Heat Pump vs Gas Heater

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kjm11379

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Apr 7, 2013
60
NJ
I am at the final stages of my pool build, I am trying to decide between a 125k Pentair BTU heat pump or a 400k BTU Raypack gas heater. Pool is about 25,000 gallons in sun most of day and I plan on using solar blanket. Using a Pentair VS pump about 35 feet from pool.

My electric rate is about 12 cents per kWh.

Gas rate is about .5325 cents per Therm.

Any help would be great need to make decision this week before final plumbing...
 
How often do you plan on using the pool? A few times a week, or mostly on weekends? Are you OK "planning" you swimming in advance, to have time to heat the water?

How warm do you want the water, and how much warmer is that than an unheated pool in your area? (How much lift do you need?)

Ignoring your specific utility costs, I believe a heat pump is clearly the most energy efficient way to maintain temperature, but based on your usage style, maintaining temperate may or may not be important for you. I think how how you plan to use the pool has a lot to do with what type of heater you should consider.
 
I think either way would be inexpensive. I don't have experience with heat pumps. Gas heat w/ a solar cover works very well, but I don't often use my heater to maintain. Mostly just for a boost when it's needed.

Judging by the size, a 125k would barely maintain when it gets cool. 400k would be enough to get an average gain of a few degrees an hour. Or enough to maintain over a cold night.
 
I live in South Central New Jersey about in between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. We would like to use the pool a couple times during week and most likely every weekend possible. I would like to be able to heat the water to 85 during the season. During most of July pools here easily maintain 84-86 degrees all month unless there is tons of rain like this year...
 
In a situation like you just described, lots of rain, means also lots of cloud cover. A heat pump extracts heat from the outside air so it has a be a relatively warm day in order for it to be efficient. A gas pool heater doesn't care about the outside temps or whether it's cloudy out. It's going to heat regardless.

Either way you go, a solar blanket will keep any heat you add to your water.
 
dinom said:
I love my heat pump and I live near Worcester, MA. Not sure why you say one would be disappointed as we have been enjoying ours all season.
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Just doesnt do the job. I like my pool around 85+. Doesnt cut it when the weather is like its been the last week or so, and into september. Dont get me wrong, it works fine late june and July. Glad yours works for you. Mine is basically a boat anchor when the air temp gets below the mid 60's, and i wish I had the ~4k back i paid for it. 4 grand buys a lot of gas!
 
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