Almost everyone in Western New York wants a pool heater.  It’s often a question of when and which kind.  Whether you want to raise the temperature a little bit more in-season or you want to offset the colder spring and fall months so that you can extend your swimming season, there are multiple options.  With so many different kinds of heaters on the market, which one is right for you?

 

Natural Gas Heaters are still the fastest way to heat up your swimming pool in-season and out of season.  We recommend that you hire a professional to connect them to the gas line from your meter.  They work by setting the temperature while the filter is running and heat the water up by 3-4 degrees per hour until the optimal temp is reached.  While they include a union kit for connecting hoses, you’ll need flexible pvc hose to and from the heater if you’re running it above the ground or hard pvc pipe if you’re burying the lines in the ground.  Gas heaters can also be converted for Propane, but they require a 250 gallon tank or larger.

Electric Pool Heaters are a great option if you want to heat your pool water up significantly during the summer, but a little slower than gas heaters in heating up the water in the spring and fall.  We recommend that you hire an electrician to run a power line because they do require a 20-40 amp service.  They function with a heating element (or coil) that heats up as the water circulates around it.  

 

 

     Solar Heaters are effective at raising your existing water temperature by 5-10 degrees in 5-7 days during the summer while your filter system is running.  They rely on sunlight to heat  up the water as it circulates through the unit.  Solar heaters are easy to install and set up and they connect near the pool and after your filter system right before the water goes back into the pool through your return jet.  You can also use multiple solar heaters and set them up side by side to heat the pool up faster, but you want to make sure you have a strong pump to offset the loss in circulation.

 

      -Regardless of which heater you decide on, it’s still a good idea to keep your solar cover on the pool when you’re not swimming to hold your existing water temperature.  

     -It’s important to note for every heater that you should keep your PH, Alkalinity and Calcium properly balanced to extend the life of your heater.  If you use chlorine tabs to treat your pool, it’s also recommended that you place them in a floater instead of the skimmer box.