Discount Above Ground Pool Heaters

Above ground pool heaters are gaining popularity with consumers to extend the swimming season of their pools and to warm their pool water in the evenings. The general consensus is that the pool water should be kept at a minimum temperature of 78°. However, many children and the elderly cannot readily tolerate this but find the higher temperatures of 80° and 82° more comfortable. And then there are those that simply like the luxury of a very well heated above ground pool and maintain their water temperature anywhere from 84° to 88°.

There are three main pool heater technologies that are in common use today: the gas pool heater, the electric heat pump and the solar pool heater. Electric pool heaters that you used a resistance heating element and fuel oil fired pool heaters were also fairly common in the past, but due to the high operating cost associated with their energy sources they have fallen out of favor with the public.

Gas powered pool heaters utilize either natural gas or liquid propane as a fuel source. They are relatively simple pieces of mechanical equipment and consequently have the lowest capital cost associated with them. However, although natural gas and liquid propane prices have stabilized recently, gas pool heaters still have the highest operating costs relative to the other technologies. But at the same time, newer gas heaters can operate at 80% or greater efficiency and that leads to an offset of the energy cost. Another benefit of gas heaters is their ability to raise the water temperature in a short period of time.

Electric heat pumps are finding more use today since there have been advances in the efficiencies and technologies associated with them. They are very similar to the heat pumps used in home heating systems and work in much the same way as a central air-conditioning unit does, only in reverse. The systems use a chlorofluorocarbon like Freon and utilize the thermodynamic properties of the expansion and compression cycles of gasses and fluids. The low pressure side of the system is a gas and this gaseous fluid is forced through a nozzle into the high pressure side of the system where heat is released. This heat of compression is used to heat the pool water. Although electrical energy is not used to heat the water directly, electricity is required to operate the pump that moves the fluid through the system.

Solar pool heaters collect the radiant heat of the sun through their solar panels. This radiant energy is transferred to the water through the high surface area of the panels. This is analogous to the solar energy of the sun hitting the pavement or the beach sand. The pool water is circulated through the solar panels by a pump that is operated by a control panel. The pool thermometer sends a signal to the control panel that instructs the pump to keep circulating water to the solar panels until the water temperature reaches its designated setting.

Obviously, solar panels have the lowest energy cost associated with the operations. However, this is somewhat offset by their high initial cost due to their plumbing and installation. Additionally, solar panels also require a significant area for installation and access to the sun's rays so there may be siting constraints involved. Therefore, the use of solar panels is somewhat restricted by the available area to place the panels and a geographical area that is subject to strong sunshine.

The choice of the correct pool water heating system for your specific application depends on several factors, which should be discussed with your pool equipment supplier. The major factors that need consideration are:

• The water temperature desired
• The rate or time that you prefer to raise the pool water temperature
• The months that you need to heat your pool
• Your climatic location
• Availability of direct sunshine on the pool
• The availability of a fuel source
• Your budget for capital costs (equipment and installation)
• Your operating budget (electricity and fuel costs)
• The expected life of the pool heater

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