What You Need To Know About Pool Heating
What You Need To Know About Pool Heating
There are different types of pool heating systems available that vary in quality and cost. It’s worth your while understanding the practicalities and costs associated with each type before the building of your pool commences.
We spoke to some of the country’s leading landscape designers and swimming pool experts to get their advice on the critical issues around pool heating.
Matt Bramley, Managing Director of Splish Splash Pools, explains pool heating can be a big asset to your lifestyle. “Without heating, your kids might not want to get in there. If you’re having a barbecue or party and the pool goes cold, they’re going to jump out,” he says. “So, having heating and the pool ready to go when you want it is really important.”
Landscape Architect of Good Manors Pool + Garden, Raoul van de Laak says you need to question your desire for the pool. “First of all, I think a solar-heated system extends the pool, but you are limited too in that you can’t heat it during winter,” he explains.
“So, the thing that you have to decide [for] yourself is ‘Do I want that pool [can] be used outside the summer period?’.”
Choosing one heat source over the other
Matt Leacy from Landart Landscapes explains your three basic options of pool heating are solar, electric-heat pump or gas.
“Heat pumps and electric heat pumps are quite cost-effective to run, but like solar, they work on building a temperature and then maintaining that.
A heating system that relies on building a temperature like solar and electric heat pumps, means it takes a while to get it to the desired temperature, explains Matt.
Gas, on the other hand, enables you to heat up the pool quickly but it does come at a cost. “It’s the most expensive to install, it’s definitely the most expensive to run, but if you’re having a party tomorrow you can go and heat it up for the next day,” says Matt. “So, it’s great in that scenario, but you have to have the money to back it up.”
Raoul adds: “If you’re a person who’s more likely to come home on Friday and say, ‘Look, I want to swim this weekend’, and you want that quick, then you go for gas.” Raoul also advices choosing gas pool heating if you have a spa located in the pool as you’ll want this to be heated quickly.
Find more advice from the professionals in the pool section of our Learning Library.
Interview Transcript:
Matt Bramley of Splish Splash Pools: Pool heating is a must. Not having your pool heated really, really limits your use of the pool. Without heating, the kids might wanna get in there. If you’re having a barbecue and a party and it goes cold, they’re gonna jump out. So having heating and the pool ready to go when you want it is really, really important.
Matt Leacy of Landart Landscapes: Pool heating is always a tricky thing. You’ve got three different basic options, and that’s solar, electric heat pump, or gas.
Raoul van de Laak of Good Manors: First of all, I think a solar system extends the pool, but you are limited too that you can’t heat it during winter or whatever. So the thing is you have to decide by yourself, “Do I want that pool be used outside the summer period?”
Matt Leacy: Heat pumps, electric heat pumps, they are quite cost effective to run as well, but like solar, they work on building a temperature and then maintaining that. So it takes a while to get it where you want it to go.
Matt Bramley: There’s a bit of run on heat pumps at the moment, purely because a lot of people are adding solar energy cells to ruse and are able to run the heaters as an off-set from the power they’re getting to the roof.
Raoul: If you’re a person who’s more like you come home on Friday and say, “Look, I want to swim this weekend,” and you want that quick, then you go for gas.
Matt Leacy: It’s the most expensive to install, it’s definitely the most expensive to run, but if you’re having a party tomorrow you can go and heat it up for the next day. So it’s great in that scenario, but you have to have the money to back it up.
Raoul: Another thing you would go for gas as well, if you have a spa in your pool, then I advise as well to go for gas because you all the time want the spa quickly heated up.
