Cheapest Way To Heat Your Pool in Texas

If you ask around for the cheapest way to heat your pool in Texas, you'll probably get a unanimous answer – a solar pool heater.

"By the end of 2010, the United States had 15.3 billion kilowatts of installed solar heating capacity—and roughly 85% of this capacity was used to heat swimming pools. In fact, there are more solar pool heating (SPH) systems installed in the United States than any other type of solar energy system. The widespread adoption of SPH can be attributed to the popularity of residential swimming pools in Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas. In these climates, outdoor pools can be used almost year-round, and SPH provides the most economical solution for actively heating these pools during stretches of cool weather. The initial costs of a SPH system are comparable with heat pump and liquid fuel pool heaters, while the operating costs are far less. The lower cost of SPH systems is due to their simplicity and efficiency."[1]

There are several types of pool heaters available in the market that prevents you from the brunt of fluctuating electricity rates in Texas. Here are some options for you:[2]

 

• Electric resistance heaters use electric currents to create heat. When a current is applied to the resistor located inside the unit, the resistor heats. Water then washes over the resistor and heats, causing the resistor to cool. Because electric resistance heaters require large amounts of electricity, they are primarily used to heat small, portable spas and small therapy pools

• Gas heaters burn either natural gas or propane to create heat. Gas burns inside a combustion chamber, which contains a series of copper coils. As the gas burns, water passes through the coils and heats. Gas heaters have historically been the most widely-used swimming pool heaters.

• Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat to your swimming pool. Air-source heat pumps transfer heat from the air, and water-source (geothermal) heat pumps transfer heat from water.

• Solar heaters use solar panels to transfer heat from the sun to your swimming pool. Because of solar heaters’ reliance on the sun, many swimming pool owners use auxiliary heaters during nights and cloudy days.