Discount Above Ground Pool Heaters

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Nobody enjoys swimming in cold water, which is why most people installing a pool opt for a swimming pool heater to keep the temperature more comfortable. Several options exist, including gas, heat-pump and solar power. Which option is chosen by the pool owner will be determined by their budget.

Understand, most swimming pool heaters operate on the same premise. Water is pumped from the swimming pool, through the heater and back into the pool where the heated water raises the temperature level of the pool water. A thermostat installed on the line into the pump records the temperature of the water in the pool and stops pumping until the temperature drops below a pre-set temperature.

How the water is heated is what determines the cost. There are two variables to consider when deciding the type of swimming pool heater is best for your pool. The initial cost and the annual operating cost. Some may offer cheaper installation costs, but prices of utilities and the climate in the area, may make them expensive to operate during the season.

Installation And Operating Expenses
Of the three main types of swimming pool heater, gas, either natural or propane, is the cheapest for initial installation. For comparison purposes an example of a 15 foot by 30 foot kidney shaped pool will be used. A gas swimming pool heater will cost roughly $1,200 and another $500 for installation. A homeowner can usually install a swimming pool heater themself, but it is highly recommended that connections for gas and electric be left to a licensed professional.

A heat pump swimming pool heater is more expensive to install, about $3,900 including installation and a solar powered swimming pool heater will run about $3,000 with installation. Their operating costs are what sets them apart.

A gas swimming pool heater will cost about $1.20 to realize a dollar’s worth of heat. On an average, it’s expected to cost between $1,000 and $1,500 per season to operate on propane. Depending on the price of natural gas in the area, it could cost about 50 percent less.

A heat pump swimming pool heater, on the other hand will cost about 20 cents for $1,00 worth of heat, bringing the annual cost of between $250 to $500 per year, which can offset the initial cost. A solar powered swimming pool heater will cost about $30 to $75 in electric to operate the pump required for water circulation, but not for the power itself.

No matter what type of pool you have, you’ll need to perform regular maintenance on it. Potentially, the biggest task you'll face is keeping your pool clean. Unless you want to spend hours of time scrubbing your pool instead of swimming in it, you should take a look at automatic pool cleaners.

Automatic swimming pool cleaners are available for both inground and above ground pools. Prices vary quite a bit so, even if you're on a tight budget, you should be able to find one that's right for your situation. Pool cleaners come in three basic designs: suction side, pressure side and robotic pool cleaners.

Suction side swimming pool cleaners attach to your pool's plumbing on the suction side, usually at the pool skimmer. Some pools have a vacuum port especially for a pool cleaner. Suction is created on the underside of the pool cleaner by your pool's filter pump. Dirt and small debris is sucked up into the cleaner and through a hose to your strainer basket and filter, where the dirt and debris are trapped. This design makes suction side cleaners very much like pool vacuum cleaners.

Suction side cleaners are available for all pool types. One advantage of suction side pool cleaners is that they rarely require any additional parts or adapters to connect to any swimming pool. The popular Kreepy Krauly pool cleaners are suction side cleaners.

Pressure side cleaners, as you might guess, are hooked up to the pressure side of your pool's plumbing system. This is the side that is returning clean, filtered water to your pool. Pressure side pool cleaners use the power of water pressure to push dirt Pool cleaners and debris into an attached bag. One advantage of pressure side swimming pool cleaners is that they don't put extra pressure on your pool's filter system. They also help distribute clean water throughout your pool.

Pressure side cleaners are almost always automatic inground pool cleaners. Primary pressure side pool cleaner manufacturers are Polaris and Letro. The pressure side design tends to be more expensive than suction side.

Robotic pool cleaners are self-contained units that you put in the pool as and when needed. They are normally plugged into an electrical outlet using a really long cord. A transformer provides low voltage to electric motors inside the unit. One motor vacuums up dirt and the other moves the unit around the pool. Some models swim around randomly, while others can be programmed to follow a specific pattern.

Robotic pool cleaners can be used in any type of pool. They have their own self-contained filter, and they also put no resistance or back pressure on your pool's filtering system. They can also save money because they don't require you to run your filtration system for pool cleaning. However, robotic pool cleaners can cost more than the other filter types. Aquavac, Dolphin and Aquabot are all robotic pool cleaners.

One of the top features of owning your own swimming pool is being able to swim whenever you want. Automatic pool cleaners help out by doing the dirty work for you and letting you cool off and relax.