You can extend the swimming season by installing a quality swimming pool heater. There are three types you can choose from; read on and we'll take a look at each one.
Backyard Leisure
Although I never have owned my own pool, I’ve visited quite a few homes where the owners have built backyard retreats centered on the pool, a barbecue, even a horseshoe pit. In these days of high gas prices, lots of homeowners are glad to have their favorite leisure activities nearby.
If you live in a more northerly climate, your swimming season is typically short and sweet, perhaps three months at best maybe even four if September remains warm. For the person who enjoys swimming only in the hottest weather, then this limited period of aquatic activity is enough for them, but for everyone else extending the season by several months is desirable and becomes a possibility thanks to a pool heater.
The Benefits of a Swimming Pool Heater
Even if you live in Florida, a pool heater makes sense if only to guarantee year ’round swimming. Taking a dip in the pool following a night where temperatures dropped into the 50s is an unpleasant experience; it take hours for the water temperature to rebound to an acceptable level.
When it comes to choosing pool heaters, you have three choices to consider: a solar heater, gas heater, or a heat pump heater. Costs for all three start around the same price, but the most economically efficient heater is also the one that is the most environmentally complementary: a solar heater.
Three Types of Pool Heaters
Let’s take a look at the three types of pool heaters:
Solar Pool Heaters — The key ingredient for a solar pool heater to successfully do its job is sunshine. The more sunny days you have as well as exposure to direct sunlight, the better.
Without going into explicit detail, a solar pool heater consists of four parts: a solar collector (which can be placed on the roof of your home, on a nearby garage, or on top of some other stable outdoor building; a filter; pump; and a flow control valve. Pool water is pumped out of the pool through the collector and back into the pool once it has been heated. You’ll still burn some energy via the electric or gas pump that operates the system, but you’ll use a lot less fuel than had you selected the other choices.
Gas Pool Heaters — By far the most popular type of pool heater, gas pool heaters are prized by people who want to heat up their pools quickly. They also consume the most energy.
Gas pool heaters can use either natural gas or propane. The pump circulates the pool’s water where the water that has been taken from the pool passes through a filter and then onto the heater. The fuel burns in the heater’s combustion chamber, creating heat that transfers to the water which is then returned to the pool.
Heat Pump Pool Heaters – More fuel efficient than a gas pool heater, a heat pump captures heat via electricity. Air that circulates through the unit is heated up and turned into a gas which then heats the water that circulates through the heater with the help of a condenser, compressor, and heating coils to warm up the water.
Which Pool Heater Should You Choose?
Choosing between the different types of heaters available depends on your needs, where you live, and how often you use your pool. Although a basic unit can cost as little as $500, most comprehensive pool heating systems will run you between $3000-$4000 installed plus annual energy costs and maintenance.
Finally, a swimming pool heater can add value to your home as a heated pool is a more attractive selling point for the buyer who enjoys swimming and wants to extend their swimming season beyond its limits.
Adv. — You can tap your home’s equity to cover the costs of any type of renovation including the addition of a pool heating system. Give your home an edge by choosing a quality unit, comparing equity products and learning how to make your home improvement project a reality.
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