Warm Waters Ahead

Warm Waters Ahead

It’s that time of year again when we here in Florida experience the occasional cold snap that makes us break out our sweaters and occasionally eschew our flip-flops.

 

But chilly temps are no reason to stop living your best pool life. When the mercury dips below 70 (brrr), the right pool heater can keep the party going.

 

Electric versus Gas Heaters

Your primary decision when choosing a pool heater is between an electric heat pump or one that uses propane to warm the water.

 

If you’ve already got a gas system powering other parts of your house, you may prefer a gas pool heater. The installation will be easy enough to integrate into your existing propane system. Plus, you’ve probably grown accustomed to the speedy efficiency of a gas water heater. Similarly, gas pool heaters pack powerful BTUs that can get your pool up to a comfortable temperature in 30 minutes or so. Gas pool heaters also tend to be cheaper than electric upon initial purchase.

 

However, propane-powered heaters aren’t as efficient in the long run, and you’ll have to factor in how much you spend on propane—not only to warm the pool, but to keep it warm over a period of time. Propane heaters expend more energy overall, so they will burn through a lot of gas just maintaining your pool’s temperature.

 

Comparatively, electric heaters take longer to warm an entire pool, but they can maintain that warm temperature more efficiently. If you’re willing to wait for an electric heat pump to do its thing, your pool will stay warmer, longer, for less money than the speedy propane pump.

 

You should also take into account the size of the pool. The efficiency of an electric heater is ideal when maintaining a large amount of water. But if you fancy spontaneous spa parties, you might prefer the propane pump that can get your spa hot in a jiffy—but doesn’t have to keep it hot for 12 hours at a time.

 

Solar Incentives

Another factor to consider in terms of an electric pump is the potential of solar panels, which can provide easy electricity—powered by the Sunshine State!—and are incentivized by a variety of government programs. You won’t pay sales tax on your solar panel purchase, for one thing, and though they represent a significant improvement to your home’s value, solar panels are exempt from property tax, too.

 

Talk to an experienced Bahama Blue pool technician to determine what works best for your pool, your budget, and your lifestyle. Then we can get to work on installation and maintenance.

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