Use Gas Pool Heaters For Cold Days

All those who like to go for a regular swim during summer months feel deprived of the pleasures associated with this sport in winter months as temperature of pool water begins to drop. But, the pleasures of swimming can be derived by having pool water heaters that successfully maintain the temperature of water to comfortable levels. However, the energy expense incurred for heating water thru an electric heater proves to be quite deterrent for most of the enthusiasts of this fun sport activity. The installation of gas or propane water heaters for pool presents a viable proposition of having heated pools at a considerably lower cost for your personal pleasure, as well for the members of your family and friends.



There are two kinds of gas heaters: propane heaters and natural gas heaters. Both are efficiently employed to heat large volumes of pool water. They are designed to heat faster than an electric heater. Thus, the pool water gets ready much sooner for a swim to be enjoyed by you and friends or others in the family. Coupled with that feature is the fact that you are in a position to have an extended season for swimming.

Resorting to the application of propane or natural gas for heating of swimming pool, works out to be economical as compared to electric heating. And, who wouldn’t like to save on such an expense, especially in the present economic scenario!

Though both these types of heaters are certainly more economical to use than an electric heater, each has a different efficiency and cost variation. Though definitely cheaper to install and maintain than an electric heater, propane gas heaters would almost cost double the amount of a natural gas heater. However, for using natural gas, you have to ensure its proper and regular supply for heating the water of your pool. It is always better to go for propane heaters, which in any case are more economical than electric heaters for keeping the pool warm.

Both the types of above heaters are available in different models. You should keep a few factors in mind while comparing different available options. If you go through the list of specifications of any of the heaters, you’ll come across a common abbreviation that is BTU, abbreviated form of British thermal unit. It is a measure of energy. One BTU is defined as the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of water by one degree Fahrenheit. In effect it means, the higher the value of BTU, the less time it will take to heat a given volume of water. So, that’s one factor you should compare at the point of buying a system for your pool. It’s not difficult to guess that a heater with higher value of BTU will cost more than the one with a lower capacity.

The second factor you need to consider in case of a heater is its thermal efficiency. Higher efficient rating means, there is less of energy wasted. A heater with an efficiency rating of say 80% implies that only 20% of the energy generated for its operation is wasted. As a conclusion, gas heaters with higher efficiency rating offer a more economical and environment friendly operation as they don’t waste much of energy. Generally the efficiency rating falls between 80-85 %, though gas heaters with an efficiency rating of 95% are also available.

Then, there are gas heaters suitable for being installed in outdoor pools, while the others are designed for being used for heating indoor pools. Some of the models can be used for internal as well external applications. Outdoor heater should have a design that prevents the heater from the harmful effects of rain and snow during winters and imparts it a longer life in the meanwhile.

Two types of ignition systems find application with swimming pool gas heaters. It can be either a pilot light or an electronic ignition system. Usually the latter is preferred as it avoids having a continuous pilot light on all the while and thus conserves energy. Nevertheless a choice is there and some consumers may prefer to have a pilot light system.

Be it a propane heater or a natural gas heater, it surely is going to be more economical and efficient than an electric heater for heating an indoor or an outdoor pool. They are easy to install and hardly need any maintenance. The installation of such a heater certainly adds to the fun and enjoyment of swimming, while enabling you to have a reasonably long extension of swimming season.