A pool heater can be one of the best investments you can make for your pool. No matter where you live a pool heater can extend you swimming season by months and make your swimming experience more enjoyable year round.

All pool heaters work on the same basic principle, of heat transfer. Your pool water is circulated through a heating element and heat is transferred from the heating element to the pool water and the heated water is deposited back into the pool. Since a pool heater is part of the pool water circulation system, it is normally connected to the outflow from he pool filter on the return line to the pool.

There are two main types of pool heating systems on the market today that you can choose from; gas and solar. A gas pool heater can use natural gas or propane to heat the water as it passes through copper coils that are placed over the unit’s burner. This type of heater requires a natural gas or propane hookup near the pool equipment. This type of pool heater does not require much space, but it can be expensive to operate. A solar heater uses the sun’s rays to collect heat on large panels and the heat is transferred to pool water as it circulates through the collectors. This type of heater normally requires a secondary pump and valves to divert the pool’s return flow around the solar collectors. A solar pool heater can be less expensive to operate, but it requires quite a bit of surface area and of course a fair amount of direct sunlight. Regardless of the type of pool heater you select, you can expect to pay between $600 and $1600 depending on the capacity of your pool, and other factors