Heater for in ground pool?
I am looking at getting a heater for my in ground pool. the pool has roughly 21,000 gallons. Can you tell me which is better, Electric, Gas or Solar?
Thanks,
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I am looking at getting a heater for my in ground pool. the pool has roughly 21,000 gallons. Can you tell me which is better, Electric, Gas or Solar?
Thanks,
If you must have a heater I prefer Gas to Electric. Just be certain to have it properly winterized unless you keep it running all winter long. Personally, where I live I used mine once in early spring to take the chill off and then not at all until late fall and that was only to keep using it until the first snows came in November. A solar blanket, although cumbersome, proved to preform very well for any normal heating needs and runs much cheaper.
Go solar. Once you pay for the product, you don’t have to pay for a heating supply!
That will all depend on utility prices in your area and how much sunlight, your location gets on average.
In most areas of north america, electrical prices are , per BTU higher than gas or propane. If this is the case in your area, forget an electric heater. They can cost a forune to run as you’ll be looking at a 50 KW unit likely. They tend to be a slow heat as well.
Downside: The heating elements are fairly delicate to water chemistry being off. It doesn’t take mush to ruin them and they are expensive to replace
That leaves propane or gas. Both types are fairly efficient. An average sized pool (18X36) will need a 250, 000 BTU heater. This is a quick heat. Generally from 54 degree water in spring, you’ll get it to 82 in a day and a half.
Downside: Cost of the fuel, seasonal burner tray cleaning by a gas guy.
Solar is a green alternative and I actually like it, but it’s very dependant on your geographic location. Here (Toronto) we rarely install solar heat as the pools only method of heating. It’s usually installed with gas or propane and used during the mid summer months to keep the pool up to temperature. Gas being used to get the temp up in spring and to keep it up during fall. This way lessens your heating bill quite a bit. Solar is a slow heat.
Downside: Can be expensive per square foot, you need a place for the panels and winterizing them can be a chore,
There is one other method of pool heat out there now and 3 years ago I was the first service tech in Ontario to install one. Wood burning. Yep…wood. This particular customer had all his bases covered. He had Propane, solar and wood heat for his 20X40 north of Toronto.