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Deciding on what pool heater to buy.

Doc

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
US Navy Veteran
Vietnam Veteran
I'm in the shopping stage for a pool heater.
I was leaning to LP gas since it heats faster but talking to my pool guy I was advised it costs more to operate. And I would have to have a big LP gas 500 gallon tank installed. I will eventually need one anyway when my gas well runs dry.
I'm also considering a swimming pool heat pump. I've read they are the most efficient and have a long life span. Downside is the distance from my electrical service to the pool pump. Over 100 ft.

Hoping to hear your thoughts and experiences with your pool heaters.
 
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Every one I know with one has propane then you can pick your supplier if you buy your tank mine for camp was 2500$ for a 500 gallon one from an Amish store I did my install to the cabin for the lights and frig and water heater.
Can your electrical panel handle a couple 60A 240 breakers and the load? whats the recovery time? and whats the BTU load??
With the way electric rates are going I'd rather control who I get heat from.
One of my old houses had an EFM electric heater/boiler for the hydronic base board heat and it had 3 60a 240v breakers and it couldn't keep up (undersized) and I swear it spun the pivots ff the electric meter. I replaced it with a 150,000 BTU Weil-McLain oil boiler and never had a problem keepiing the house warm.
How is your natural gas well producing its off peak in the summer so if you use it for heat in the winter your just useing it when your not heating hous as mutch, so id get a heater that can swap to propane if you loose natural gas nothinng as cheap as free heat.
I just wish my wells (6 under my propertu) had gas avaliable to me but their horozonal drilled and well head is about a mile and a half away.

Check outdoors with the Morgans on YouTube he just put a pool in with propane heater and was commenting on its usage.

Tom
 
How many gallons is your pool? We have a 100k BTU heatpump that quickly and cheaply heats our pool, but it's only 7600 gallons. It takes a little less that an hour to raise the pool temp by a degree. The cost to run the thing is pretty cheap too, unless you keep it running all the time.
 
I just have 20,000 gallons of SUNSHINE!! My water is a BEAUTIFUL 90° lately. I'll get in it when it's 65°! I have no help to offer! Well, a few beers and it's all alright!😁
 
Ours is an above ground 33 x 18. 17000 gallons.
Solar cover is doing a great job so far this summer. Just hoping to extend the swim season into Oct and start in April next year.
My gas well had low pressure last year. I was warned the end might be near but so far so good. I prefer not to use up our free gas heating the pool.
I am concerned with electric prices. I have 200 amp service but that's about all I know. I do have one panel full and put in an aux panel when adding the whole house generator. I 'think' it could handle a heat pump but I will need a real electrician to verify that.
 
Doc said:
Ours is an above ground 33 x 18. 17000 gallons.
Solar cover is doing a great job so far this summer. Just hoping to extend the swim season into Oct and start in April next year.
My gas well had low pressure last year. I was warned the end might be near but so far so good. I prefer not to use up our free gas heating the pool.
I am concerned with electric prices. I have 200 amp service but that's about all I know. I do have one panel full and put in an aux panel when adding the whole house generator. I 'think' it could handle a heat pump but I will need a real electrician to verify that.
Click to expand...
I've heard electric heat pumps are the most efficient pool heaters.
 
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TexasGem said:
I've heard electric heat pumps are the most efficient pool heaters.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that is what I'm seeing also. They take longer to heat but are more efficient than propane. Propane is quick heating but most expensive option averaging 300 to 500 a month (according to one article I read). That seems extreme to me.
 
bczoom said:
Would a solar heater help? Not sure about April & October. Just a thought.
Something like this.
Click to expand...
We have a solar cover we put on the pool when not in use and that makes a huge difference. During the heat wave we saw the pool temp in the 90's. 93 was the highest. Water cools down a good bit at night but with a solar cover it keeps more of the heat in so that pool is warmer in the morning.
I've read of some who have tried one similar to what is in your link. For smaller pools it does work if you can situate it where it gets sun most of the day. Since that was not considered when setting up our pump and filters if we put one in it would only get morning sun. I have seen some home made pool heaters using long lengths of coiled hose sitting in the sun. That also works for smaller pools. I started to go with a 42 x 24 ft pool I'm sure glad I did not go that big. This one is plenty big enough for us and our guests.
 
Doc said:
Ours is an above ground 33 x 18. 17000 gallons.
Solar cover is doing a great job so far this summer. Just hoping to extend the swim season into Oct and start in April next year.
My gas well had low pressure last year. I was warned the end might be near but so far so good. I prefer not to use up our free gas heating the pool.
I am concerned with electric prices. I have 200 amp service but that's about all I know. I do have one panel full and put in an aux panel when adding the whole house generator. I 'think' it could handle a heat pump but I will need a real electrician to verify that.
Click to expand...
They installed a 100 amp subpanel but that's only because I might add a hot tub later. Only 50 amp subpanel was needed for just the heat pump.
 
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