Look out your wintertime window at your swimming pool and consider taking a dip — after all, with global warming it’s not that cold outside! A quick look, and you dismiss the thought. You already know that water is freezing (well, somewhere in the 40’s or 50’s), regardless of the air temperature. The truth is, many people stop using their pools entirely after September, and don’t touch them again until May or June, just to avoid unexpectedly meeting cold water. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way!
Swimming Pool Heating Options
Sacramento swimming pools are meant to be used, not just appreciated as part of the landscaping. When you know the water is comfortable, you’re much more inclined to use it — along with the rest of your family. All that’s needed is a heating system to warm up the water in your pool! When it comes to adding warmth to your pool, there are basically three options:
- Gas heaters require a gas line near your filter pump and the installation of a heating unit. Retrofitting an existing pool and filter setup often gets pricey. There could be complications due to location or incompatibility. If you use propane, the cost of running the pool is also twice as high as properties with access to municipal natural gas lines. What’s more, if you’re concerned about using natural resources and adding greenhouse gases into the air, just to go swimming, gas heating is not the option for you.
- Electrical heaters operate with the same electricity as your filter pump, so using a heat pump might be a convenient retrofit to your current pool filtration system. The problem is, electric heaters typically use large amounts of electricity to heat the water, via a heat pump, and they might need to be run over longer periods of time than gas heating systems. Granted, if you have photovoltaic panels, they help offset the increase in electrical costs.
- Solar heaters take advantage of California’s glut of sunshine. True, the deep months of winter have many overcast days, but once your yard starts showing signs of spring, there is usually enough sun to heat a swimming pool. Installing a solar pool heater takes advantage of this, with little retrofitting to the pump house, no gas lines, and minimal electrical use. In fact, you only need enough electricity to power a thermostat and the control system — your existing water pump takes care of the rest. Heliocol solar heating installed by Solaron plugs right into the filtration network of your swimming pool, warming (or cooling) the water to the desired temperature.
There are many advantages to using solar pool heating over all other types, especially in Sacramento. In a future blog article, we will discuss the differences in annual costs for running a gas heater, an electrical heat pump, and a solar pool heating system. But if you would like more information right now, contact Solaron online or call us for a free consultation and get your pool ready for springtime!