Hi, I just discovered this website and I am wondering if you wonderful people can give me some guidance. I have read all of the posts so far on making the decision about whether to go heat pump vs. gas for a heating solution, but couldn't find a situation which quite fit mine. I have a natural gas heater that has given up the ghost after 22 years, so I already have an existing line. I am told that the heat pumps are more efficient and that the new gas heaters are more efficient as well. The existing heater is housed within a pool house, so changing to a heat pump would mean changing to an outside location. I have electrical service to the house, but of course would have to pay a few hundred to have dedicated service for a heat pump.
I use my pool daily for just myself, 1 hour a day and like to keep it around 85-88 degrees. I put the bubble wrap solar cover on whenever I am not in it. We have an attached spa, but heat it to 103 degrees no more than 3-5 times in a season for a few hours. Currently, I have run the pump and heater at night for about 5 hours. This season, nothing has happened since I can't make up my mind on which option to purchase. On sunny days, I can get a layer of 1.5 ft of 90-95 degree water under the solar blanket. I will continue to use it whichever way I go. I generally use the pool from late May/Early June through mid October.
I visited a US goverment website that states that heat pumps are more efficient, but when I did the math, using the solar cover, I didn't see a huge savings. I visited Heat Syphon's website and spoke with someone who was going to give me a cost analysis, but never got back to me. PoolHeatPumps.com has been pretty responsive and states I will have 70% savings, but then that is what they sell. I am attracted to the fact that the heat pumps have longer warranties than the gas heaters do and that they can be environmentally safer, but I am seeing so many conflicting opinions. We are located in the Northeast outside of Boston and get only a few stifling hot days a season and even on those days the heater has run a little at night when it cools down.
I believe I have been spending about $350/month in gas during the pool heating months.
I am anxious to make the right decision and get this done so I can start using my pool. So any advice you guys can offer I would really apppreciate!
I use my pool daily for just myself, 1 hour a day and like to keep it around 85-88 degrees. I put the bubble wrap solar cover on whenever I am not in it. We have an attached spa, but heat it to 103 degrees no more than 3-5 times in a season for a few hours. Currently, I have run the pump and heater at night for about 5 hours. This season, nothing has happened since I can't make up my mind on which option to purchase. On sunny days, I can get a layer of 1.5 ft of 90-95 degree water under the solar blanket. I will continue to use it whichever way I go. I generally use the pool from late May/Early June through mid October.
I visited a US goverment website that states that heat pumps are more efficient, but when I did the math, using the solar cover, I didn't see a huge savings. I visited Heat Syphon's website and spoke with someone who was going to give me a cost analysis, but never got back to me. PoolHeatPumps.com has been pretty responsive and states I will have 70% savings, but then that is what they sell. I am attracted to the fact that the heat pumps have longer warranties than the gas heaters do and that they can be environmentally safer, but I am seeing so many conflicting opinions. We are located in the Northeast outside of Boston and get only a few stifling hot days a season and even on those days the heater has run a little at night when it cools down.
I believe I have been spending about $350/month in gas during the pool heating months.
I am anxious to make the right decision and get this done so I can start using my pool. So any advice you guys can offer I would really apppreciate!
