Greetings all:
I am a new TFP member, having only recently discovered this great resource following our recent move to Sarasota, FL from Atlanta. In Atlanta, we have a fairly large pool (~50" x 20' with an average depth of 6' or so; I believe it was about 40K gallons). We heated this pool with a gas-heater which worked quite well, although it took a bit of time to get such a large volume of water up to temp in the early spring. We always closed our pool around October, primarily due to falling leaves, although by November it was usually too cold out to swim.
We are building a new home in Sarasota, which is obviously a much warmer environment. Given the price and availability of lots, our new home will only allow construction of a smaller pool, 25' x 13' with an average depth of 5' which I think is just over 12K gallons. We like the idea of a gas heater which I think is cheaper and will more rapidly heat the pool. However, we now find ourselves contemplating the other end of the season. We wonder if we will likely encounter excessive temps in our to-be-built pool and if so, how best to deal with this issue, especially since we wish to continue primarily using the pool for lap swimming. I have done some preliminary research and it seems that a heat pump is a realistic option, albeit with a much higher initial cost and much slower heating time. In my research, I have discovered a possible alternative, i.e. a pool chiller (Glacier) and wonder about combining such a unit with a gas heater. I suspect that there may be other alternatives as well.
We would welcome any thoughts from those with expertise owning or building pools in similar climates.
Many thanks
Aaron
I am a new TFP member, having only recently discovered this great resource following our recent move to Sarasota, FL from Atlanta. In Atlanta, we have a fairly large pool (~50" x 20' with an average depth of 6' or so; I believe it was about 40K gallons). We heated this pool with a gas-heater which worked quite well, although it took a bit of time to get such a large volume of water up to temp in the early spring. We always closed our pool around October, primarily due to falling leaves, although by November it was usually too cold out to swim.
We are building a new home in Sarasota, which is obviously a much warmer environment. Given the price and availability of lots, our new home will only allow construction of a smaller pool, 25' x 13' with an average depth of 5' which I think is just over 12K gallons. We like the idea of a gas heater which I think is cheaper and will more rapidly heat the pool. However, we now find ourselves contemplating the other end of the season. We wonder if we will likely encounter excessive temps in our to-be-built pool and if so, how best to deal with this issue, especially since we wish to continue primarily using the pool for lap swimming. I have done some preliminary research and it seems that a heat pump is a realistic option, albeit with a much higher initial cost and much slower heating time. In my research, I have discovered a possible alternative, i.e. a pool chiller (Glacier) and wonder about combining such a unit with a gas heater. I suspect that there may be other alternatives as well.
We would welcome any thoughts from those with expertise owning or building pools in similar climates.
Many thanks
Aaron
