Every pool needs to have a heater. First, you need to decide what size heater you need to purchase for your pool. There is a basic formula to use to determine this. The size equals surface area times 10.5 times Delta T divided by the heater's thermal efficiency. Once you determine the size heater your pool needs, you can begin looking for a heater.
For many areas, pool heaters are not considered to be a luxury. Many people want to have a pool at all times, any time during the year. A pool heater allows this to happen. When you have a pool heater, you are able to set the temperature to your liking and the heater maintains that temperature for you.
There are different ways of heating your pool. Heaters can either be natural gas or propane. Both of these types of heaters have the same efficiency. However, the natural gas heaters may be cheaper due to having natural gas available where propane gas would have to be trucked in. The propane gas would also have to be pumped into your yard for you. Besides that small difference, these pool heaters work basically the same.
The way these heaters work is through a burner element. The burner element has a gas flame that heats up the metal heat exchanger tubes. Water is then pumped in from the filter to the inlet of your heater. The water then flows through the heat exchanger, where the water gets heated, and then returns back to the pool heated. This repeats until the pool is the temperature you want.
There are millivolt and electronic ignition heaters. A millivolt is a heater that has a standing pilot. Millivolt heaters are not depended on electricity to operate. A lot of heaters, however, are electronic ignition heaters. An electronic ignition heater does not have a standing pilot, in fact, there is no pilot. Electricity is needed for this heater to operate. When you want this heater to start, the electricity will heat up an ignition module that will start the fires on the burners. The smarter choice out of these two choices is the electronic ignition. The electronic ignition uses less gas and at specific locations are required.
Another heater to consider is the oil fired heater. They are gaining popularity in many regions of the county. There are a lot of pool owners that like the idea of using oil over the other types of heaters. Most oil fired heaters use No. 2 heating oil or No. 2 diesel fuel; the same oil that furnaces use. This makes it easier for you to be able to heat your pool.
One of the up and coming ways to heat your pool is to use a heat pump. Heat pumps do not make heat like the other heaters or gas heaters. Heat pumps take heat from one spot to the next. The compressor heats the gas and brings it to the heat exchanger where it warms the pool.
