The least expensive way to warm up a pool

Every day of swimming in the warm pool is an excellent day. Controlling the temperature in your pool is a matter of the time of the year, geographical location, and – not to be ignored – individual preference.

Surely, it’s also a question of money. As we have already mentioned, the price of heating a pool can easily spin out of control. Luckily, although we can’t control the weather or the energy prices in your region, you still can select the most affordable heating method.

Well, what’s the least expensive method of heating a pool? The clear answer is solar. So, let’s consider different types of solar heaters.

Solar pool covers

Evaporation is the chief culprit when it comes to cool pool temperatures. Therefore, any type of pool cover will help maintain the water warm. Nevertheless, specially developed solar pool covers (also known as solar blankets) are perfect since they not only prevent evaporation, but also keep heat from the sun.

The best thing is that solar pool covers – together with analogous products like solar rings – are quite cost-effective and don’t involve any current expenditure. The drawback is that using them is not as comfortable as utilizing the traditional pool heater. Moreover, there’s not enough control over the amount of heat they offer, and you may eventually require other sources of heating.

Solar water heaters

Another cost-effective way of heating a pool is by using a solar heater. The price of maintaining a solar pool heater is actually free, apart from non-scheduled maintenance. The main distinction is that a solar heater is much more costly to set up – usually, even more costly than a traditional heater. Another possible shortcoming is the need for utilizing solar batteries, which many clients find ugly.

As in case of solar blankets, solar heater can produce a limited amount of heating. On the bright side, it can be easily mixed with other heating methods to obtain all the heating you need at the most affordable cost.

Heat pumps

Heat pumps attract warm air from the surrounding environment to warm up the water in the pool, just like an air conditioner, only in reverse. While they are more expensive to install than gas heaters, they’re less expensive to run and usually last way longer. The only problem is that they work not so effectively when the air temperature reduces, which is going to be an issue if you wish to use your swimming pool or spa in a really cold weather.

Gas heaters

Gas heating is the simplest and the most popular kind of pool heating. You may even wonder why we note it in the article about the most cost-effective pool heating options, since the high price of gas heating is something the majority of people want to avoid. The thing is, it’s really quick, and could be a cheap option for heating the pools that are used only on demand. A gas pool heater is also a strong contender in combination with solar options since it adds capacity and security to the mix.

So, there are many options for heating a pool, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. Selecting a pool heating option usually involves making compromises to get the heating you require at an affordable price. However, it’s totally worth it if it provides more ideal days in the pool.