Nobody gives you unlimited. What they do is divide your last years total power by 12 and you pay an equal amount each month. If you use more this year (or go buck wild) they will see the deficit within a few months and readjust your monthly fixed rate. So it’s much better than having the enormous summer bills but you still pay every penny in the end.
Starting build - heater or no heater?
- Thread starter Ldymtrow
- Start date
We have a heatpump and an automatic cover. I haven't had the heater on in weeks, and the water gets to be over 90 with no problem right now! (We just had some rain, so it's dropped a little --- the water standing on the cover acts as a heat sink I think.) I like the water 87-90. It was great to be able to swim in April (our first season with the pool) when everyone else was standing wishing the water were warmer! Heatpump has been fine for us, and it has a chiller, too. I haven't felt the need to use the chiller, but I'm glad it's there. Our pool has a deep end which I think keeps the water from getting too hot.
Anyway, at least leave a spot for the heater to go later. I think you'll be really happy you have the autocover --- our cover isn't even a dark cover, and it definitely helps to heat up the pool and keep the heat in!
Anyway, at least leave a spot for the heater to go later. I think you'll be really happy you have the autocover --- our cover isn't even a dark cover, and it definitely helps to heat up the pool and keep the heat in!
- Jun 11, 2018
- 388
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
ldymtrow,
I think having a heater really depends on how much you think you’ll use it. If you don’t like being out in the cold once you get out of the pool, you may not use it much. Now, if you can tolerate some cool air when getting out on a cold day, you may be the type that would use a heater more. If you’re not sure, I’d probably go ahead and do it if it’s in your budget. It would be better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Down where I live, it was like $300 for a bigger gas meter and gas is cheap. I heated up my pool once earlier this year about 15-20 degrees and it only cost me about $30 to heat up 16K gallons. Also, keep in mind it’s easier to run a gas line when building your pool, not so much after it’s built. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
I think having a heater really depends on how much you think you’ll use it. If you don’t like being out in the cold once you get out of the pool, you may not use it much. Now, if you can tolerate some cool air when getting out on a cold day, you may be the type that would use a heater more. If you’re not sure, I’d probably go ahead and do it if it’s in your budget. It would be better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Down where I live, it was like $300 for a bigger gas meter and gas is cheap. I heated up my pool once earlier this year about 15-20 degrees and it only cost me about $30 to heat up 16K gallons. Also, keep in mind it’s easier to run a gas line when building your pool, not so much after it’s built. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
And ‘ now’s the time’. You’ll already have an electrician on site and all kinds of machinery to trench and whatnot. So you’ll save some of the labor charge if they are already there. Also, The yard will already be destroyed so you won’t have to repair it a second time.
For us we were taking a loan out for the project so it was easier to just take more loan than to come back to it a later date. With everything else that pops up we may not have done it afterwards because it seems like we are always replacing something expensive. ‘We’ll do it once we get a new fridge/bathroom/garage door etc. ‘
It didn’t fit our needs in the end and I’m still happy we got it. I can change my mind and turn it back on tomorrow if the need arises. And if something happens and we need/want to sell the house it’s just one more selling point.
For us we were taking a loan out for the project so it was easier to just take more loan than to come back to it a later date. With everything else that pops up we may not have done it afterwards because it seems like we are always replacing something expensive. ‘We’ll do it once we get a new fridge/bathroom/garage door etc. ‘
It didn’t fit our needs in the end and I’m still happy we got it. I can change my mind and turn it back on tomorrow if the need arises. And if something happens and we need/want to sell the house it’s just one more selling point.
Heater is a definately but if you abuse it then it can cost a lot in gas. Personally I am building a pool with a heater, most of the time I will use it for the SPA, I wont have it on all the time, probably for parties or when I want to use it on weekends... I am planning on adding solar heaters in the future to warm up the main pool.
We have a heater because we have a spa. That was a must have for us. We heat the spa at least once a month, and more often during the cooler months. We did heat the pool a couple of times in spring, at a cost of maybe $20 per time. The gas meter upgrade cost $350 and took maybe half an hour. All I had to do was let them come in the house afterwards to check the pilot lights were all back on.
SteakandDeadlifts
Gold Supporter
You must, must, must, get a heater. My mother in law is...frugal. She didn't get a heater, and the pool (with sun exposure from 0645-1600 during the spring/summer) is unusable until the end of May. We live 30 miles west of Houston. Texas, that is. It can hit 80 degree highs and lows of 60 by March, and they go months without getting in the pool. When my 7 year old son says it's too cold to swim on Memorial Day, there's a problem.
You paid tons of money for the pool. Don't let your enjoyment get cut almost in half to save a few thousand (and that's if you lived here!)
You paid tons of money for the pool. Don't let your enjoyment get cut almost in half to save a few thousand (and that's if you lived here!)
Thank you all for the advice! We ended up deciding to go with the gas heater, the gas company split our meter last week and it didn’t cost anything (I was totally surprised) and now we are ready for the gas heater to be installed once the pool is installed. It actually will work nice for us because the pool won’t be ready until the end of Sept but with the heater we can keep it open a month or so before closing itfor the winter.
