Yes, you can add a pool heater to an existing pool. It is not uncommon for homeowners to have the desire to heat their backyard pools later in life. You can choose from gas/propane, solar or electric heat pumps that are suitable for heating your current pool.
While adding a pool heater requires an upfront investment, it helps you maximize your investment by being able to use your pool for much more of the year. Between setup and operating costs, a pool heater costs between $300 and $5,000, with the average cost around $2,000.
A heater can be installed at ANY time. The only thing that may benefit you doing it before everything is done is the final look.
Indeed, most pool owners hire a professional to replace their pool heater. Many states require gas appliances to be installed by a licensed contractor; but buying it, placing it and plumbing it – you can do yourself.
Not too difficult to do, most in ground pool solar heaters can be installed in one day. Above ground solar heaters can be installed in less than an hour. Location is most important, so after figuring out if you will install on a roof, fence or deck, the panels can be installed.
If you want to get as much time as possible out of your pool, however, a heater is a good investment. With a pool heater, you can easily be swimming May through mid-October, giving you a good five months of use out of your pool. That's literally double the amount of time you'd get without one.
You know those black trash bags? They can hold heat too. Fix one up to a hula hoop and if you want, cut one side of a pool noodle to add buoyancy and you've got yourself a super cheap pool heater.
Use a gas heater
Gas pool heaters offer the fastest heating of all the options in this post. And that makes sense because just like a grill or oven, a gas heater creates heat by burning gas. But at the same time, they also have the highest monthly operating cost of all pool heating options.
Cost of Running a Propane vs.
The size of your pool also matters, with larger pools costing more to heat than smaller ones. On average, however, a gas heater costs around $200 to $400 a month to run. Electric heat pumps cost less, coming in at about $100 to $200 a month.
So, how much electricity does a pool heat pump use? About 5 kilowatts per hour per 100,000 BTU heat pump. For a general 100,000 BTU pool heat pump, the power you`ll utilize is approximately 5,000 Watts per hour. Typically, the National average for power stands at 13 cents for every kilowatt-hour.
It depends on a few things to determine how long it takes a heat pump to heat a pool. However, overall a heat pump generally heats a pool after 24 to 72 hours by 20-degrees Fahrenheit. For smaller pools like a spa pool, the heat pump can heat a pool between 45 and 60 minutes.
Above ground pool heaters are a really good choice to use for you, helping keep your pool nice and warm.
Safe temperatures for swimming pools vary with type of activity. According to the World Health Organization, water temperatures ranging from 78 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit are generally comfortable and safe for those engaging in moderate physical activity in a pool.
The average cost is between $1,500 and $3,000 depending on the water temperature you set. This is for heating from May 1 through September 30. Unless you live near the equator or love shivering, you need a heater for your pool.
Conclusion. Solar rings not only keep your pool water warm but also reduce the amount of dirt and debris that might end up in your pool. With solar rings, you won't have to worry about any chemicals or electricity to maintain the temperature of your pool.
The fastest way to heat your pool is to use a gas pool heater and a solar cover. It's like heating up your coffee in the microwave and putting a lid on it. No matter how you plan to heat your pool, you should at least have a solar cover (or liquid solar cover) to help you retain the heat.
It is not advisable to heat your pool at night because of the time and energy it will consume. You're advised to heat your pool during the day for more efficiency, and if you can, buy a solar blanket to retain the temperature of your pool.
A pool that is uncovered can lose up to 5 degrees F overnight; a good cover can cut that loss by half. Used at night or whenever your pool is not in use, the pool cover can help save fuel costs by cutting heat loss regardless of the type of heating you utilize.
Enjoy Great Savings With Solar Swimming Pool Heaters
One of the reasons you aren't recommended to leave your pool heater turned on overnight is that it may cost a fortune to keep the pool heated for all those hours. Operating and energy costs may also increase especially on colder nights.
You have a 20,000-gallon pool and use a 125,000 BTU heater. Your water is currently 70 degrees F but you would like it to be a minimum of 80 degrees F. How long will it take before the pool water reaches 80 degrees F? 10 x 1.33= 13.34 hours of heating before the pool reaches 80 degrees F.
On average, natural gas burns about 1 therm per 100,000 BTUs per hour (British Thermal Units). Meaning, an average pool heater between 300,000 and 400,000 BTUs will cost anywhere from $3.30 to $4.40 per hour to heat your pool.