Swimming Pool Heaters: Review and Buying Tips

Swimming pool heaters buying tips. See the reviews of gas, electric, and solar heaters, including heat pumps. Check out popular models from Hayward, Raypak, AquaCal, Jandy, and Pentair; for above-ground and in-ground pools.

Swimming pool heaters are efficient and cost-effective devices designed to heat water, but they are not easy to choose in any way. If you are looking for the right water heating choice for your pool, either above ground or in-ground, here we have great options for you to consider!

Getting in the pool even when it is not the time/weather, such as in May, September, even October, and extend the swimming season, is an advantage not everyone can enjoy. That's why swimming pool heaters are good to have, to bring more enjoyment to people who would prefer to have longer seasons, avoid indoor swimming, or to be able to control the temperature of the water, while not depending on nature only.

Here we are going to show you important tips when selecting/buying pool heaters – so you can get a good product and make your pool cozier without problems, and eventually save…

Swimming pool heaters: Things to consider

Benefits of using swimming pool heaters

Extend the swimming season. Swimming pool heaters can help you control your water temperature so you can enjoy longer and in months when most of the pools are closed.

Increase property value. People like comfort and convenience, which is why they prefer or would pay more for a house with a heated pool. At least I would. And if money is not an object.

Comfort and convenience. Instead of going to the public indoor pools, by using your own heated pool, you can enjoy swimming at home, in a clean water, away from the crowd, avoiding driving, parking, and busy traffic. The kids can be watched safely without catching the viruses and bacteria in the public pools. As the water temperature is controlled only by you, they don't get affected by the unpleasantly lower temperatures as found in public ones. Also, did we mention high levels of chlorine in public pools? Here you have full control.

Free operating costs and low maintenance. Some pool heaters, such as those powered by solar energy, use free, renewable energy from the Sun. You just have to buy the panels. Energy savings and environmental protection are guaranteed.

Types of swimming pool heaters

Just as there are different types of water heaters for home, there are also various types of heaters for pools, so choose one from below that fits your needs:

• Gas-type
• Electric-type
• Solar-type
• Heat pumps

Gas or propane swimming pool heaters

Hayward gas pool heater

Gas pool water heaters are the most common and maybe preferred by most users. What makes them so likable are the ability to heat the water faster than any other type of heaters, better efficiency (new models), and affordable price. Some could eventually have a higher cost in the long run, especially propane type. These tend to be pretty reliable nonetheless, offering a lifespan of up to 15 years in the best-case scenario.

An ideal situation for a gas or propane heater would be in pools that are not used daily or quite often. Propane gas, for example, tends to be quite expensive and will probably become a problem for your wallet. Keep in mind that propane gas costs more than natural gas. But if you can afford propane or natural gas heater, there's no doubt you will enjoy it a lot more.

Using a combustion heating system makes them much faster and efficient, no matter the temperature of the water or the weather. The greatest benefit of gas pool heaters is the powerful gas burner and heating speed.

If you think of getting a natural gas or propane heater, make sure it is a new model using the latest advanced features. New models are much more energy-efficient and will not harm the environment as much. These new models usually come with a "Low NOX" feature which makes them eco-friendlier. This feature or low-NOx emission is required in California and Texas. A great buy is Hayward H250FDN from the H-Series.

The size of these heaters is measured in BTUs. BTU stands for British thermal unit, and it shows the amount of heat that is created by a device. This part is critical, as you will very likely have to choose the right heater according to how many BTUs you'll need. Most of these heaters come with sizes rounding the 100,000 BTUs for small pools and up to 500,000 BTUs for the largest ones.

These heaters are affordable at first. They can cost from $1500 up to $3500 in the biggest ones. However, in heavily used pools, they may cost more than $600 per month.

Electric swimming pool heaters

The good thing about electric heaters is that they take a lot less space than other types, are often small, and can be turned on and off without problems. However, in the long run, they could be the costliest, even more than gas heaters, because electricity costs much more than gas.

An electric heater heats the water by using a resistor element that uses electrical current to generate heat, eventually heating the water that passes around. This water is pumped out of the device and into the pool. Despite being effective for heating water, this method uses so much electricity that it could become a real problem for the wallet. Your house might need some electrical panel modifications.

They can cost up to $600 or even more a month for pools that are used more than five days a week. This makes them undesirable for most people unless you can handle the cost. They don't last too long either, as they tend to fail in the first ten years and last up to 15 for the luckiest users. However, for those who can afford it, an electric water heater will be fantastic as it can be used almost anywhere at any time and receive excellent results nonetheless.

That's why electric heaters are mostly recommended for small pools, spas, hot tubs, or where there is no need to heat up for long. They can cost as little as $500 but can go up to $5000 in the most efficient or powerful devices. And when it comes to installation, the cost may go up even further.

Recommended models to buy

Heat pump pool heaters

Heat pumps may be the "greenest" approach to pool heaters available in the market behind solar heaters. They are easy to install and use while being a lot cheaper for operation. 

A heat pump extracts heat from the surrounding warm air, compresses the heated refrigerant inside with a compressor, and then heating the water with the hot compressed refrigerant while throwing the cold air out the top of the appliance.

These heaters last a little longer to heat the water than others, especially when compared to gas heaters. However, they could become a lot more efficient and useful in the long run, especially in warm to hot environments. The minimum temperature needed to use a heat pump heater is 45 degrees Fahrenheit; anything lower than that will make this heating device inefficient.

At first, heat pumps can be more expensive than other heaters, as they heat water differently. However, the operation costs of these heaters are little to no existent. And what's even better, they can last up to 20 years without breaking.

The less powerful heat pump heaters may cost as little as $1,800 but can go up to $5,000 in the biggest and most effective ones.

Recommended models to buy

Solar pool heaters

Solar energy is the greenest and most energy-efficient method for domestic and pool water heating known. It uses solar panels to harvest solar heat, which is eventually stored in collectors.

Water is pumped into the solar panels' collectors and out again towards the pool when it is heated. This demands not only more installation efforts but a lot more time to heat the water. In the long run, however, solar pool heaters are a lot more affordable to use.

The problem with these heaters is that they can't be used at night or when there aren't many sun rays to heat the panels. Solar panel heaters are used in winter or cloudy places but with reduced efficiency, so backup heaters are recommended.

The water may not heat up efficiently during the cold weather as the process lasts longer than a heat pump, which is slower than electric and gas heaters.

If you think this one fits your needs, still make sure you have enough space to install solar panels. They take a lot of room and most of the time need an expert to evaluate the place before installation. Despite being a little more complicated to install, the installation cost may still be lower than an electric heater.

A solar panel heater price may range from $2,500 up to $4,000, including installation costs. This price range is for the glazed type. Cheaper options are flexible ones (unglazed), which usually come as the DIY kit and do not require professional installation.

And, of course, they don't cost anything to operate while offering a lifespan of up to 20 years without breaking.

The cost of service

Note: Professional installation and repair are recommended.

According to the AquaCal manufacturer of swimming pool heaters, heat pumps are the cheapest to operate, mainly due to their high energy efficiency. AquaCal heat pumps have the cost of operation of $6.25 per million BTUs of heat. The next ones are the natural gas pool heaters, with the price of $27.50, then heaters using the electricity ($38.10) while the most expensive are heaters using the propane gas - $40.76.

This comparison cost is based on the following prices: $3 for a gallon of LP gas, $2.20 natural gas, 13 cents per kilowatt, where the heat pump's Coefficient of Performance (COP) is 6.1.

Yes, the heat pumps are the favorable heating method, but upfront costs and long-term costs can affect this decision.

Selecting tips

Popular manufacturers

• Hayward
• Aquacal
• Raypak
• Pentair
• Jandy
• Rheem

Picking the right size of pool water heaters

The right size of a pool heater is all about how powerful it is and whether it can heat water per specs. This is done by calculating BTUs and overall needed capacity.

Calculating gas heater size

First, consider the temperature you want the pool to be heated up to. Then find out what's the average temperature outside, taking into account the coldest month.

Second, subtract the average temperature for the coldest month outside your home from the desired temperature for your water heater. This will give you a temperature rise.

Third, calculate the pool area in square feet. You can do this by multiplying both the pool's length and width if it is rectangular or RxRx3.14 for the round size (R-radius of the pool).

Fourth, use both the temperature rise measure and the total pool square feet area multiplied by 12 to get the total BTU you need. For example, 20 x 500 x 12 = 120,000 BTU you will need for your heater.

Calculating the electric heater size

Electric heaters are similar to gas heaters when it comes to calculating size. However, it is important to note that these are often a little faster in heating the water if more BTU they offer. This means that any device with more than 200,000 BTU will be a lot more efficient in the long run than a gas water heater.

Calculating the heat pump heater size

Heat pumps are also pretty similar to electric and gas water heaters as they also use BTU as the power measurement.

However, they also tend to use horsepower (HP), which correlates with the amount of BTU of the device. For 75,000 BTU, make sure it offers at least 3.5 HP; for 100,000 BTU, you should go for 5 HP, and for 125,000 BTU or more, it should have at least 6 HP up to 8 HP in the most powerful ones.

Calculating the solar heater size

Solar heaters are an entirely different thing when it comes to calculating size. They are often much more space deficient as they take up to 75% of the entire pool area. This means that if your pool takes 1000 square feet of space, your solar panel area should be at least 700 square feet. It seems like a lot, and it is. For cold environments, it is recommended to go for 100% of the square area of the pool; this way, you will be able to meet your temperature requirements.

Which pool water heaters are better for you?

It all comes down to the location and climate, your energy source availability, and the financial capacity you can afford for the device that best suits your needs. Choose your water heating device considering the above suggestions and tips, and you'll surely make the right buying decision.

Don't let a cold pool turn you away from enjoying a nice swim. If you live in the northern regions or own a business such as a hotel, motel, gym, you definitely want to buy a pool heater for the extended swimming season. As the natural gas type heaters heat water very fast, they are the recommended type, but if you leave in the southern regions, buy a heat pump and see how water can be efficiently heated.