat and chill would only be suitable for a few weeks out of the year. When space is at a premium in your backyard, this unit is very often the solution. Allow us to prove it’ll fit.

One question we often get asked by pool owners is: “What maintenance does a pool chiller require—and how long will it last?” Thankfully, these units are fairly durable and don’t need much maintenance. With proper routine maintenance, you can expect most pool chillers and combination heat pumps to keep your water cold between 7 and 10 years.

Let’ s take a look at what maintaining your chiller involves:

• Keep it free of debris. Blow leaves, dirt and grass clippings away from your unit so that the fan can run freely and help keep things cool.
• Check airflow and fan blades. Make sure nothing is blocking the airflow around the chiller. A quick visual inspection every couple of weeks does the trick.
• Inspect the refrigerant and electrical connections annually. Have a pool pro check the refrigerant levels and look for any wiring wear to avoid costly pool repairs down the road.
• Winterize before the Central Texas Freeze. Austin winters are typically pretty mild but, as evidenced by the last few winters, we do get hard freezes here. While you probably won’t need your chiller during the month of January, making sure the unit is properly drained and protected from a deep freeze will protect your $7K–$10K investment from frozen/broken pipes.
• Have a pro service it every 1–2 years. Just like you would with an AC system, your chiller works better when it’s tuned up. Spending an hour with your unit can help extend its lifetime and keep it operating like new.

• Installation Requirements: How much space do you have in your panel? How much capacity do you have? Austin is crawling with tech-savvy houses who’s panels are already running EV chargers, hot tubs, and oversized AC units so a 50-amp breaker isn’t always an option— chances are your panel is closer to full than you realize. It pays to have a professional come take a look. Aqua Clear can work with you whether you’re on Austin Energy or PEC (Pedernales Electric Cooperative) and asses your equipment pad and subpanel to let you know what you can run without overwhelming your home.
  
• Usage: Are you trying to reduce the temperature by a few degrees or do you want a consistent temperature in the pool? Is a cold plunge something you are likely to use?
  
• Upfront Cost: Glacier Coolers and Tropicool Chillers will cost $6K to $7K to install, a Heat and Chill Heat Pump $8K to $10K.
  
• Can I add a chiller/cooler to my current pool?: Absolutely, in nearly all instances you can add a chiller or cooler to your existing swimming pool setup. There is no need to rip out/rebuild your current system. We just need to make sure there is adequate space and electrical capacity at your equipment pad. If you’re not sure, don’t sweat it…we’d be happy to send someone out to eyeball your setup and let you know what can be done.

FYI: We like to remind our customers that if they are looking to run their Glacier Cooler overnight utilizing an older single speed pool pump you are going to see a significant increase in your Austin Energy bill. Older pumps eat up electricity when running for extended periods of time. If your pump is getting up there in age, we highly recommend upgrading to a variable speed pump when you install your chiller. Not only will you start saving money on energy with your new pump, but those savings can go towards running your cooling system. Installing both at the same time means we only have to come out to your house once. Ask us about our variable speed pump installations when we come over to estimate your chiller needs.

I’m still not sure what I need. What are my options?: Wondering what will work best for your space and your needs? Here’s a quick overview of the most common pool cooling methods:

Feature	Glacier Cooler	Chiller (e.g., Tropicool)	Heat + Chill Unit	Raypak Crosswind
Best Fit for Austin	Large suburban yards (e.g. Round Rock, Lakeway) with pad space	Owners who want a true cold plunge on a standard pool	No existing heater—want heat + chill in one	Stock tank & cocktail pools in East Austin / South Lamar
Power Needs	20-amp breaker, low energy usage (overnight)	50-amp breaker, higher energy demand	50-amp breaker, high energy use for both modes	Compact electrical load; ideal for tight urban panels
Cooling Strength	Mild (drops a few degrees)	Strong (can drop to 40°F)	Strong (cools and heats depending on need)	Strong dual heat/chill for pools ≤10,000 gal
Spa Support	❌ Not suitable for cold plunges	✅ Ideal for turning spa into a cold plunge	✅ Dual-use for spa heating and cooling	✅ Heats & chills small spas and plunge pools
Size	Large—check space on pad (e.g. 52″ x 34″)	Smaller footprint than Glacier	Similar to chiller, but slightly taller units	Smallest footprint—built for tight yards
Cost	$6K–$7K (installed)	$6K–$7K (installed)	$8K–$10K (installed)	Varies by model—ask us for a quote
Installation Complexity	More complex—requires valves + actuators	Moderate—needs electrical but no plumbing mods	Moderate—electrical install, but minimal plumbing	Simple—fits standard pads and 2″ connections

Turns out, if you hate swimming in bathwater you might just need to add a pool chiller (AKA pool cooler) to the mix. There are chillers and coolers for just a slight dip in temperature or if you’re after something straight out of a ICE BATH you can totally achieve that too. There are Glacier Coolers, Tropicool Chillers, Heat and Chill Pumps – even little ones like the Raypak Crosswind that fit right on top of stock tank and cocktail sized pools. No matter your pool size or your chilling goals we can help you sort it out.At Aqua Clear Pool Care, we can guide you through that process to recommend the best unit for your pool. Let’s make that summer swim in your Austin backyard refreshing once again.