2023 Pool Heating Costs | Installation prices for gas, electricity and heat pumps (2023)

FAQs

2023 Pool Heating Costs | Installation prices for gas, electricity and heat pumps? ›

Heat pump pool heaters cost more than gas pool heaters, but they typically have much lower annual operating costs because of their higher efficiencies. With proper maintenance, heat pump pool heaters typically last longer than gas pool heaters. Therefore, you'll save more money in the long run.

Heat pump pool heaters cost more than gas pool heaters, but they typically have much lower annual operating costs because of their higher efficiencies. With proper maintenance, heat pump pool heaters typically last longer than gas pool heaters. Therefore, you'll save more money in the long run.

The size of your pool also matters, with larger pools costing more to heat than smaller ones. On average, however, a gas heater costs around $200 to $400 a month to run. Electric heat pumps cost less, coming in at about $100 to $200 a month.

Heat pumps will use around 5,000 watts or 5 kilowatts per hour per 100,000 BTU's. For a typical size 100,000 BTU heat pump, that's 5 kilowatts per hour.

If you want an energy-efficient way to heat your pool, consider using a heat pump pool heater in mild climates. Solar water heaters are cost competitive with other types of water heaters and have low annual operating costs.

By nature, gas heaters have a greater environmental impact than electric ones. However, electric heaters take longer to warm up your pool water and are less efficient in very cold temperatures. This is because they rely on outside heat to warm up the pool water.

Electric pool heaters typically cost less than heat pumps, although they can cost up to five times more than a heat pump to operate. Electric pool heaters are compact and simple to operate, although heat pumps provide higher efficiencies and much lower annual operating costs to maintain a constant temperature.

The rule of thumb for pool maintenance is to run your pump for eight hours per day. That's the short answer, but it isn't always accurate. Other factors might shift this number. That means even if you do run your pump for eight hours a day, you could still be needlessly losing money.

With proper installation and maintenance, a heat pump will generally have a lifespan of about ten years, though many have lasted longer.

At what temperature does a pool heat pump stop working? ›

Most heat pumps shut down when the outside temperatures go down below 55° degrees, some can continue to operate down to the mid to low 40's, and some can operate in temperatures of mid to low 20's.

You may be surprised! Unlike gas heaters, heat pumps are most efficient when they are run for long periods of time and when they are run often. This is because they heat very slowly but maintain temperatures very well.

The best way to do this is by adjusting the settings in your filtration system to operate during the warmest time of the day. This will be a cost-efficient way to heat your pool since your heat pump will only operate when it has waterflow, mainly supplied by the filtration system.

The water temperature you desire for your swimming pool not only affects the size of the pool's heater, but also your heating costs if use a gas or heat pump pool heater. Pool water temperatures typically range from 78ºF to 82ºF. The American Red Cross recommends a temperature of 78ºF for competitive swimming.

Every gallon of water that evaporates from a pool takes with it 6000 BTU's of heat in the process, and a typical uncovered pool loses 1 to 1½ inches of water a week through evaporation. For a 20 by 40 foot pool, an inch of water amounts to 500 gallons—roughly, a heat loss of more than 30 therms every seven days.

It depends on a few things to determine how long it takes a heat pump to heat a pool. However, overall a heat pump generally heats a pool after 24 to 72 hours by 20-degrees Fahrenheit. For smaller pools like a spa pool, the heat pump can heat a pool between 45 and 60 minutes.

You can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by installing a solar pool heater. They're cost competitive with both gas and heat pump pool heaters, and they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is one of the most cost-effective use of solar energy in some climates.

SOLAR POOL HEATING SYSTEMS

Solar pool heating is by far the most popular, efficient, and cost-effective way of heating an outdoor swimming pool. Solar is available when the weather is warm, and the sun is shining – the ideal climate for swimming.

Despite this, the average pool temperature, which is said to be ideal for all, is between 77-82°F. These temperatures are low enough to prevent bacteria from growing, but also warm enough to take the chill off.

The black hose trick is just one of many ways solar is used to help heat a pool. Often a coil of black plastic tubing is either laid out on a deck, a roof or a patio cover, or even buried in the pool decking. The sun heats the tubing and water flowing through it. The resulting warm water helps heat the pool.

Are newer pool heaters more efficient? ›

Gas-fired pool heaters remain the most popular system for heating pools. Today you can find new gas-fired heater models with much higher efficiencies than older models. However, depending on your climate and pool use, they may not be the most cost-effective option when compared to heat pump and solar pool heaters.

Here's why: the average propane pool heater burns about 1 gallon of propane per hour per 100,000 Btus. Since a propane pool heater for a standard-sized pool (~21,000 gallons) outputs 400,000 Btus, you will burn about four gallons of propane per hour.

If you want to get as much time as possible out of your pool, however, a heater is a good investment. With a pool heater, you can easily be swimming May through mid-October, giving you a good five months of use out of your pool. That's literally double the amount of time you'd get without one.

Myth: Pool heat pumps are too noisy

But not all pool heat pumps are created equally, which means they're not all noisy either. Well-maintained pool heat pumps will produce just enough noise to let you know they're running, without being a nuisance.

Although sand and D.E. filters function more effectively as dirt accumulates, a dirty filter can increase the pump's workload. In fact, the difference between a clean and dirty filter can nearly double the pump's energy use.

A pool can increase not only your social worth but also the value of your home. However, the increase is probably not as much as you think. According to HouseLogic, there's no real guarantee that you'll make your money back. In fact, adding a swimming pool may only increase your home's value by 7%.

As much as you can

If your question is “How often should I run my pump to keep the pool at its best?” the answer would be 24/7 for as much of the year as the pool is in operation.

Is it better to run pool pump at night or day? ›

The best time to run your pool pump is during the warmest hour of the day; however, keep in mind that this means you will have higher energy consumption, which may lead to an increase in your electric bill. If you want to save on your energy costs, you can run your pool pump at night to avoid peak hours.

You will not harm your unit whether you leave it on or not. When the heat pump is turned off by the controls or because the water temperature is at or above the desired heat setting, the only power the unit consumes is the minute amount needed to power the control unit and display.

Heated pools do result in more evaporation, so more make-up water is required to refill heated pools than unheated pools. Whether using solar heating, heat pumps, or gas heaters, heated pools do require more water.

Most Heat Pumps will work if the temperature dips below 60, but will automatically shut off if the temperature reaches 45 – 50 degrees Fahrenheit. By shutting off automatically, Heat Pumps prevent damage that can occur when the air gets too cold.

Here is a simple rule of thumb for pools with single speed pumps during the swim season when the temperatures and swimmer volume are both high: Run the circulation system one (1) hour for every 10°F of air temperature. Example: If it is 100°F, the pump should run 10 hours a day minimum.

While it's not always necessary with today's winterized pool equipment, covering your pool heater is still a good idea. Placing a barrier between your heater and the snow, ice, sleet, and hail that are sure to fall over the winter months helps to minimize the damage caused by these adverse weather events.

By nature, gas heaters have a greater environmental impact than electric ones. However, electric heaters take longer to warm up your pool water and are less efficient in very cold temperatures. This is because they rely on outside heat to warm up the pool water.

Solar. Solar power is one of the cheapest ways to heat your pool. This includes “inline” attachments which replace a section of piping to make the water travel through a section of material designed to capture heat from the sun and also bubble covers, which do the same but lay on top of your pool.

A gas pool heater performs well at just about any temperature. It also heats water three to five times more rapidly. Powerful gas units are available, so it's feasible to warm up pools that contain over 25,000 gallons of water. Gas pool heaters have significantly lower upfront costs.