Swimming Pool Heaters – You Need One No Matter Where You Live

Many people make the mistake of believing that they don’t need a swimming pool heater if they live in the south. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, pool heaters are more beneficial in this region than in areas where the climate is cooler. The south has long, pleasant springs and falls, and swimming during these times can be quite pleasant. Not only does it provide relaxation, but it also has tremendous cardiovascular and weight loss advantages. However, if a person were to jump into an unheated pool during a warm southern spring day, they would be in for an unpleasant shock. That is because the air, although quite comfortable for lounging around outside, is not warm enough to actually heat a pool. A heated pool, on the other hand, can increase the comfortable swim season by two or even three times. And in the south, it can even allow a person to swim during those balmy winter days that tend to frequently occur there.

Swimming pool heaters are especially beneficial for those in the south who have children. Almost all children love swimming, and they can tolerate much cooler water temperatures than adults. If allowed, many of them would jump into cool water and swim until they were blue and shivering. However, doctors warm that becoming chilled in this way can lead to respiratory infections. Not only is this miserable for both children and parents, but these infections can be hard to get rid of once they occur, and they have a tendency to reoccur frequently. The best way to avoid this scenario is with a heater.

Now that we have established that you need a heater no matter where you live, you may be wondering how to choose the right one. The answer to this question depends largely on what you want out of your heater. Swimming pool heaters come in basically three types, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Solar heaters require the largest up-front investment of any of the three heating systems. For this reason, many people tend to avoid buying a solar swimming pool heater. However, they are also the most efficient type of heater. They are powered with energy that is clean, costs nothing, and will never run out. In addition, because they do not have metal parts to repair or replace, they can last for twenty to thirty years without any need for maintenance. They do have one major disadvantage, however, and that is the fact that they do not have the ability to deliver any temperature you desire no matter what the weather is. So if this is important to you, you may want to consider another option. However, if you want something that is environmentally friendly, trouble-free, and will never have to be turned off because the operating costs are too high, it may be just the thing for you.

The second type of pool heater is the electric heat pump. These take heat from outside and transfer it into your pool. They work well in temperatures as low as forty-five to fifty degrees, so they are particularly effective in southern states, where the temperature rarely dips below this. They are cheaper to buy than solar heaters, and they cost less to operate than gas. In addition, they can heat a pool at times when there is no sun, and they take less time to do so than a solar heater. However, they do use electricity, which comes at a cost, and their life span is considerably shorter than that of a solar system.

The last heating system to consider is the gas pool heater. These heaters, which run on either propane or natural gas, have one major advantage over the other three types. They can deliver water of any temperature in any weather. It is even possible, with them, to have ninety degree pool water in the middle of a snow storm. However, they are also the most expensive to operate. Gas costs more than electricity, and it is expected to continue to rise. Therefore, it is not advisable to purchase this type unless money is no object.

Now that you know you need a pool heater and have a little bit of understanding of the three types, you are ready to go shopping for one. As long as you think about what you want out of your system and how much you are willing or able to pay, it should not be a difficult process. And once it is installed, you will be able to enjoy your pool for a much longer season than you were previously able to.