Extend The Swimming Season With A Pool Heater

Swimming pools are huge investments as the cost of constructing one for your home is very high. However the payback from this investment is not monetary, rather it isthe enjoyment it generates for the owner and family and friends. However in many cases the pool is only usable in the warmer months, as it is too cold the rest of the time, and this limits the return on that big investment. The solution is a pool heater which will extend the times the pool is usable.

Basically what pool heaters do is that they help maintain a constant water temperature in a swimming pool, to ensure it is always comfortable to use. The recommended temperature for a pool is usually set at 78 degrees but other people who prefer to swim in warmer water set their pool heaters to up to 80 degrees.

The types of pool heaters are gas/oil powered, heat pumps (electric) and solar powered. It is important to install the right type of heater and there are a number of factors to take into consideration such as the size of the pool, its location, the amount you will need to heat the water and, inevitably, the costs.

The most common type is the gas-fired heater which uses natural gas or LPG and is the least expensive to purchase although can be costly to operate, particularly with LPG.

The following are examples of gas pool heaters:

• Laars Lite 2 - A well known range of heaters which were significantly smaller and lighter than their predecessors. The range is now being superseded by the Legacy range.

• Raypak digital heater - Designed to withstand all that the elements can throw at it. Just set the required temperature and forget it.

• Raypak Millivolt heater - A top quality product using materials that will enable it to offer reliable and efficient heating for many years.

Another type of pool heater is the electric heater pump heater. Whilst these are usually more expensive to purchase than a gas heater, their running costs are lower. This is because a heap pump does not generate heat it transfers heat from surrounding air to the water.

There is also the solar pool heater that uses energy from the sun. While it uses renewable energy sources, it is costly to setup. It also requires a lot of space as, as a guide, the solar panels need to cover much the same area as the pool to be heated. It also needs an electric pool pump to bring the water to the solar panels.

While a heater is a significant additional investment, it will greatly enhance the usability of your pool by extending your swimming season.