Your Pool Heating Options
Convincing yourself to get into your swimwear in the middle of winter to go for a swim when your pool is likely to be icy cold out in the elements is hard, if not impossible work. No one chooses to be cold and there is a certain comfort slipping into a temperately warm pool not matter what time of the year.
If you are looking at your pool heating options then now is a great time to do so in the weeks leading up to winter. If your pool usually sits cold and unloved in the winter months then why not consider how you can make the most of your pool all year round right now?
Researching the various types of pool heating available in New Zealand can lead you down many paths. How do you know what option is right for you?
No matter whether you are interested in gas heating, heat pump heating, solar or simply an insulated pool cover there are a series of factors that you need to be aware of.
- Site Location
- House Layout
- Distance from gas, power or solar sources
- The type of energy sources available in your area
Talking to our friendly team at Pool Heating Ltd can help you get a better idea of which heating options might be best suited for your pool.
A lot has to do with how you or your family use your pool. Consider whether you use your pool daily, weekly, monthly or just occasionally. Consider if you have many people use the pool at a time or just one or two. Consider what you can reasonably afford to spend on heating your pool. Often people shy away from considering heating their pools because they are afraid of how expensive it might be. Pool Heating Ltd can provide you with a breakdown of likely running costs for the options you consider so you can make the best choice for your pool.
The most popular ways of heating pools in New Zealand are by:
Electric Resistance Heaters
These use power to create heat. Unfortunately, they require large amounts of electricity and so they are best suited to heat small, portable spas and small therapy pools than family sized swimming pools. They are however:
- Inexpensive to buy
- Not affected by outside air temperatures
- Environmentally friendly by not creating any emissions
Gas Heaters
Gas pool heaters have been the most widely-used swimming pool heaters for a long time. Whilst they remain popular, some of the other ways of heating pools are providing steady competition. Gas heaters are highly efficient at heating pools quickly.
Heat Pumps
There are two types of heat pumps pool heaters available – Air source and water source heat pumps. Both types use electricity to transfer heat to your swimming pool. Air-source heat pumps transfer heat from the air, and water-source (geothermal) heat pumps transfer heat from water. Because of their energy-efficiency, heat pumps have rapidly grown in popularity. Some of their other benefits are that they are:
- Inexpensive to operate
- Energy efficient with a COP of between 5 and 6
- Water source heat pumps operate in any temperature
- Long lasting with a lifespan of 10 to 20 years
Solar Heaters
Solar pool heaters use solar panels to transfer heat from the sun to your swimming pool. Because of solar heaters reliance on the sun, many swimming pool owners use auxiliary heaters during nights and cloudy days. Solar heaters have very long lifespans – averaging between 15 and 20 years and this makes them an attractive option for many people.
Pool Blankets
Pool covers minimize evaporation from both outdoor and indoor pools. Covering a pool when it is not in use is the single most effective means of reducing pool heating costs. Savings of 50%–70% are possible.
