Pool Heater - Will using it to maintain temperature cost alot of money?

[emil]

Hi guys,

I live in Southern, CA now that the temperature is rising my pool is getting ready for swim season. The pool is at 80 degrees now, will probably get to 82 degrees by this weekend. My question that I have always wondered is if I turn on the heater now, since the pool is already warm it doesn't have to do to much work to get to a comfortable temperature, right? Can I leave the heater on now and let it maintain, say a nice 85 degrees? Will it still cost an arm and a leg to heat the pool? Will the heater be running constantly or just when it senses the temperature drop?

Thanks,
Emil

 

[jblizzle]

Running it will certainly cost more than not Depends on how valuable your arms and legs are to you?

It will turn on when the temp drops below the set up. Likely it will not run too much if you are only trying to add 2-3 degrees.
But since you are only looking to add a few degrees, you might just turn it on prior to expected uses and not waste the energy heating it overnight or when it will not be used.

A cover would likey also easily do the job.

 

[emil]

So if the pool is at 81 and I want to warm it to 83 and keep it at that temperature, that will cost a lot of money? Does the heater maintain a set temperature and keep it there?

 

[jblizzle]

I've already answered all these questions a lot of money is subjective. The heater will maintain a set temperature.

 

[Esloser]

Figure it takes your heater 1 hour to raise the pool temperature 1 degree. Here in New Jersey, that costs me $4.10 or so in Natural Gas per hour. I don’t think it is worth it keeping it to temperature during the week. The temps drop too much overnight. However, I will heat it for the occasional weekend party or for us. Going from 70 to 85 is about $60.

Personally, I’d suck it up and swim at 82 instead of spending the money to keep it at 85.

 

[Melnic]

Many factors come into play with a heat pump. Size of pool, efficiency of heat pump. Temperature differential of pool water and ambient temperature when it is running, how much your pool is maintaining temperature on its own etc.

I put a wattmeter on my pool and it was pulling 6kW when running. For me at 13cents/kWh it costs me $.78 / hour of run time. So, if it ran 8 hours constantly, it would be $6.24

Pool takes time to heat up any I found last year I had to learn how long at different temps. I had read 1F rise per day but mine warmed up much faster than that. Last Friday my so. Wanted to invite his girlfriend over Sat so I turned the heat pump on Friday and let it run all night . It was sunny Sat and warmed up to 79 for them . It was actually cooler Sat but the water was comfortable to them. What’s the point to have a pool if people don’t use it I say.
Attached is a graph of my pool. You can see where it held then increased temp once I turned on the heat pump

So , since I was brining it up to temp, it cost me $20. Much cheaper than giving him $ to go take her out

I found last year it was cost effective to turn the heat pump on a day before guests were coming and that was it.