Heating Pool into Fall

[Pool22H]

Our heater is connected to both the pool and the spa - we can heat them individually or heat everything, however we've really only used it to heat the spa. Are there general guidelines for using a heater to warm the pool to extend our season into the fall?
Are there weather temperature guidelines? Do I need a pool cover to keep the heat from escaping? Right now the pool is 78 (air is 79) but I think my kids would like it closer to 95 when the outside air is cool. Any advice is appreciated.
We live just south of Charlotte, NC.

 

[JamesW]

 

[JamesW]

Assuming a 16 x 32 pool, that is about 512 square feet of surface area.

Gas Rate: $0.9615 per therm

Definitions:

BTU Content: The heat value associated with a unit of gas.

Therm: a unit of heat equivalent to 100,000 BTU.

Gas Rate: The charge billed per Therm of gas used.

Facility Charge: A monthly charge that goes to cover a portion of our operating costs.

One therm is the energy content of approximately 100 cubic feet (2.83 cubic metres) of natural gas at standard temperature and pressure.

You can probably expect to lose about 150 btu/hr per square foot (or more), which is about 76,800 btu/hr or about 77 cubic feet of gas used per hour if uncovered.

$0.9615 x 0.768 = $0.738 per hour to maintain the temperature or about $17.72 per day or about $539.05 per month.

 

[1poolman1]

Our heater is connected to both the pool and the spa - we can heat them individually or heat everything, however we've really only used it to heat the spa. Are there general guidelines for using a heater to warm the pool to extend our season into the fall?
Are there weather temperature guidelines? Do I need a pool cover to keep the heat from escaping? Right now the pool is 78 (air is 79) but I think my kids would like it closer to 95 when the outside air is cool. Any advice is appreciated.
We live just south of Charlotte, NC.

If you are going to heat in the Fall/Winter, you will want an insulating (solar) cover. That picturesque view of a pool with steam rising from the surface, while pretty, becomes very expensive.