Should You Leave A Pool Cover On During The Day
In dry and/or windy conditions, the evaporation rate of the pool increases. Therefore, it is generally beneficial to have a transparent or bubble cover on during daylight hours. In warm, humid conditions the evaporation rate decreases. In this case, it may be more beneficial to leave the cover off during the daytime.
Heat Pumps Gas Heaters Or Solar
Why Buy a Pool Heater?
A pool heater can help keep your water temperature perfect any time of day or year, enabling you to enjoy your pool for longer. 78-86 degrees F is generally comfortable for people to swim. In any climate, pool temperatures can vary based on a variety of factors, including rainfall, pool size and the amount of sunlight a pool receives. If you live in a colder climate, such as Texas, certain heaters can extend your pool season despite how the outside air temperature feels.
There are three main types of pool heaters: electric heat pumps, solar and gas/propane. Depending on the type of pool you have and the seasonal weather of where you live, one may be a better fit for you than the other. Below we explore the differences among each type as well as the pros and cons of each.
What Types are Available?
There are 3 main types of pool heaters available, electric heat pumps, solar and gas/propane heaters. A fourth type, electric resistance heaters, are primarily used for hot tubs and use a lot of electricity, so we focused on the 3 most popular. Depending on the factors above and the type of pool you have , one may be a better fit for you than the other. Click for more information on how heating power is measured.
An Idea For A Simple Cheap Efficient Pool Heater
Even though commercial solar pool heating collectors are fairly inexpensive and work well, there seems to be a strong interest in building collectors. The idea offered below for a simple DIY solar pool collector could be built for about 1/4 the price of commercial collectors, and can perform roughly on par with commercial collectors. Please bear in mind that the only thing that I have actually built is a small 4 ft square prototype to test the idea . So, if you build one for your pool you get to be a solar pioneer — please let me know how it comes out.
Also Check: Water Spiders In Pool
Solar Cover / Pool Cover
Solar covers are one of the most cost-effective methods for retaining heat in a swimming pool.
Why?
Because they tackle the root cause of heat loss head-on:
Evaporation.
Most heat loss occurs during the day, while your water is directly exposed to the elements. From the fierce rays of the sun to the sporadic gusts of wind, each force of nature contributes to your waters inevitable heat loss.
Natural heat loss that cant be stoppedunless you use a shield. And what better a shield than a solar cover?
A solar cover not only acts as a protective lid for your pool but is specially designed to absorb solar heat while doing so. This feature gives it the ability to reduce evaporation while improving heat retention.
And with evaporation being responsible for 75% of heat loss, theres no reason why you shouldnt take a load off your heating bills with this simple tip.
Cost: $50 $200
Types Of Swimming Pool Heaters
There are three main types of powered swimming pool heaters:
- Natural gas or propane pool heater
Each type of heater has a somewhat different mechanism of operation, which means each type has its own set of pros and cons.
Let’s dig deeper into the way each type of swimming pool heater type, how much you might spend to buy a typical heater of each type, and how much each type typically costs to run over the course of a swim season or calendar year.
Note: There are other types of pool heating systems, like wood burning stoves and electric resistance heaters. These are rarely used to heat residential inground pools, which is why we tend not to cover them. Let’s stick to a detailed explanation of solar, heat pump, and gas heaters.
Read Also: How Do You Build An Inground Swimming Pool
How To Heat A Swimming Pool For Free
If you are a new swimming pool owner, you may be wondering how to heat a swimming pool for free. You may not have selected the pool heater you want to use.
Or the heaters you have looked at may not be cost-effective. Dont let this worry you. If you are looking at how to heat a swimming pool for free then well provide you with some answers.
Were here to show you cost-effective ways to heat your swimming pool. This way you will be able to keep your pool warmer without going to great expense.
Youll learn the different ways of keeping your pool heated. You will also learn how your pool loses heat and how to prevent this.
Now that you know there are cost-effective ways of keeping your pool warmer, lets have s look at how they work.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Heat My Pool
If you are looking for the cheapest way to heat your Florida pool, you have come to the right place. Its a bit of a loaded question, but we will walk you through the options and relative costs of each major pool heating method.
For our analysis, we are going to assume similar quality levels for all technologies. For example, if we are talking about name brand units with premium heat exchangers, the same would apply to all technologies. In other words, we are making this as fair a competition as possible. Obviously, we have a bias toward solar, but the conclusions here are completely justified.
You May Like: Does Costco Sell Pool Chlorine
Pool Insulation To Reduce Heat Loss:
When planning a pool, think insulation. All pool designs, including a Natural pool or swimming pond, can benefit by incorporating some rigid panel insulation under and around the structure of a pool to save energy and costs in the long run. Regardless of where you are in the USA or Canada the ambient temperature of the ground is pretty constant, and its usually colder than the ideal temperature for enjoying a swim in the pool, so putting some insulation outside the thermal mass of the water retaining structure is a great first step in reducing the costs associated with heating a pool over the long term.
How To Heat A Swimming Pool: 10 Simple Yet Effective Ways For You
Have you installed your pool recently and are looking for an answer on how to heat a swimming pool? Is heating your pool daily an expensive task so youre looking for a cost-effective method to heat your pool. A warm pool gives a wonderful feeling when swimming.
There are many choices and to find the ideal choice, you must keep your eyes on certain factors, such as the type and size of the pool. Or how often will you be using your pool? Some popular and effective heating systems are mentioned below.
Contents
Read Also: How Do You Get Iron Out Of Pool Water
Heating A Swimming Pool With Solar Panels How Does It Work
Solar pool heaters are famous for being cost-effective options for heating swimming pools without ruining your budget. They work like a charm in reducing your electricity bills and help extend your swimming sessions. More importantly, they remarkably help augment the value of your property.
Nonetheless, how does heating pool with solar panels work?
Solar pool heaters are more beneficial options than electric and gas-operated heaters because they can take advantage of solar power rather than consuming expensive fuel. This means that so long as they can absorb sufficient sunlight and are equipped with a premium quality pump, they are good to go.
Using solar panels to heat pool works by the process below:
- The pool water is led via a series of valves to the solar collectors.
- In this process, debris in the water is filtered out before being sent to the collectors.
- As the pool water slowly moves up, it is warmed by the energy of solar power.
- From there, the warmed pool water goes back to the pool. Finally, your warm pool is all set for you! This cycle will continue until your swimming pool has been heated to the preferred temperature.
Heads Up: To unveil more about what makes solar pool heaters efficient and sustainable options, you might want to check out this video:
Heating Your Swimming Pool With Dome
The operation of these solar collectors is quite similar to that of solar mats. Here, however, the piping is rolled up in some kind of dome, where the water is heated up. Compared with solar mats, this system takes up far less space. One dome heats up a volume of no less than 5,000 L. For an 8 m by 4 m pool that is 1.5 m deep, you will therefore need 10 of these domes.
However, this pool heating system, too, is advisable only for comparatively small pools. It is also dependent on the sunlight and uses a great deal of energy to pump the water through the domes.
The price for one dome works out at around 100. For the same pool, it is therefore slightly cheaper than solar mats.
Also Check: How Do You Get Iron Out Of Pool Water
Optimize Pool Mechanical Systems
A well planned pool pump and filtration system helps energy efficiency & saves money. Plan from the beginning for extra valves to be fitted in pipe runs so that additional pool heating systems like a heat pump or solar panels can be easily retrofitted or drained down for winterizing in the future. A little more thought at the planning and installation phase always saves money in the long-term and lets you fit the most efficient heating systems to your pool in the years ahead. Instead of the classic Army acronym 7P’s, perhaps we should remember Proper Planning Provides the Possibility of Peak Pool Performance?
How To Heat A Pool Super Fast And Crazy Affordably
Looking for the best way to heat up your pool? Maybe you want to open up your pool early and start swimming ASAP. Or perhaps youd just like your water a little warmer throughout the swim season.
Three pool heaters can heat your pool: Solar, DIY options, and traditional pool heaters. So lets dive into the best ways to heat your pool quickly and efficiently.
Before we continue, if youre looking for help keeping your pool clean and clear throughout the season, check out our FREE Pool Care Cheat Sheet. Its a totally free, easy-to-use guide to help you keep track of taking care of your pool.
Don’t Miss: Can Dogs Swim In Pools
Heating Your Swimming Pool With A Heat Pump
Solar energy pool heating makes you reliant on the amount of sunlight. A heat pump is therefore a perfect alternative that does not rely on the sun for energy. That is also why it has for years been the most popular pool heating system in Belgium.
Using a heat pump for heating your pool water in fact provides numerous benefits. A heat pump is highly efficient, economical, easy to use, and durable. This type of heating is much more environmentally friendly than a gas or fuel pool heating system. In addition, heat pumps have a long service life. If you want efficient pool heating, you should choose a high-quality heat pump.
Effective Solar Pool Heater
Heat your in-ground pool with this effective DIY solar pool heater that is easy to build. For less than $300 and just a couple hours of work, you will start raising the water temperature of your pool immediately.
Two 4 feet by 4 feet homemade solar panels is efficient enough to effectively heat a normal sized in-ground pool. One panel can heat a small pool and three can heat a large pool.
A couple hundred dollars is a small price to pay to keep your pool water at the right temperature! Plus, they are fun to make!
Read Also: What Hotel Has The Best Swimming Pool In Las Vegas
Heat Your Pool With Gas
Gas pool heaters: There are many different models of heaters that specifically work with either natural gas or propane gas. In order to determine what gas model is best for you, ask yourself these four questions:
Dome Shaped Solar Collectors
The operation of the dome-shaped solar collectors is similar to that of the solar mats. However, the piping, in this case, is generally rolled up in some type of dome shape, where the water is heated.
Compared to the solar mats, this system takes up less space. Whenever you are not trying cold water swimming, one dome should help you heat an average of 5,000 liters.
You May Like: Can I Paint The Concrete Around My Pool
Solar Pool Heater Installation
You can expect to pay between $2,500 and $9,000, and sometimes a fair bit more, to install your solar pool heater. This is particularly true when working with professional installers — which we recommend as a general rule, since most pool heaters tend to require electric and plumbing skills to set up properly.
The labor costs to install your pool heater might add a fair bit to your upfront bill, but we think it’s worth it when you consider how much a well-done installation can save in terms of long-term maintenance, repairs or replacements, and any wasted electricity or fuel you might end up with from incomplete or leaky connections at any point between the outlet and your pool.
Remember, your solar heater’s panels will need at least half the surface area of your pool, so its not going to be the cheapest option upfront.
Keep in mind: solar panels typically require permits and inspections before they can be installed and used. The actual installation process for most solar pool heater panels, and their associated pumps and plumbing connections, typically takes between one to three days, though they can take longer for a variety of reasons, which mostly involve:
- Mounting your solar panels on the ground instead of a roof
- Repairing or reinforcing your roof to hold solar panels
Swimming Pool Cover To Keep The Pool Warm
Heating the water is important, but what is even more important is to keep the water warm for as long as possible, so that the heating system has to be used less often. That is why it is advisable to cover the pool with a tarpaulin or, better still, an automatic roller system. This will greatly reduce the cooling down of the pool water.
If you go for solar slats, the water temperature will rise automatically when the pool is not in use. This saves you a lot of energy every year!
It can pay back your investment in 2 to 3 years, reducing the energy consumption of your heating system. Using a swimming pool cover can limit the heat loss by 50%. If you decide to combine an automatic cover with solar slats, you can actually increase your pool’s water temperature by using your pool cover.
You May Like: How Do You Get Iron Out Of Pool Water
Using A Pool Heat Pump
A heat pump acts as solar mats but is not reliant on sunlight. It can be used in hot weather too as it only requires heat present in the air. A heat pump absorbs heat from the air and uses it to heat the water that is pumped inside. This water goes to the pool to warm it up. But as these pumps dont generate on their own, they still need warm temperatures to work. These pumps can only work from April to October.
They are cost-efficient as they only need a one-time expense of installation. And only a water pump is used in them to heat the water. These pumps need to be placed in an open area to operate and wont take much space.
In short, they are cost-effective, space-saving, easy to install, continuous, and can work all day. The only problem is, you cant use them in the winter. This is not because of the efficiency of heat pumps that is lesser in lower temperatures, but also because they might be getting jammed or damaged.
Using A Liquid Solar Cover
A liquid solar cover is a chemical thats added to your pool and it creates a layer thats one molecule thick and it basically traps in the heat in your pool much like a regular solid pool cover, it protects your pool water from evaporation, although not as much. Upon testing, liquid solar pool covers reduce evaporation by around 15% and retain about 5 degrees Celsius or approximately 9-10 degrees Fahrenheit which is just under what regular solid solar pool covers save your pool.
Read Also: How Do You Get Iron Out Of Pool Water
Reducing Pool Evaporation Saves Energy & Money:
Evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss from a pool. Evaporating water requires tremendous amounts of energy. It only takes 1 Btu to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree, but each pound of 80ºF water that evaporates takes a whopping 1,048 Btu of heat out of the pool. This diagram shows outdoor pool energy loss percentages:
In any backyard pool across the USA in a climate zone with 4 seasons, there’s a 70% energy loss from evaporation, 20% from radiation to sky, and 10% to ground and other. Heat loss of any pool, heated by any means, is primarily driven by evaporation from the surface of the pool. Upwards of 70% of heat loss is through evaporation. Controlling the evaporative loss is therefore a key factor in reducing heating cost and there are several methods of achieving these savings, some more Eco-friendly than others.
Many who have considered or used both of the above described blankets also consider them to be unsightly, difficult and/or expensive to use – and as we said, surrounding ourselves with vinyl is not a great choice of material so polyethylene may be a better choice . The last type of blanket available on the market is the Liquid blanket, so we should look at that.
What Are Liquid Solar Covers for Pools?
“an aliphatic alcohol component having from 12 to 24 carbon atoms per molecule combined with calcium hydroxide”
How to use liquid solar covers
Thats all there is to it, apparently it couldnt be easier to use a liquid solar pool cover!
