Nine months out of the year, we see average high temperatures above 75-degrees, with many months averaging in the low 100s. However, as we get into the fall and winter months, there is a large disparity between daily highs and lows. While you might be able to comfortably enjoy an 80-degree day at the pool in November, when the temperatures dip into the 40s that night, your guests are going to quickly be heading out. A home pool with a heater can be in operation year-round, while a pool without a heating system might only be truly viable for 6 months of day and night swimming.

Here at Universal Pool Service, we offer four types of pool heating system installations as part of our swimming pool services. The type you choose will be dependent on several factors, including your budget, the size of your pool, pre-existing hookups or systems, and whether you have an above-ground or in-ground pool. The experts at Universal Pool Service can help you decide what system will be best to meet your needs, but in the meantime, we want to go in-depth with our four types of pool heaters. In today’s blog, we will cover solar pool heaters and electric heat pump pool heaters. Tune in next time where we will cover gas pool heaters and electric element pool heaters. If you already know what you are looking for, go ahead and give us a call so we can schedule your evaluation.

Solar Pool Heater

Solar pool heaters have one of the best returns on investments as they are free to run and have the potential to last for nearly 20 years when properly maintained and installed and require very infrequent maintenance. However, there are a few downsides. Obviously, solar panels need to be exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day – which usually isn’t hard to come by here in Goodyear. However, you will need enough space to house your solar panels either on your roof or on the ground in your backyard. Some people dislike the look of solar panels, but considering the fact that after the initial purchase you can heat your pool for free for over a decade might be a fair tradeoff. This is a great option for people who want to heat their pools year-round. We are very lucky to live in an area that only truly needs pool heaters for a few months out of the year, but keeping a pleasantly warm pool throughout the summer months is great for people with young kids or elderly. Keep in mind, solar panels do heat pools more slowly than other systems, but considering that we have relatively consistent weather this should not be a huge problem. Best of all, solar panels are environmentally friendly and are quickly becoming more commonplace throughout the country.

Electric Heat Pump

Heat pumps take heat from the air and use it to heat your pool. Because of this, some heat pumps cannot operate year-round. If there is not enough heat to extract from the air, it can shut off. You should be fine in our area, but some models shutdown when the outside temperature reaches 55-degrees, while others can still operate in 20 and 30-degree weather. Additionally, heat pumps typically have a higher upfront cost than other pool heating systems. However, second to solar panel pool heaters, a heat pump has the lowest monthly running cost of the four systems. They also have lower maintenance costs than, for example, gas heaters. They are a type of “clean energy” as they take heat from the air rather than using gas or other fuel. However, they do heat pools more slowly than gas pool heaters. Ultimately, these guys can be really efficient when properly installed and maintained, even if they do cost more to purchase and install.

Want To Know More About Pool Heaters? We Can Help!

Contact Universal Pool Service today to learn how a pool heater can extend the pool-fun year-round! Whether you have a broken heater and are in need of a pool repair company or you want to install a new heater, we are here to help. Check out of next blog to learn about our other two pool heating options!