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HEATING YOUR POOL

Your pool won’t contribute to your health or pleasure unless it’s warm enough to swim in

comfortably

,

and when you want to swim. Heating your pool will enable you to get the

maximum value out of your investment by allowing you to

use your pool more often while

enjoy

ing

the most comfortable water temperatures possible

.

How warm you keep your pool is, of course, entirely up to you.

Competitive swimmers prefer a

temperature of 78º F while recreational swimmers are generally more comfortable near 80º F,

the young and elderly closer to 82ºF. The sun alone usually can’t keep your pool water at that

comfort minimum of 78º F. By having a heater to warm your water you can add substantially

to the daily use of your pool and extend your swimming season.

How long you can “stretch” the swim season depends on the climate in your area, the type of

pool heating system you use and whether you use a pool cover. It’s safe to say that in most

cases the swim season can be doubled (or better) with a heater or heat pump and cover.

Heating your pool won’t only extend your season- it will allow you to swim more often “in

season”.

In Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Seattle, for example, even the July - August average

mean temperatures are usually below 75º F and moderate heating would be essential for

comfortable swimming. By contrast, average mean temperatures in summer are high and

sustained. But "real" weather has a tendency to vary a lot from the mean, so it’s a good idea to

rely on a heater to brighten up the cool spots and lengthen the swimming season.

There are several methods available to heat your pool, from the sun itself to: gas, oil and

electric fired heaters, electric heat pumps and solar heating systems. The cost of these

systems varies quite a bit. First, there is the initial or one-time cost of the heater you select and

its hook-up or installation charge. Second, there is the monthly energy cost, which varies with

the type of heating system you buy, the use of your pool, the pool water temperature you

prefer and other variables. Third, there is the matter of annual maintenance and service.

Operating costs can be kept to a minimum by installing an efficient, properly sized heater;

using a good quality pool cover; and, of course, keeping your filter clean and your heating and

filtering system well maintained. Your pool professional will help you in choosing the heating

system that best suits your budget, geographic region and lifestyle.

Heaters are sized mainly on the basis of the pool surface area and the difference between the

pool and air temperatures. The average air temperature for the coldest month of pool use is

used in the calculation. The heating load could also be affected by such things as excessive

wind exposure or much cooler night temperatures than daytime air temperatures; in those

cases a heater with more capacity may be desirable. Another factor which may determine the

size of the heater you will need is the way you intend to use your pool. There are two common

pool heating practices - "constant" temperature maintenance and "intermittent" heating. These

are determined by how you want your pool heated

;

continually or on an intermittent basis.

To heat a pool quickly after periods of intermittent shutdown, a larger heater is needed. And in

colder climates a larger than standard size heater also is recommended for "constant" heating.

Maintaining pool temperature requires the same amount of fuel regardless of the heater size.

For intermittent heating however, a larger heater actually saves fuel because it brings the pool

to temperature more quickly. Again, your pool professional will be able to guide you in

choosing a properly sized heater for your needs.