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.
If you want an energy-efficient way to heat your pool, consider using a heat pump pool heater in mild climates. Solar water heaters are cost competitive with other types of water heaters and have low annual operating costs.
Heat pump pool heaters cost more than gas pool heaters, but they typically have much lower annual operating costs because of their higher efficiencies. With proper maintenance, heat pump pool heaters typically last longer than gas pool heaters. Therefore, you'll save more money in the long run.
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.
In general, the most common inground pool sizes are: 5-10 ft long (spa size) 10-15 ft.
A heated pool is a must for therapeutic benefits and when swimming for relaxation. Doctors and Red Cross swimming experts recommend pool temperatures of from 78 degrees F for recreation and competitive sports swimming, to 90 degrees F or more for certain physical therapy patients.
You can expect a gas or heat pump pool heater to last 8 to 11 years, with an average of 10 years. Regular usage and maintenance is key to a longer lifespan.
Gas/ Solar Pool Heating. Pool heat pumps are highly efficient and have low operating costs, thus making them the most cost-effective choice to heat your pool. Heat pumps rely on the air to heat the pool water. ... It is thus a popular choice for outdoor swimming pools and works best during summer and mild weather.
This means you will need about 175,100 Btus to raise the temperature of a standard-sized pool by one degree. 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.
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.
Using the heater only when the water dips below a certain point keeps the energy consumption down. For the average person, a pool that is 78 degrees or higher is comfortable. If you are trying to save money or energy, run your heater only when the pool water temperature dips below 78.
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.
Keeping Your Pool Heated
However, since weather can be unpredictable, if you plan to keep your pool open during the colder months, you must keep your water heated well above freezing temperatures. Don't run the risk of ruptured pipes or allowing the cold to cause more expensive damage.
You can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by installing a solar pool heater. They're cost competitive with both gas and heat pump pool heaters, and they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is one of the most cost-effective use of solar energy in some climates.
That's assuming your system operates efficiently, which most do. Right now, an unglazed solar system can heat a pool to 78-85 degrees Fahrenheit without much effort. Solar pool heating panels last about 20 years, so in that scenario you could be looking at about 17 years of cost savings.
We recommend a minimum of 30 feet in length to provide enough space for lap swimming and exercise. The swim lane is important, but so is the depth and other features.
The pool should have a depth of 4 feet or deeper. It eliminates injuries while jumping feet first. The water should be sufficiently deep to absorb the individual's impact. For adults and teens, a deeper pool is ideal.
Lay a clear tarp over the pool to allow sunlight into it and to do a little insulating in the evenings. I'm in WI and after a lot of reading I ordered a new solar cover this year, clear as it's supposed to let the heat in and then keep it in.