The weather is turning cooler, but that doesn’t mean that it’s time to close your residential pool for the winter. As a pool owner, you want to use your pool as much as possible. Besides having clean, pH-balanced water, you most likely want the water to be comfortable for it to truly contribute to your health and pleasure. Heating your pool then becomes a major option.
According to the United States Water Fitness Association, 84-86° Fahrenheit is the recommended average water temperature for multi-purpose pools. Water fitness, beginning swimming lessons, and highly competitive swimming all have different recommended temperatures that take into consideration the amount of activity as well as the age of the participants. As you consider heating your pool to extend your swimming season, there are several things to factor into your decision:
- average air temperature (days and nights)
- surface area of the pool (pool size and shape)
- wind exposure (buildings or trees)
- humidity levels (geographic location)
- evaporation (amount of direct sunlight)
- intention of use (constant or intermittent)
Once you’ve determined these factors that are particular for your pool, it’s time to look at budget. There are three different costs associated with investing in a heating system for your pool:
- Initial purchase and installation
- Monthly heating charges
- Annual or semi-annual maintenance by trained technicians (always highly recommended)
Keeping this in mind, then you are ready to look at your pool heating system options. While there are several different types of pool heaters, not every option may be suited to your particular location and situation. The US Department of Energy recommends comparing different systems in accordance with their energy efficiency based on their British Thermal Unit (BTU) output. Heating pool system types include:
- gas
- electric
- oil
- solar
Contact the expert pool contractors at Aqua Blue Pools to discuss incorporating a pool heating system into your current or new poolscape for the sheer enjoyment of swimming in real comfort… any time you want.