Pool Heating

[Chalky]

What is the cheapest way to heat an outdoor pool?

I'm looking at air sourced heat pumps but I would still need to use electricity to run that and the pool pump and filter. Would it also mean I'd have to run all of this during the day as it's warmer but then I won't benefit from cheap night rates on the electricity.

[PoolDoc]

You're asking a question that tends to have a LOCAL answer, even here in the USA.

In the US, operating costs tend to be, low to high, like this: solar => heat pump => natural gas => propane => electrical resistance heat. Equipment costs, again low to high, tend to be: resistance heat => solar => gas/propane => heat pump.

BUT, solar only works where the sun shines, so it does not work as well in Washington state, Oregon, OR England, as it does in Arizona or Southern California. Heat pump only work well when air temps are above 45 degrees, so they work better in Florida and Louisiana than in Michigan. Gas rates have come WAY down in the USA, due to oil shale fracking, but I'm not sure that the same is true in England.

[bradc344]

Hi, I live in Phoenix and have a Pent air heat pump, the pool is an in ground 12,000 gallon and heat the pool all winter with no problem, I keep the pool 90/91 degrees with a cover. WE run the pool from 7am to 12pm and again from 7pm to 12 am and this maintains the temps fine , we do have have a few weeks out of the season that it has a hard time keeping up, the temps will drop into the low 80s and I have to adjust the run times. the worse bill we have runs around $300.00 Dec,Jan , my neighbor has the same results with his pool. we just installed a 20,000 kw solar system so that will help with the bill hope down to zero, we arent in az during the summer so we will bank a lot of credits at the higher rate. Some of my other neighbors have gas heaters and dont even use them in the winter because of the cost .......