Sure the weather is great, but as a pool owner, you may still wonder if you need a pool heater in Florida.
This post answers that essential question and many others
Do I need a pool heater in Florida?
It may feel like a strange question to ask, especially when it’s the middle of July, and you’re sitting in the backyard staring into depths of your pool. Because let’s face it, Florida gets pretty hot, especially during the summer months.
Yet, even so, we still experience our own version of the four seasons. We don’t always have “swim weather” year round (especially if you live in north or central Florida.
Because when September rolls around, the temperatures start dropping.
During that time, it rarely stays hot enough to keep a pool comfortable, let alone warm. And it only gets colder for the months to come.
This is why most people living in Florida without heaters end up closing their pools around this time. And they usually stay closed until around April-May.
Imagine, that’s almost 6 months that your pool goes unused.
But here’s a little secret…
You can easily claim those extra six months and extend (if not double) your swim season by doing just one thing:
Using a pool heater.
If you’re a pool owner who loves swimming, and doesn’t want to miss out because of the weather or time of year, then the answer is clear. Having a pool heater in Florida is essential to getting the most out of your pool
And it may surprise you to know that certain kinds of pool heaters, like pool heat pumps, can both heat and cool your water. A feature that easily doubles their usefulness, but we’ll get into this more in the next section.
[Looking for pool heater repair? Learn how to find pool heater repair near you]
Benefits of having a pool heater in Florida
Now that you know why you need a pool heater in Florida, check out the benefits of using a pool heat pump:
- Heat your water up when it’s too cold
- Cool down your water when it’s too hot
- Swim comfortably regardless of the weather
- Use your pool during the day or night
- Reap the muscle and bone health benefits of heated water
- Keep your pool open year round (reduce pool opening chemical cost)
- Spend up to 50% more time in the pool
Related: 9 Ways Owning a Heat Pump Improves Your Health & Your Life
Pool Heater FAQs
If you were originally wondering whether or not you need a pool heater in Florida, then it’s possible that you also have a few other questions. Below are the answers to a few common pool heating questions that should provide some insight.
(Have a question that isn’t here? Let us know in the comments below)
How much does a pool heater cost to install?
Cost of installing a pool heater varies based on a few factors: the type of pool heater, the size, and your location
That said, average pool heater cost sits between the $1,000 and $4,000 range.
How much does it cost to heat a pool per month? (Florida pool heater costs)
For an average swimming pool, here’s what heating costs typically look like for each pool heater type during peak use:
Electric Resistance pool heaters: $500 – $600 per month
Gas pool heaters: $300 – $500 per month
Heat pump pool heaters: $50 – $150 per month
(We did not include solar pool heaters since they do not provide on-demand heat)
These numbers are a little different for everyone based on the size of their pool and how often they swim, but the difference in pricing is generally the same.
[Learn more about pool heater cost and performance in this post: How To Choose The Best Pool Heater]
What is a good temperature to set pool heater?
For most, 82 degrees Fahrenheit is a comfortable temperature for swimming. And by using a solar cover and automatically setting your pool heater to 82 degrees, you keep your water swimmable and your heating bills low.
Of course, depending on the time of year and who’s in the pool, you may want to give or take a few degrees of heat.
How long does it take to heat a swimming pool?
A heat pump pool heater takes about 24-72 hours to heat up a pool by 20 degrees.
Gas heaters take around half the time of heat pump to heat a pool by 20 degrees, but also consume twice as much “fuel” (gas) in the process.
Electric resistance heaters heat slower than gas but faster than heat pumps. However, they also consume high amounts of energy.
Solar pool heaters are typically the slowest, and due to limited sunlight, are typically harder to measure since they don’t provide consistent heating.
Related: How Long Does It Take A Heat Pump To Heat A Pool
On solar heating:
How much does it cost to install solar heating in a pool?
Solar pool heater installation cost ranges from a low of $3,5000 to a high of $8,000.
Pool size, solar panel type, sun exposure, plumbing work, and desired temperature are some of the major factors that affect the final cost.
Solar pool heater vs Heat Pump pool heaters | Which is better?
A topic as old as time itself. Well not really, but it’s a question that’s been fresh in the minds of countless pool owners for years now.
On one hand, you have the natural, “free” heating that comes with using solar pool heaters. But, they depend entirely on sunlight, and still require you to run your pool pump in order for them to work.
On the other hand, there’s the consistent, on-demand heat offered by pool heat pumps. Heat pumps use electricity, but perform with high effiency, which helps offset their monthly operation cost.
But really, the question here is which pool heater is best for YOUR situation. A question that you can find the answer to in this post: Solar Pool Heaters vs Heat Pump Pool Heaters
If you liked this post, you might also like:
- 7 Ways To Lower Your Swimming Pool Bills By Up To 50%
- 9 Surprising Heat Pump Pool Heater Facts You Didn’t Know
- 21 Pool Care Hacks That Make Pool Maintenance Easy
