by HENRY EGG

Are you considering extending your swimming season by installing a pool heater? Pool heaters are a great idea for both residential and community pools. They allow swimmers to take a nice, relaxing dip in the pool even on the coldest of days. There are four options when selecting a pool heater: gas/propane pool heaters, air source heat pumps, solar heat pumps, and geothermal heat pumps. When selecting a pool heater you want to consider price of installation, cost of use, ability to heat, and how often you plan to use it.

When researching the initial cost of a pool heater you will find that geothermal pool heat pumps are 30 to 40% more expensive. Solar pool heaters average $2800 to install and heat pump pool heaters are approximately $4200 after installation. However, for heat pumps you also have the additional cost of energy to operate the pump. It can cost a homeowner nearly $1,000 if they run they heat pump throughout the winter. But, that number drops dramatically for geothermal heat pumps. You can expect savings of 50 – 70% in operation costs. So, in time, the initial investment is counterbalanced by the tremendous energy savings.

Another thing to consider when purchasing a pool heater is the frequency of use and times of use you expect to operate it. Unfortunately, solar heaters and traditional heat pump heaters are unable to heat the water to a high temperature if the air temperature is below 45 – 50° F. The only products able to heat the water at those low temperatures would be a geothermal heat pump and the gas heater. However, geothermal heat pumps are 90% more efficient than gas heaters. That means you are paying a tremendous amount of money to heat your pool with the gas heater, but with geothermal you can rest easy because the majority of your energy is fueled by a renewable, natural source of energy.

The geothermal pool heat pumps works by collecting heat from the stable ground. Although the air temperature in the winter is very volatile, underground it remains a constant 70° F. Geothermal heat pumps utilize that warm temperature through a series of underground loops that collect the heat and then a heat pump concentrates that heat and applies it where needed. They are an excellent option as a pool heater because they can be used year round, are good for the environment, are extremely efficient, and are much less expensive to operate. So you can enjoy your mid-winter swim in a nice, warm pool and knowing you won’t have an inflated energy bill!

For more information, please visit Geothermal Experts.

Originally posted 2009-11-03 01:02:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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