Natural gas heaters (also known as NG heaters) use about 1 therm per hour per 100,000 BTU's. For a typical size 400,000 BTU pool heater, that's 4 therms per hour. Currently, natural gas runs about $1.50 per therm near Tampa. The average cost to heat a pool for one hour on natural gas is around $ 7.00.
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.
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.
As long as you are willing to wait for the pool to heat, it is cheaper to turn off the heater when you aren't using the pool. BTUs are BTUs. The pool needs a certain amount to heat to a certain temp and will lose a certain amount.
When to Heat
Normally it takes about 24 hours to raise a pool to the desired temperature, but this estimate varies with the starting water temperature. If the pool is in continuous use, or if you want to use it spontaneously, it must be kept heated all the time, which raises the cost.
1) Solar heating as the primary heat source.
Solar heating is an effective and cost-efficient way to heat your pool. It is essentially free apart from water pumping costs to move the water through the panels. However, the downside is that it rarely meets the heating demands for a full season.
Pool heaters have the potential to be an incredibly worthwhile investment if a family wants to utilize its new pool year 'round, or even just well into school starting in the fall. These heaters have state of the art technology that allow for comfortable swimming temperatures, even in sweater weather.
We have found that turning the heater off at night allows the water to cool rapidly. The heater then has to burn at a higher rate in the morning to make up the lost heat. The higher you turn the burner the lower the heating efficiency and the greater the heat loss from the exhaust gases.
Conclusion. 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.
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.
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.
By nature, gas heaters have a greater environmental impact than electric. However, electric takes longer to heat up your pool water and is less efficient in colder temperatures. This is because they rely on outside heat to warm up the pool water. You can avoid these issues, however, by using a pool cover.
Pool Heaters
Heaters utilize natural gas, propane, or electricity to heat water returning back into your pool. They have a lower upfront cost and raise water temperatures quickly. Although heaters have a lower upfront cost than heat pumps, they do require the ongoing expense of propane or natural gas.
Pool heaters can operate between 80-95 percent efficiency; if we conservatively estimate using 80 percent as an average, a 400,000 Btu heater will actually output only 320,000 BTU's per hour.
Set your pool heater's thermostat to a temperature between 78°F and 82°F (26°C and 28°C) to keep the majority of swimmers comfortable. Maybe a little cooler if you're in an area with very hot summers, or a little warmer if you live in a milder climate.
Pools that are not covered can lose 4 degrees F to 5 degrees F overnight in most parts of the country. With a cover, you can reduce that heat loss by 50% or more. So without a heater you should be able to use your pool in the afternoons and early evenings in the warmest part of the season.
Between setup and operating costs, a pool heater costs between $300 and $5,000, with the average cost around $2,000.
It may be cheaper to run the pump at night, but honestly you should run it 1 hour a day per 10 degrees of temperature at least, and it should be during the day. Running the pump at night should only be when you are doing a major chemical treatment such as algae clean-up.
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.
How much does a pool cost to run? The average swimming pool will cost between $660 and $1,000 to run annually – consuming between 2,000 and 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. That's about $23 each week!
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.