Run your pump at night to cool the pool.

Yep. That’s the simplest and cheapest way to lower pool temperature without a chiller. Run the pump after the sun goes down, ideally overnight. It pulls warm surface water through the filter, exposes it to cooler night air, and cycles it back. You get evaporative cooling and heat exchange with the ground.

If you really want to speed it up, add a fountain, waterfall, or any decorative water feature that breaks the surface. More surface agitation = more evaporation = more cooling. Even a cheap aerator or a PVC fountain attachment works. You’ll lose an inch or two of water over a week, but that’s cheaper than running a chiller.

Shade cloth over the pool helps too, but only if you set it up before the sun hits. Retractable shade sails are great. If you’re stuck, just focus on running the pump at night