Types Of Pool Heater

Once you have made the decision to buy a pool heater you then have to decide which of the types available you will go for. The main types are gas, solar and electric (mainly heat pumps) but even within these there are a number of choices to be made.

Gas Powered HeatersGas heaters are still the most popular type and one of their key advantages is their greater capacity which enables them to heat the water more quickly than other types of heater. Units designed for above-ground pools (such as the Pentair Minimax NT) typically supply around 100k BTU, on the other hand a heater designed for an in ground pool (such as the Jandy LXi) can provide up to about 400k BTU. A high powered heater will increase the water temperature quickly and is a good option if you only heat your pool occasionally.

Gas heaters are produced to use either natural gas or LPG. Obviously you would use natural gas if it is available and propane would be appropriate if you already store it for other purposes. If you don’t have a source of gas already available a gas heater might not be your best option.

Gas heaters are produced in both electronic ignition and millivolt models. Electronic models are micro processor controlled with electronic spark ignition like a modern boiler. Millivolt versions have a pilot light which burns all the time and wastes a small amount of gas. The heat from the pilot light is used to generate a small amount of electricity (about 500 millivolts - hence the name) which powers the controls. The former is the preferable option but it requires an electricity supply, if this is not possible a Millivolt heater is appropriate.

The major negative with gas heaters, especially those using LPG, is that they can be costly to operate.

Electric Heaters It is possible to buy a direct electric heater but these are only suitable for small above ground pools.

The type of electric heater that is becoming increasing common is the heat pump (such as the Jandy Heat Pump). Heat pumps do not produce heat themselves rather they take heat from the surrounding air and transfer this to the water. In practice this means that you get several times more heat energy output than electricity energy consumed. Heat pumps are therefore more friendly to the environment than gas heaters, as well as costing less to run. They are also expected to have a longer lifetime than gas heaters.

Of course there are disadvantages to heat pumps. They do not have the power of a gas heater and are slow to heat a pool, they work best when used to maintain a constant temperature. In addition the air temperature should be at least forty-five degrees if they are to work efficiently.

Solar Powered Heating SystemsIn these systems the pool water is pumped through solar collectors which are designed to trap solar energy. As a general rule the area of solar panels needed is the same as the surface area of the pool. Solar systems can be more expensive to install than gas heaters or heat pumps but should last longer and will be cheaper to run. In addition it is the most environmentally friendly way of heating your pool.

There are more things that you need to address with a solar system if it is to work satisfactorily. These include the local climate, finding the best location, needing local building codes and making sure the system is safe. Solar systems are dependent on the local climate so the most important thing is to ensure that the system will heat the pool for the period you wish to use it.