How to Heat Your Pool!
Heating air can be difficult however heating a large body of water is a real challenge and that is something that any pool owner will tell you! Luckily modern technology provides many options from the basic pool heater and pool heat pumps to the newer and more advantage solar pool heaters.
Selecting the best solution can be a challenge and may depend on many different factors. For example a solar system will reduce costs of heating however will not function properly if your pool does not receive a lot of sunlight. In addition this would not be a good choice for areas where there is often a lot of cloud cover throughout the year.
A standard pool heater is one of the most common items used to heat a pool and they are often powered by natural gas, liquid propane or heating oil. These units are much more energy efficient then their older counterparts and are fairly simple to install. Usually this is the best option if you have a large pool or if you live in an area where natural gas is readily available and reasonably priced. You may need to contact your natural gas company to have a higher capacity gas meter installed to be able to use a natural gas powered pool heater.
Pool heat pumps are a good solution for pool owners who do not mind a slightly higher up-front cost in return for a much lower utility (continual) cost over time and can pay for themselves in a few pool seasons. Pool heat pumps do not actually generate heat but rather use existing heat to warm the pool water and as such use very little electricity to function.
Some less traditional and newer technologies include solar blankets and solar pool heaters. A solar blanket sits over top of the pool and utilizes pure sunlight to heat the pool water. A solar blanket is best to compliment an existing heating system. Solar systems utilize the suns power to heat the pool and can be utilized in most areas. They have no ongoing utility costs however are slightly more expensive up-front.
