Electric Pool Heater

More and more pool owners are turning to electric pool heaters to replacement their traditional propane or natural gas powered pool heater. This is because the energy that these units consume is much lower and because they do not burn fuel. Owning an electric heater is one way to reduce your carbon footprint while saving yourself some money.

Electric Pool Heater by Eco Smart

You should keep in mind that all systems have certain drawbacks. This article will discuss some of the benefits as well as the drawbacks of electric pool heaters. I will also discuss where you can purchase the cheapest electric heater on the internet. This way if you decide that this is the way to go you can save lots of cash.

Explaining The Electric Pool Heater

The electric pool heater is also known as a heat pump. They work by removing heat from the air and transferring it to the pool. The air is sucked in and then compressed, which increases the temperature of the air. Water is then passed through the heat exchanger where the water gains heat from the compressed air.

During the warmer seasons there is obviously much more heat in the air that can be captured. During winter you cannot expect to get the same amount of heat from an electric pool heater because the air is much colder.

Even though there is still some amount of heat present in the air this is not enough to raise the temperature of your pool to a level that is acceptable unless you decide on purchasing a powerful electric pool heater. The only problem with doing this is that such a unit would be more powerful than what you would need in the summer and it would make the water too hot. Also, the larger the unit the more expensive it is to run.

Operating an electric swimming pool heater is much cheaper than one powered by propane or natural gas. If you have a gas heater you’re probably spending in excess of $3000 a year just to keep the pool warm. This figure is based on Florida stats, if you reside in colder regions you can expect to pay much more.

Even though there are several things that you can do to reduce your heating bill (including a covering your pool when you’re not in it) without having to upgrade your heating system the fact is that an electric pool heater is a cheaper alternative.

With the operational cost for the electric heat pump being much lower, most pool owners are changing existing systems to one of these. In most cases the cost of the pump as well as the installation cost can be quite high. They will cost as much as four times the cost of a gas-powered heater this turns off most person. However, keep in mind that the low cost of operation compared to the gas powered heaters means that the electric heater will have paid itself off within five years. This means that after year five you will start to have a significant amount of savings.

Look at it this way, a swimming pool is a long-term investment. 5 years will fly by and then you’ll be saving lots with an electric pool heater. Or you could get start with a DIY solar powered pool heater. All you need is some black tubing or a black hose, a black surface that gets lots of sun to put the hose on, and a water pump.

Using solar power is a viable option both inground and above ground pool heaters.

Drawbacks of Electric Pool Heaters

As you may now see there are several compelling reasons why you should get an electric pool heater the biggest draw back of owning one of these systems is the varying performance during the different seasons. Gas heaters, on the other hand, are capable of producing the same amount of heat during summer and winter. This is why some people choose to have both installed. The electric heater will serve as the primary heater and the gas the secondary heater in the colder months.

This solution may not be the right one for everyone. After all many people don’t use their pool all year round. For some folks it’s just not desirable to be using a pool during the colder months. No matter how warm the pool is.

Finally I think that having an electric pool heater is a efficient and effective way of heating a pool. Plus, it’s a sure way of saving you money when compared to pools that are heated using gas. The biggest issue that most people have with this type of heater is the installation cost. However keep in mind that the unit will pay for itself in a few years time.