Speaking of Pool Heaters

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'm questioning which way would possibly use less gas?

Jim

I have the solar cover on until I have to clean the pool. So it's on about

Jim

It's always best to turn the heater off...... as long as you turn it on soon enough to get it up to desired swimming temp.

cheers Bob

It's always best to turn the heater off...... as long as you turn it on soon enough to get it up to desired swimming temp.

cheers Bob

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Thanks. That does make sense. What would be nice is if the heater had a self timer to activate the cycle for me.

In the winter months I plan to run the pump at night and keep the heater about 35 (F) in case of a freeze.

Jim

Why? Close it down, put some antifreeze in the pipes and save both gas and electricity.

JimT wrote the following:

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?

That would depend on the weather but yes.

It's a pool spa and we use the spa all the time

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.

It take 1 BTU to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree F. So for a 30K gallon pool, that would be right. Not counting losses which can be appreciable.

Jeff

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.

Jim

- gpsman

- gpsman

Thanks. Makes me wonder if my solar blanket is enough.

Jim

Probably.

- gpsman

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?

cheers Bob

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.

Jim

Probably.

- gpsman

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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.

Thanks again.

Jim

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.