Is a Pool Heater Worth It?

Here at Woodfield Outdoors, we specialize in inground pools, so when we talk about heaters, we mean inground swimming pool heaters. We can tell you that we’ve never had a client tell us they regretted installing a pool heater.

That being said, a it’s not for everyone. So, is a pool heater really worth it? Well, if you want to extend your pool and spa time into the cooler temperatures of fall, installing one is well worth the money.

Types of Swimming Pool Heaters

There are several different types of swimming pool heaters. They can all heat your spa as well, if you have one. The types include:

• Natural gas
• Propane
• Electric
• Pool heat pumps
• Solar

Which Type of Pool Heater is Right for You?

Which type you should get depends on a number of factors. These include the size of your inground pool, the size of your budget, and if you have a natural gas connection. We highly recommend Pentair products for heating your pool. They make some of the most efficient swimming pool heaters around.

Gas Pool Heaters

If you have a natural gas connection, we would suggest getting a natural gas pool heater. Gas heaters are fast and efficient when it comes to heating your pool and spa. A gas heater is generally less expensive to install that an electric heater or pool heat pump. However, depending on the price of natural gas, it may be more expensive to operate than an electric pool heater or heat pump.

Electric Pool Heaters and Heat Pumps

If gas or propane is not an option, an electric pool heater or pool heat pump might work for you. Installation and operation of an electric resistance pool heater can be quite expensive because of all of the electrical work involved. Heat pumps can also be more expensive to install than a gas heater, but are cheaper to operate. A drawback with a pool heat pump is it works best when it is already warm outside. That means it can take longer to heat up your pool when the weather gets cooler.

Solar Pool Heaters

Solar pool heaters are eco-friendly, but can be expensive to purchase and install. And heating costs are virtually non-existent, since these heaters use the sun to heat your pool. And of course there’s the significant drawback of being unable to heat your pool effectively on a cloudy day.

Hybrid Pool Heaters

There is also something new on the market called a hybrid pool heater, which combines a gas-fired heater with a heat pump to heat your pool. A hybrid heater is eco-friendly and highly efficient.

Choosing a Pool Heater

So, in choosing you will need to decide if you want to pay more up front and have lower operation costs, or pay less up front and have potentially higher heating costs. You also need to consider how fast you want the heater to work. And of course, once you choose the type of you want, make sure it is the right size for your pool. You’ll need to know how many gallons of water your pool holds.

Your pool contractor can probably make some recommendations and go into further detail about the pros and cons of each type.