Recommedation for pool heaters

[prasadkm0204]

Its nearing end of March, and the water is still not warm enough to swim comfortably(Weather is in the high 60/low 70).
I have a automatic pool cover but at this time, it only seems to warm the surface of the water. I guess solar panels may not help either because the sun isn't bright enough (Do correct me if I am wrong).

Typically, we would like to swim year round as we enjoy swimming.

Does having a electric pool heater for this size make sense ?
What would it cost for the heater and monthly bills.
Any particular make/model recommendations ?

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

The cover is just helping to reduce heat loss to evaporation. IF the cover is opaque, you would add more heat to the water with the cover off and the sun shining on the water. Solar panels would certainly add heat whenever the sun is shining on them ... and then the cover would help retain the heat.

In CA, an electric heater will likely cost you a fortune to try to maintain a warm pool all year.

 

[prasadkm0204]

I thought the pool cover absorbs heat which will help heat the water faster
I will keep the cover open a few hours a day going forward and see how that works out.

 

[jblizzle]

If the wind is calm and you do not have very low humidity, you will get more heat into the pool by letting the sun hit the water.

 

[kris77]

Remember though, with the cover off you will heat your pool better, but lose more FC to sunlight. At least in my case that's what happens.

 

[prasadkm0204]

If I choose not to open up the cover how much more time would it take to heat the pool (roughly) ?
I read somewhere it can be around 30-40% more time based on how opague the cover is.

 

[ping]

There are too many variables to say how much more time it would take to heat the pool by having the pool covered vs uncovered. The biggest difference that the cover makes is the heat retention overnight. Without a cover on the pool during the night, you would lose almost everything gained during the day at this time of year.

If setup properly, solar heating is the cheapest option by a wide margin. The more panels you have and the direction they are facing, South preferred, the better the solar system will perform. You will not be able to keep the pool in the 80's in the winter with solar alone. An electric heater will cost of fortune to run. A propane or natural gas heater will also cost a lot and I would rather invest into a solar pool system as it would pay for itself in no time for the amount of swimming that you want to do. If you don't have room for a solar system then you might research a heat pumps.

My solar panels square footage is 90% of my pool surface and face West. This winter has been fairly warm and my pool was 80 degrees by March 1st, I put the cover back on mid February and adjusted the pump run time for the best solar heating time. Normally by the end of March is when the water reaches the 80s. The water temp drops into the 70's by mid to late November and that is when I remove the cover and stop running the pool to gain any heat.

 

[prasadkm0204]

So I got a few quotes for Solar heating and the cost is around 7+K ( 9 panels). This is not feasible for me (at the near future).
I was wondering if http://www.hayward-pool.com/shop/en/pools/res-in-ground/res-heaters (Heat pro heat up to be specific )
is a good option. Has anyone tried this. If so, what are the monthly electric bills like ?

Its April here and the water temperature is around 70-72 ( I am swimming at this temperature but would prefer higher).

 

[jblizzle]

Wow that is a lot ... seems like the prices have gone up a bit since I got them installed 10 years ago. Although solar is a one time cost unlike other kinds of heaters.

Would you be able to DIY the install of the panels? I did with used solar panels and have around $1500 into a 550 sqft setup.

 

[SCon36]

I have a Hayward heat pump and am very pleased. I don't seem to take a big hit on my electric bill when using. When I use it in conjunction with a solar cover, I can really warm the water pretty fast. I purchased mine in 2011 and it looks a little different than the ones on the web page now. It would be nice to use the cool air being discharged from the heater to put in my house.

Here is the one I have.

http://www.poolheatpumps.com/Images for Website/Hayward/hayward-heatpro-pool-heat-pump.jpg

 

[prasadkm0204]

Hi SCon36,

Do you have any details on how much power does it use to the heat. Like say how many kw to heat 10k gallons of water.

Jason,

Do you have any pointers on DIY stuff. I am not much of handyman myself but given the prices I guess it probably makes sense to go that way. I got another quote for 5k (least so far).
Also, I came across this - http://www.poolexpress.com/pool-heaters/solar-pool-heaters/evosun-solar-pool-heater . Looks cheap If I can do it myself. But not sure how feasible it might be though.

-Prasad

 

[jblizzle]

Those EvoSun panels look awfully small. Solar heating is about exposure to the sun. I have my doubts that they would perform up to their marketing claims.