Pool heating systems may be active or passive. Passive pool heating options rely on natural processes and insulation to trap and retain existing heat, but they do not actually add heat to the water. Active pool heaters actually use energy and add heat to the pool. Active pool heaters may be gas powered, electric or use another energy source.
Solar Passive Pool Heating
Solar heating systems can be passive or active. A solar pool cover passively heats up the pool using the greenhouse effect, letting in sunlight and trapping the heat. The water is warmer earlier in the day and warm enough to swim in later in the season.
Not all pool covers are part of the pool heating system. An insulated pool cover may simply trap the heat that you’ve been adding to the pool overnight so you can swim at 9 AM. Non-insulated pool covers simply keep leaves, debris and dead bugs out of the pool so that you don’t have to clean it as often. All types of pool covers reduce water loss to evaporation, which reduces your water bill over the short term and energy bill over the long term because evaporated water must not only be replaced but re-heated.
Solar pool covers do both. They use a material like bubble packing material to trap heat and then warm the water, as well as prevent evaporation. Passive solar heating systems have the advantage of flexibility – they can be installed on above ground as well as below ground pools. They tend to be cheaper than active pool heating systems, and you can install passive solar heating to reduce the demand on an active pool heating system.
Solar Active Heating System
An active solar pool heating system uses a solar water heater. The solar water heater uses flat plate collectors that collect the heat of the sunlight and concentrate it to heat up water in a storage container. The system may be as simple as a long network of black coils on the roof of your house heating up the water that will later be added to the pool. You then add the hot water to the pool to warm it up.
Heat Pump Pool Heating Systems
Heat pump pool systems use a heat pump to remove heat from the air and put it into the pool. Heat pumps are more efficient than electric pool heaters but won’t work if there is ice on the unit. Heat pumps are driven by electrical power, but they rely on a heat exchange system to generate heat instead of a heating element.
Heat pumps are the best option for warming up the pool during mild weather, day after day.
In theory, a heat pump system can also be used to cool the water down to 80F if you live somewhere like that the water could actually hit 100F in the summer, such as Arizona or New Mexico.
Electric Pool Heater
Electric pool heaters act like your home’s electric heaters. They generate heat by running electricity through a heating element and transfer it to the water. An electric pool heater works regardless of the weather and your particular climate. An electric pool heater can keep the pool at a desired temperature. They are also the best option for those who cannot heat the pool via a heat pump due to climate.
Gas Pool Heater
Gas pool heaters only work if you have a natural gas connection to the house or a very large gas tank on the property. Natural gas pool heaters have become much cheaper to operate than electric pool heaters since fracking lowered natural gas prices. Propane pool heaters cost more to operate, since propane costs more than natural gas, but it lets you set up a gas pool heater at a location that doesn’t have a natural gas connection. Gas pool heaters like electric heaters work regardless of the weather and the local climate.
They are the best choice for those who want to heat a pool relatively quickly. The gas heater is the better choice for pools that are not heated very often, such as at second homes or when you only occasionally swim in the off season.
Gas pool heaters are also a good choice if the kids are fine with 80?F water but it needs to be warmed up to 90F twice a week for Mom to do her water aerobics after knee surgery.
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