Pool Too Cold to Swim? Turn Up the Heat with a Pool Heater

Are you looking to get more use out of your pool by extending the swimming season? A pool heater can turn your outdoor pool into a year round swimming destination. Before you head out to the pool store, take a few minutes to understand the three types of pool heating solutions.  In Australia, the standard solutions are gas or propane, solar and electric heat pump pool heaters.

You don’t have to be an Olympic swimmer to want to get more out of your pool. Pool availability is a major decision point when people choose a hotel or lodge for their holiday destination.  For many families, having a home pool is a great way to entertain the entire family.  Swimming is the perfect exercise for young and old. It’s a big letdown to have to close up the pool because it’s just to cool to enjoy a swim. It is possible to keep your pool open year round with a pool heating system.

There are 3 main types of pool heater solutions used in Australia. 

1.    Gas or Propane

2.    Solar Heat Pumps

3.    Electric Heat Pumps

The right heating solution depends on your requirements.  The gas or propane powered pool heaters are most commonly used to heat spas, but they will keep your swimming pool temperature comfortable in the middle of winter or during an early spring snow storm.  The gas is burned to generate heat which is distributed throughout your pool.  There are gas/propane units that are designed for above-ground pools and for in-ground pools.  They generate from 100BTUs to 400BTUs.

Gas pool heaters can heat up a pool very quickly. The down side is the cost of natural gas or propane and the availability of the fuel. If your home has access to natural gas then you’ll need to run fuel lines to the pool heater. If you depend on propane gas, you’ll also have to connect the fuel source to the heating unit. In either case, you need to be comfortable with the ongoing energy costs of adding a gas powered pool heater. This may be a reasonable solution if you only heat the pool occasionally and not every day.

Solar heat pumps are a second type of heating solution. They heat the water by pumping it through a heating device warmed by the sun.  Electricity is still required for running a solar pool heater, but only a small amount is required to run the pump.  It is a very economical solution, but the solar unit requires sunlight.  If you have trees shading your pool, this system isn’t practical. Or if you want to have warm water during the night or during cloudy days, then you’ll be disappointed in the solar heat pump.

Electric heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular.  The initial and ongoing costs are much less than that of the gas powered pool heater. The electric pumps transfer heat from the surrounding air into the water.  This means they are far more environmentally friendly.  Electric units have a longer life than gas powered pool heaters. The more sophisticated units operate down to -10 degrees Celsius affording you a much longer swim season.