This is the first year I've been able to use my pool heater in the fall because I got a heater earlier this year (266k BTU Rakpak Nat Gas) capable of heating the pool in a reasonable amount of time. I plan to use it into December if the weather holds out.
The pool is an outdoor, in-ground, 10.5k gal pool. I'm in Central Tx.
I've been kicking the heater on about 5pm to go swimming about 8-9pm. I keep it anywhere between 83 - 87F.
Is it best to leave the heater on all the time or shut it down until I want to go swimming like I have been?
Do you have either a solar cover or an automatic cover? If you don't have some way to hold the heat in, you are merely heating the couple feet above the pool surface for 27 hours a day.
I seem to remember that many years ago, my then FIL had a pool heater (250,000 BTU) for his above ground oval pool. It took about 1 hour to raise the water temp 1 degree. Does that sound right now?
There are timers with separately settable switches for the pump and heater. One is made by a Tork (Torx?) and I'm sure there are others.
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I have timers but the heater has a control panel that has to be manually shut off prior to the pool shut down or it will fry the control panel. It's a dumb design but I got the heater real cheap.
Anyway, without changing the heater's control panel, it can't be done.
Yes you are correct....in Jim's case (small pool / big heater) he might get ~2+ degs per hour. In ground pool heating is a SLOW, expensive process. :(
pool capacity (gals) x 8.3 / heater capacity (factored by estimated efficincy) =3D ~ water temp degs rise per hour.
Pool users / owners can get an idea of heat losses by meaursing pool water temp over time in various conditons (cover / no cover, etc)
Where is the pool located? Depending on local environment, a pool cover might be enough to prevent freezing along with running the pool a few time per day to bring "warmer" water into the pipes & filter.
But is $250 (someone check my number) for a refill, worth the potential freeze? How about shutting down for the winter?
Yes you are correct....in Jim's case (small pool / big heater) he might get ~2+ degs per hour. In ground pool heating is a SLOW, expensive process. :(
pool capacity (gals) x 8.3 / heater capacity (factored by estimated efficincy) = ~ water temp degs rise per hour.
Pool users / owners can get an idea of heat losses by meaursing pool water temp over time in various conditons (cover / no cover, etc)
Where is the pool located? Depending on local environment, a pool cover might be enough to prevent freezing along with running the pool a few time per day to bring "warmer" water into the pipes & filter.
But is $250 (someone check my number) for a refill, worth the potential freeze? How about shutting down for the winter?
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Were in central tx and it's a pool/spa and we use the spa all year. Not sure what the $250 is. I doubt I'll ever have to run the heater to prevent freezing. Normally I just turn the pump on to keep the water running. I throw a blanket over the exposed plumbing too. During the coldest months we've been averaging a couple of freezes. When the water gets into the '50s or so I just stop running the pump (unless it freezes). But freezing isn't much of an issue here and I probably shouldn't have brought it up. Thanks.
Probably. As it is, we just had our first really cold front and reality just hit me. The pool is going into it's normal winter mode. I'm switching to the stationary bike and weights today but the heater and blanket did get me into November by one day this year.
And, those 27 hour days sure get expensive. My parents used to have a pool, and a pool heater. The pool got filled in, and the heater was given away. They found it raised the pool about one degree an hour. Hardly worth the effort, I think.
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