Swimming Pool Heaters December 14, 2007

MAXIMIZE YOUR SWIMMING POOL SEASON WITH A SWIMMING POOL HEATER

Swimming Pool Heaters

If you own a swimming pool you want to use it as much as possible. Jumping into a heated swimming pool on a cool night feels like heaven! The best way to extend you pools season is to utilize a swimming pool heater. The key to enjoyable swim is to have the pool water temperature be consistently comfortable. How to regulate the temperature of your pool water depends in large part on what type of swimming pool heater you install. Swimming pool heaters come in three main categories: solar, fossil fueled, or electric. From these main types, you can choose the one that will work best for your swimming pool needs. pcPools offers all three of these types of pool heaters for both in ground and above ground swimming pools.

Each type of swimming pool heater has its advantages and disadvantages. A solar pool heater can be installed on your roof or on the ground and converts energy absorbed from the sun to heat the pool water. This is the most inexpensive and “green” method of heating your pool. A natural gas or propane powered pool heater is optimal for maintaining a constant temperature in the swimming pool and can heat your pool quickly and without sunlight.

Solar Pool Heaters

An increasingly popular and “green” option for pool owners is solar pool heater for two main reasons. First, the solar pool heater doesn’t require any additional energy to run the heater, which makes it an inexpensive investment. The long term energy savings will literally pay for the solar pool heaters. Second, a solar pool heater requires very little maintenance. For the best results, solar pool heaters should obviously be used in sunnier climates or those that don’t have rapid up and down shifts in the weather and temperature. However, the solar technology has gotten better and these types of pool heaters work well in all climates. While these heaters can work without a lot of sunshine, it will take longer for the pool to heat up from a lower temperature.

Natural Gas or Propane Pool Heaters (Fossil Fueled)

Natural gas and propane powered swimming pool heaters work well for larger pools and for climates that are more likely to shift temperature quickly. These standard utility based pool heaters can be added to a pre-existing pool or can be installed after you the pool has been built. While these pool heaters can add to your overall utility bills, they do come in energy efficient models that attempt to cut back on this energy usage. By running these pool heaters only when necessary, you can cut down on the overall power bills.

Heat Pump (Electric)

Another option for a more energy efficient pool heater is a pool heat pump. Heat pumps run on electricity and emit absolutely no exhausts that pollute the air – they are low NOx by definition. Pool heat pumps work by extracting heat from the air and transferring it into the pool water. Since the air is always warm when the pool is in use, it is the perfect and most efficient use for a heat pump. pcPools carries both Jandy® Air Energy™ and Aqua Pro Systems™ pool heat pumps. Pool heat pumps are so efficient at transferring this heat that they can operate at a lower cost than natural gas.

With the rising cost of energy and the desire to be less wasteful an increasing number of pool owners are using different types of pool heaters in conjunction with one another. There is nothing saying you can’t use a combination of these swimming pool heaters at the same time. Solar pool heaters do a great job of keeping your utility bills down in the early summer and early fall when the sun’s rays remain strong. Simply use the natural gas or propane powered pool heaters during the cooler times of the year when the sun is losing its strength. The other option is to use the natural gas and propane powered pool heaters to bring the pool water temperature up quickly and then maintain the pool water temperature with the solar pool heater. This method does a good job of helping to maintain a more even water temperature. By using both, you can help to cut back on your power usage as well as allow your pool to remain at a steady temperature instead of having to be warmed up as the water cools with the day’s weather changes.

To help swimming pool heaters even more, you can install a solar pool cover. This additional barrier between the environment and your pool will aid in keeping the pool water warmer at night and maintain the heat that naturally occurs during the daylight hours.

Pool heaters are a wonderful way to maximize your swimming pool season. pcPools offers the most technologically advanced swimming pool heaters from name brand manufacturers such as Hayward®, Teledyne/Laars®, Minimax®, Raypak®, Max-E-Therm®,and Lochinvar®. Above ground and in ground pool models available. These high efficiency, low maintenance pool heaters will increase your swimming pool enjoyment and SAVE YOU MONEY!