Love to swim? Like swimming in cold water?
If you’re like many of the swimming-pool-equipped residents we work with in Charleston and the Lowcountry you probably don’t. That’s why they chose to install a swimming pool heater to keep their swimming experience comfortable in the colder winter months.
Unfortunately from our experience working with swimming pool heaters and heat pumps around Charleston is that many of them were poorly installed (in some cases backwards), poorly sized and are insufficiently maintained.
All this adds up to increased costs to get everything fixed/re-installed and ultimately (and even worse) a cold swim (or no swim at all).
So here at Carolina Climate Control we want to educate home owners that have swimming pools on what to look for when choosing pool heating options and our best recommendation for the ultimate swimming experience no matter the season.
Gas Pool Heaters
Probably the most popular type of heating for pools today, gas pool heating uses natural gas or propane to heat circulated water from your pool back into your pool at your desired temperature. This temperature can be achieved quickly and maintained no matter the weather conditions outside. Also the upfront costs of the unit are less expensive than other heating options.
The major drawback with heating your swimming pool with gas is that it’s not the most efficient option. This means that it’s more expensive to operate continuously on a monthly basis versus other options out there. Also the lifespan of a gas pool heater unit is a lot less than other options meaning more long term costs.
Swimming Pool Heat Pumps
Highly efficient and environmentally friendly, pool heat pumps warm your pool by taking your pool water and pumping it into the heat pump unit where it is warmed using the outside air. Heating your pool this way costs significantly less on a month to month basis and the lifespan of heat pumps is 10 to 20 years, meaning less replacement costs long term.
The disadvantage of a pool heat pump is that it can only heat a pool with outside temperatures no lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where natural gas or propane heating can come in as a handy secondary “emergency heat” option.
The Ultimate Pool Heating Solution
Although each form of pool heating listed above works great independently, to get the best heated home swimming pool experience with reliability and longevity, we highly suggest using a combination of both gas and pool heat pump heating solutions.
Use your pool heat pump heater for general swimming (keeps your month to month costs down) and when you want a warmer swim, simply turn on your gas pool heater. Because you have your heat pump heater keeping the pool at an elevated temperature, your gas heater won’t have to work as hard to get your pool to the higher temperatures. This keeps your gas consumption down while maintaining your desired pool temperature.
The end result? You get the best of both heating worlds and the ultimate heated swimming pool experience.
We’ve helped several residents in the Lowcountry plan and install their pool heating solutions so if you need help keeping your pool warm in the winter, give us a call at (843) 870-2076.
You worked hard to have a swimming pool at your convenience so get the most out of it by having a proper, efficient pool heating solution installed by Carolina Climate Control. Happy swimming Charleston!
