The Recreation Centers of Sun City, Inc. would like to address
cardholders’ concerns about the water temperatures in the recreation
center swimming pools. RCSC has not recently changed the temperatures in
the pools; the median temperature for the pools has been, and continues
to be 85 degrees. In fact, the thermostats were recently changed to
permit only a 1 degree fluctuation in temperature instead of a 2 degree
fluctuation.
All pools are checked regularly by the RCSC Aquatics Specialist. The
pool temperatures were recently re-verified using a line thermometer in
the pool water circulation line and a dip thermometer in the pool.
RCSC recognizes that cardholders appreciate the amenity of heated pools
during the winter months, but at the same time RCSC management also has
a responsibility to keep costs down. Heating pool water using a boiler
is expensive and as fuel costs continue to increase, RCSC is exploring
alternate methods of heating the pools or increasing the heaters’
efficiency. The solar pool heating system at Mountain View is one
example of trying to reduce energy costs, and management is also looking
into using solar blankets to cover the pools and keep the heat from
escaping.
“We are working very hard to keep our energy expenses down, but
cardholders can rest assured that we have not lowered the median
temperatures in our pools to do so,” said RCSC Assistant General Manager
Jim Wellman.
RCSC Aquatics Specialist Bill Prior, who has been with the company for a
little over a year, has been working diligently with the centers
supervisors and management to reduce energy costs and operate the pools
as efficiently as possible. Mr. Prior notes that one of the main
challenges with heating pools in the winter months is heat loss from the
surface of the pool. “Due to this heat loss, it requires 15 percent more
energy per degree to raise the water to a temperature above 85 degrees,”
he said.
According to Mr. Prior, the recent cold, windy conditions have
exacerbated the heat loss from the pool’s surface. “Just like when you
have a hot beverage and blow across it to cool it, when air blows across
the pool it cools it down,” he noted. “The wind may have affected
perceptions of the pool’s actual temperature.” Prior added that the
human body usually can’t perceive a temperature change less than 3
degrees. “The body can’t tell a one degree difference in temperature,
but the wallet can!” he said.
“We’re just trying to hold the line here,” he continued. “Energy costs
never used to be an issue. You could afford to spend money on gas, but
now the cost keeps going up. Everyone should be energy-conscious,
really.”
Contact: Lindsay Frost, RCSC Communications Coordinator
623-876-3060, ext. 3087;
