The pool's surface area divided by three gives you the minimal BTU size recommended for that particular surface area. Continuing the example above with the 15 x 30 pool, after dividing by 3, you get 150. Therefore, the minimum size heater that is recommended for a 15 x 30 pool is 150,000 BTUs.
Calculate the pool surface area in square feet by multiplying the length and the width of your pool. Then, use this formula to figure out the BTUs you'll need your heater to put out: pool area (sq. ft.) x temperature rise x 12.
To maintain the temperature, you need about 10 BTUs per hour, per square foot of surface, per degree above the air temperature. That means keeping a pool with a surface area of 300 square feet at 80 F (27 C) degrees in 60 F (15 C) degree weather would require 60,000 BTU per hour.
The Raypak Digital Cupro-Nickel Propane 266k BTU Pool Heater, model 14951, is not the least expensive on our list, but for good reason. As far as pool heaters go, this is the pinnacle. Its 266,000 BTU, propane-fueled, heat production is ideal for most residential above ground or inground pools.
Pools up to 15,000 gallons should look at the Pentair 125K BTU or higher, and 20,000 gallon above ground pools should look at the Raypak 150K BTU.
The pool's surface area divided by three gives you the minimal BTU size recommended for that particular surface area. Continuing the example above with the 15 x 30 pool, after dividing by 3, you get 150. Therefore, the minimum size heater that is recommended for a 15 x 30 pool is 150,000 BTUs.
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.
Efficiency and Installation
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.
7-10 years is the average life expectancy of a pool heater.
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.
How Fast Will a Pool Pump Heater Heat My Pool? 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.
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.
When it comes down to it, both pumps have their own strengths and weaknesses. The Hayward EcoStar has better energy efficiency and the Pentair IntelliFlo has a reputation for longevity with a proven track record. It's a close battle between the two pumps and it really comes down to personal preference.
All products manufactured by Hayward Flow Control are warranted against defects in material or workmanship for a period of three years from date of shipment. Our sole obligation under this warranty is to repair or replace, at our option, any product or any part or parts thereof found to be defective.
A dirty filter can cause low pressure and as a result, cause the heater's pressure switch to turn OFF. A dirty filter can prevent a heater from firing and it can also cause your heater to shut off before warming the water to the desired temperature.
Solar Heaters
The next cheapest way to heat a pool is through a solar heater. The cost of running a solar pool heater is essentially free, aside from occasional maintenance. The difference is that a solar heater is a lot more expensive to install – often even more expensive than a conventional heater.
Electric heaters might cost between $175 and $600 per month to run, and electric pumps could cost around $120 to $200 per month.
Propane is the most powerful way to heat your pool, and is the most effective option for heating a pool in areas where the temperatures can drop below 60 degrees. The heating capacity of propane pool heaters outperforms any electric heaters, solar heaters, solar covers and heat pumps.
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.
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.
A pool heater can be undersized: if it cannot replace the heat lost through evaporative cooling, the pool's temperature will fall below the ideal. However, there is no such thing as oversizing a pool heater. The larger the heater's output, the faster it heats the water in the pool, and it will not begin short-cycling.
It still takes the same amount of energy to heat the hot tub water as it would to heat the pool water, so you wont save any money. The hot tub heaters are probably not powerful enough to heat the pool very well.