Looking in to getting a 26’x13.5’ fiberglass, salt water, inground pool, in St. Louis, MO. Our backyard gets sun from early morning and is fully shaded by 5pm. Also wanting to add 3 deck jets as we’ve been told this will help cool the water. With the size of the pool and deck jets, what are our best options (gas heater or heat pump with chiller) so we’re not swimming in chilly water or bath tub water without spending a fortune each season to do so? Any feedback is appreciated.
Advice on heating/cooling inground pool
- Thread starter Mjrj306
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,671
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Gas heater will not do anything for cooling the pool.
Deck jets will not do much for cooling the pool if it is a solid stream of water. You need a misting stream to do effective evaporative cooling.
www.troublefreepool.com
A heat pump will heat the water slowly and maintain a set pool temperature. Heat pumps lose efficiency as the air temperature drops from 80F and most shut down at 50F.
A gas heater can heat a cold pool on demand and operate at any air temperature.
www.troublefreepool.com
Run your location though various heater calculators...
www.troublefreepool.com
Deck jets will not do much for cooling the pool if it is a solid stream of water. You need a misting stream to do effective evaporative cooling.
Cooling A Pool - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
A heat pump will heat the water slowly and maintain a set pool temperature. Heat pumps lose efficiency as the air temperature drops from 80F and most shut down at 50F.
A gas heater can heat a cold pool on demand and operate at any air temperature.
Pool Heaters Explained
What good is clear water if the water temperature is to cold to enjoy it? We've answered some questions and provided simple tips to understand pool heaters.
www.troublefreepool.com
Run your location though various heater calculators...
Calculators - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Would you consider solar heating? You can also utilize nocturnal cooling.
blog.intheswim.com
Total Cost of Ownership of a Pool Heater
What's it cost to buy, install, operate and maintain a swimming pool heater? Today, we pull out the calculator and add up all the costs in "Total Cost of Ownership of a Pool Heater".
blog.intheswim.com
Hi, thanks for the reply, currently we are not looking into solar heating.Would you consider solar heating? You can also utilize nocturnal cooling.
Total Cost of Ownership of a Pool Heater
What's it cost to buy, install, operate and maintain a swimming pool heater? Today, we pull out the calculator and add up all the costs in "Total Cost of Ownership of a Pool Heater".
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,184
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
A gas heater was part of our original build because of the spa and we added a Glacier chiller several years later, as our water temps would hit mid-90s by July. But our heat in Texas is a bit more severe than St. Louis. If you are not planning a spa, you might want to see what your needs are after you’ve had the pool a year or 2, as you may not need either a heater or a chiller.
I looked into heat pumps, which can both heat and cool, prior to adding the Glacier and found they really didn’t meet our needs for heating or cooling. Heating wasn’t effective below 50 degrees and cooling was inefficient and expensive to operate - all based on research but not first-hand knowledge.
In terms of practical usage, our chiller runs all summer (very efficient) and keeps water temp around 80. We rarely use the heater and have never heated the entire pool in 13 years - only the spa. So the chiller was the better investment for us.
Best of luck with your process!
I looked into heat pumps, which can both heat and cool, prior to adding the Glacier and found they really didn’t meet our needs for heating or cooling. Heating wasn’t effective below 50 degrees and cooling was inefficient and expensive to operate - all based on research but not first-hand knowledge.
In terms of practical usage, our chiller runs all summer (very efficient) and keeps water temp around 80. We rarely use the heater and have never heated the entire pool in 13 years - only the spa. So the chiller was the better investment for us.
Best of luck with your process!
One piece of advice. If you decide to go with either one, make sure that it gets plumbed in such a way that you can completely bypass the chiller/heater. I had this done after the fact and wish it had been done to begin with.
With a gas heater, the copper exchanger is susceptible to corrosion should you let the pH get too low, etc. Also, if you should ever have a leak in the heater/chiller, its nice to be able to completely bypass it and still have your pump filter the water.
We only use the heater about 3-4 times at the beginning of each season. After that, I bypass the heater and drain it. No need to run water thru it all year-round.
With a gas heater, the copper exchanger is susceptible to corrosion should you let the pH get too low, etc. Also, if you should ever have a leak in the heater/chiller, its nice to be able to completely bypass it and still have your pump filter the water.
We only use the heater about 3-4 times at the beginning of each season. After that, I bypass the heater and drain it. No need to run water thru it all year-round.