Having your own pool is not an inexpensive proposition. Given the expense, it makes sense to be able to use it for as long as you can from spring to fall. One way to do that is to install a heater. When buying a pool heater you have two choices: a gas-fired unit or an electric heat pump. Although heat pumps operate very efficiently and may require less maintenance than a propane-powered heater, there are clear-cut advantages for choosing a propane unit.
- Propane-powered heaters are proven to warm pools more quickly than electric heat pumps, and they maintain that heat better in cold weather.
- Propane is more energy-rich than natural gas, so you’ll use less fuel to heat your pool.
- Propane is a more environmentally-friendly choice. Not only will you save energy, you’ll reduce your home’s carbon footprint.
- Propane heaters heat your pool and maintain the temperature you choose.
- Propane heaters operate cleanly and take up little space, even though they have powerful capabilities.
- Heat pumps need warm humid weather to transfer that energy from the air to the pool. Cool days and cold nights in spring and early fall impede the ability of a heat pump to warm your pool when you want it the most.
- Heat pumps raise temperatures through long run cycles, which mean slow recovery times. A correctly sized gas heater will get the water up to the temperature you want much faster than a comparable heat pump. Propane pool heaters are available for every size underground and above ground pool.
Keep in mind, to size a heater correctly you have to consider pool size or surface area, average wind speed, average ambient temperature, and desired temperature rise. A heater that is too small for a pool may only add 5-10 degrees to the water, less during colder ambient temperatures or windy days, and more during the hot part of the summer. A larger heater can add up to 30 degrees in temperature rise, no matter what the air temperature or wind speed. A cover will reduce recovery time and make any pool heater more efficient.
