If it feels like everyone is suddenly talking about silver, you’re not imagining it.

Silver has gone from a niche commodity many ignored to something that’s been dominating market headlines. Copper, meanwhile, has joined right in, breaking records of its own. Together, these two metals are rewriting price expectations across multiple industries—and the pool industry is no exception.

You don’t need to be immersed in the market for this story to matter. If you install, service, or sell pool equipment, silver and copper are already a big part of your world—embedded inside the circuit boards, control boards, motors, wiring, and internal electronics that make modern pool equipment function.

Precious & Industrial Metals

For years, silver and copper were present in nearly every piece of pool equipment, yet they were rarely part of the greater conversation. Their availability and cost were largely taken for granted, baked into products without much second thought.

Today, both metals have become variables instead of constants, and that shift is now working its way through pricing and the broader pool equipment supply chain.

Silver prices have climbed dramatically since 2020, breaking records most people thought were impossible just a few years ago. Copper has followed its own historic trajectory, driven by demand that mining supply simply hasn’t been able to keep up with. These aren’t speculative spikes built on hype alone. They’re rooted in structural changes to how the modern world consumes materials in 2026 and beyond.

Those shifts don’t just affect electric cars and solar farms — they flow downstream into the pumps, heaters, and smart controls pool pros install and service every day.

Why Silver and Copper Prices Exploded

There’s no single reason behind the surge. It’s a convergence of forces that all started accelerating around the same time.

First, industrial demand has surged. It’s become essential in electronics, solar panels, medical equipment, and data centers. Copper runs neck and neck—used in wiring, motors, transformers, control boards, and virtually every electrified system built today.

Second, supply has not kept pace with demand. New mines take years—sometimes decades—to permit and bring online. Environmental restrictions, geopolitical uncertainty, and aging infrastructure have all hindered production growth. That imbalance matters when demand keeps rising regardless of price.

Third, macroeconomic uncertainty has pushed investors back toward hard assets. Inflation concerns, geopolitical tensions, and shifting interest-rate expectations have all increased appetite for precious and industrial metals. When investment demand stacks on top of already-tight industrial demand, prices don’t move gently.

The result is what we’re seeing now: silver and copper trading in ranges that would have sounded absolutely absurd back in 2019.

The Pool Industry’s Exposure to Rising Prices

Many pool products are directly tied to silver and copper pricing, not indirectly, not theoretically—directly.

Silver plays a critical role inside the circuit boards and control electronics used throughout modern pool equipment. It’s commonly found in solder, high-performance electrical contacts, and relay surfaces where reliable conductivity and corrosion resistance matter most. As equipment becomes more automated and electronics-heavy, silver’s role inside pumps, heaters, automation panels, and smart controllers has quietly expanded alongside copper.

Copper is virtually everywhere inside pool equipment. Pump motors rely on copper windings. Automation systems use copper traces running throughout circuit boards and control boards. Heaters, power supplies, relays, transformers, and wiring harnesses all depend on copper for conductivity and heat management.

Precious Metals Inside Electronics

Silver and copper aren’t the only metals quietly shaping costs. Gold plays a big role too, even if it’s measured in fractions of grams.

Gold is commonly used in electrical contacts and connectors because it resists corrosion and maintains reliable conductivity over time.

Ultimately, all of these precious metals are essential for reliability—especially in outdoor environments where moisture, heat, and chemicals are constant threats.

As equipment becomes smarter and more connected, the amount of electronics per product increases. That doesn’t mean prices rise dollar-for-dollar with metal markets, but it does mean manufacturers have less wiggle room to absorb volatility without adjusting pricing upward.

Which Pool Product Categories Are Likely To Be Most Impacted

Not all pool products are equally exposed to metal pricing. The biggest pressure shows up in a few key areas.

Mineral sanitizers and ionization systems feel the impact first, because silver and copper are both core consumable ingredients. Automation systems and control panels follow closely, driven by copper-heavy circuit boards, wiring, and connectors. Pumps and motors are heavily influenced by silver and copper pricing, particularly as energy-efficient designs require more refined materials. Heaters, sensors, and smart equipment combine electronics, wiring, and control components that all rely on these metals.

In many cases, metal prices aren’t the sole reason costs increase—but they’re a meaningful contributor layered on top of labor, logistics, and other material increases.

What Pool Pros Should Take Away From Booming Prices

For pool pros, right now it’s about understanding the forces at work so conversations with customers stay grounded in reality.

Pool manufacturers rarely publish line-item breakdowns explaining exactly why individual components cost more. But the connection is straightforward. Modern pool equipment relies heavily on circuit boards and electronic controls, and those boards are built using copper, silver, and other metals that have seen dramatic price increases since 2020. As electronics suppliers adjust pricing to reflect higher material costs, pool manufacturers absorb those increases upstream — and over time, they work their way into equipment pricing across the industry

When a homeowner asks why some components cost more than they did a few years ago, there’s a real answer to that question. When prices creep up on these products, there’s plenty of context behind it.

For builders and service companies, it also reinforces the importance of knowing which products are commodity-sensitive. Plenty of SKUs will remain relatively stable. Others will continue to track global metals markets more closely than most people realize.

The Net Net

To be clear, the surge in precious-metal prices is only part of the story. Freight, labor, energy, plastics, and other raw materials have all risen significantly since 2020, acting as force multipliers that are pushing prices higher across the board.

Silver, copper, and gold are global commodities. When their prices rise, any industry that relies on them eventually feels the impact. For the pool industry, what’s happening in metal markets is no longer abstract—it’s a real pricing pressure that will continue working its way through the supply chain in 2026.

JED Pool Tools, manufacturer of swimming pool maintenance equipment and accessories, was pleased to recently receive a ‘Customer Excellence Award’ from Estes Freight company, the largest privately held freight transportation company in North America. This award recognizes customers that demonstrate strong shipment values, revenue growth, and foster a collaborative relationship. This award celebrates a few select customers for outstanding engagement, enabling a strategic partnership, and committing to mutual success.

“We’re pleased to earn such high recognition from a leader like Estes,” said Glenn Jonelunas Manager of Warehouse Operations at JED Pool Tools. “We’re honored to be recognized for this award, which is a reflection of the well-established and trusted partnership we’ve built together.”

The Estes Customer Excellence Award was created to recognize and celebrate customers who exemplify outstanding collaboration, commitment and service.  Estes presented JED Pool Tools with a celebratory cake and plaque.  

About JED Pool Tools

JED Pool Tools has been making high-quality pool tools and pool accessories in the USA for 30 years. JED Pool Tools sells over 400 different products including residential and commercial skimmers, leaf rakes, poles, wall brushes and vacuum heads as well as hoses and through-wall skimmer parts.  JED is a family-run company with 3-generations of Heyen family working for the company and is committed to creating and providing jobs for residents of Scranton, PA. JED isproud of and committed to manufacturing in the USA, many it its own facility in Scranton, PA. To learn more about the company and its products visit www.JEDPoolTools.com.

About Estes

Estes is North America’s largest privately owned freight carrier. As an asset-based transportation provider with a global footprint, Estes combines nearly a century of regional freight shipping expertise with the resources, reach, and reliability of a national carrier. Backed by its more than 300 North American terminals and nearly 7,000 next-day lanes, as well as its fleet of more than 10,500 tractors, Estes is committed to getting America’s freight where it needs to go, when it needs to get there. And with its continued investment in leading-edge technology, as well as the support of its more than 24,000 employees.  To learn more about Estes visit www.estes-express.com.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL ‒ We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership between AquaCal AutoPilot, Inc. and Devin Cahn Associates (DCA)—a highly respected sales agency with deep roots in the pool and spa industry.

Beginning next month, DCA will represent AquaCal and AutoPilot products in key markets across the U.S. Their team brings trusted relationships, real-world experience, and a hands-on approach that aligns with how we do business.

Founded by Devin Cahn, a long-time leader in the pool and spa space with over 40 years of industry experience, DCA has grown into a national team of professional reps focused on building strong relationships and driving results.
👉 Learn more about DCA

Please join us in welcoming the DCA team to the AquaCal AutoPilot family. 
We’re looking forward to a strong partnership built on shared values, expert support, and continued growth.

Media Contact:

Michiko Prussing

Product Manager AquaCal AutoPilot, Inc.

[email protected]