Which Type of Pool Heater Should You Choose?
Having decided that you want a heater for your pool you then need to decide which type.
The main types are gas, solar and electric (mainly heat pumps)but even within these there are a number of choices to be made.
Gas Pool Heaters These are the most common type and they have the advantage of being able to provide heat faster than other options as they are more powerful.
Heaters for in-ground pools can provide up to about 400k BTU.
This is particularly useful if you heat the pool intermittently and therefore need to raise the temperature quickly.
Gas pool heaters are available to use natural gas or propane.
Obviously you would use natural gas if it is available and propane would be appropriate if you already store it for other purposes.
If you don't have a source of gas already available a gas heater might not be your best option.
Gas pool heaters also come in Electronic or Millivolt versions.
Electronic models are micro processor controlled with electronic spark ignition like a modern boiler.
Millivolt versions have a pilot light which burns all the time and wastes a small amount of gas.
The heat from the pilot light is used to generate a small amount of electricity (about 500 millvolts - hence the name) which powers the controls.
The former is the preferable option but it requires an electricity supply, if this is not possible a Millivolt heater is appropriate.
The disadvantage of gas heaters, particularly propane powers ones, is that they can be expensive to run.
Electric Pool Heaters It is possible to buy a direct electric heater but these are only suitable for small above ground pools.
The type of electric heater that is becoming increasing common is the heat pump.
Heat Pumps work by transferring heat from the surrounding air into the pool water, rather than generating heat themselves.
This means that in terms of energy used to heat output they can be several hundred per cent efficient.
As a result they are cheaper to run than gas heaters and are more environmentally friendly.
They are also expected to have a longer lifetime than gas heaters.
Of course there are disadvantages to heat pumps.
They are not as powerful as gas heaters and are best run continuously, to maintain the pool temperature.
They also need a minimum air temperature of 45 degrees to work efficiently.
Solar Pool Heaters These work by pumping the water through solar panels which are designed to collect solar energy.
As a general rule the area of solar panels needed is the same as the surface area of the pool.
Solar systems can be more expensive to install than gas heaters or heat pumps but should last longer and will be cheaper to run.
In addition it is the most environmentally friendly way of heating your pool.
The disadvantages here are that there are many more issues to consider and get right with a solar installation than with the other types of heater including solar resource, climate, local building code requirements, and safety issues.
In particular you are dependent of the weather so you need to be sure that your pool will be usable for the period you require.
The main types are gas, solar and electric (mainly heat pumps)but even within these there are a number of choices to be made.
Gas Pool Heaters These are the most common type and they have the advantage of being able to provide heat faster than other options as they are more powerful.
Heaters for in-ground pools can provide up to about 400k BTU.
This is particularly useful if you heat the pool intermittently and therefore need to raise the temperature quickly.
Gas pool heaters are available to use natural gas or propane.
Obviously you would use natural gas if it is available and propane would be appropriate if you already store it for other purposes.
If you don't have a source of gas already available a gas heater might not be your best option.
Gas pool heaters also come in Electronic or Millivolt versions.
Electronic models are micro processor controlled with electronic spark ignition like a modern boiler.
Millivolt versions have a pilot light which burns all the time and wastes a small amount of gas.
The heat from the pilot light is used to generate a small amount of electricity (about 500 millvolts - hence the name) which powers the controls.
The former is the preferable option but it requires an electricity supply, if this is not possible a Millivolt heater is appropriate.
The disadvantage of gas heaters, particularly propane powers ones, is that they can be expensive to run.
Electric Pool Heaters It is possible to buy a direct electric heater but these are only suitable for small above ground pools.
The type of electric heater that is becoming increasing common is the heat pump.
Heat Pumps work by transferring heat from the surrounding air into the pool water, rather than generating heat themselves.
This means that in terms of energy used to heat output they can be several hundred per cent efficient.
As a result they are cheaper to run than gas heaters and are more environmentally friendly.
They are also expected to have a longer lifetime than gas heaters.
Of course there are disadvantages to heat pumps.
They are not as powerful as gas heaters and are best run continuously, to maintain the pool temperature.
They also need a minimum air temperature of 45 degrees to work efficiently.
Solar Pool Heaters These work by pumping the water through solar panels which are designed to collect solar energy.
As a general rule the area of solar panels needed is the same as the surface area of the pool.
Solar systems can be more expensive to install than gas heaters or heat pumps but should last longer and will be cheaper to run.
In addition it is the most environmentally friendly way of heating your pool.
The disadvantages here are that there are many more issues to consider and get right with a solar installation than with the other types of heater including solar resource, climate, local building code requirements, and safety issues.
In particular you are dependent of the weather so you need to be sure that your pool will be usable for the period you require.