Heaters/Heat Pump information

Greetings,

I've been kicking around the idea of getting some sort of heating system for my pool. I see various model heat pumps out there, and I'm sure they each have their various benefits and drawbacks. Didn't find anything related to heaters on pool-solutions or in stickies, and the only information I've found thus far is attached to a website where someone is trying to sell a particular product. Given the way the rest of the pool industry advertises, I don't trust it.

Heating systems seem to be sized in BTU's. Without hiring a contractor, is there any way I can get a rough estimate what size heater I should be looking for (~12,000 gal).

I'm sure this is a long shot, but is there anyone out there from west/central Florida that can share their heater experience with me? How much do you end up spending to heat the pool after equipment purchase etc.