Pool heater worth it?

[CarolR]

We are planning for a pool in DFW area of North Texas... wondering others experience with pool heaters,..what works best, most cost effective, and how much more use of your pool do you get?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Carol,

Welcome to TFP... A great place to find the answers to all of your new pool questions, whether your "Hill" is made of "Cedar" or not...

I live in the DFW area and did not opt for a heater and have not really regretted it.. No doubt it could have open up a few more swimming days, but they are not cheap to run.. About the same as your AC costs...

But, the real deciding factor for me was the cover... If you don't cover the pool, you can't keep it hot over night when the temps drop.. I just did not want the hassle of covering and uncovering my pool on a daily basis..

Keep in mind that I do not have an in-ground spa... If I had a spa, without a doubt I would have added a heater.

This is just my personal experience, so let's see what some of our other members have to say..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[kairus00]

I live in Florida, but I would say definitely go for the heater, especially if you're building a new pool. You're going to want to get the most use out of it as possible. An electric heat pump is going to be the most efficient, but the slowest to heat the pool. A natural gas heater can add a few degrees an hour and therefore requires much less planning. The difference between a heat pump and gas heater is whether or not you want to use the pool in 12 hours or in 4 hours.

 

[H-12 1/2 Mike]

I live in the DFW area and have a pool heater. Our pool is 19 years old and use the heater from May to June and September to October. We also use the heater for our spa all year round.