gas vs. electric heater?

[Zaphod]

I've been following this thread, as I, too, am interested in a pool heater (a consideration I make as I have my liner replaced).

I've received informal quotes for installed gas heaters at $2,500 and about $7,000 for installed heat pumps (the quotes are informal in that I've described on the phone that I have a 16X40 in-ground vinyl pool that's 8 feet in the deep end. No one's come out yet to look at my pool).

Do these numbers sound reasonable for the South, specifically Georgia?

One follow-up question: For either heating option, what other modifications need to be made to the pool to get the water heated (aside from the gas line for a gas heater and a dedicated electrical line for the heat pump)?

Thanks.

[kaybinster]

Assuming you have no heater now, the numbers seem totally messed up. If the gas heater requires that a natural gas line be run from the house then it is way low. The heat pump number seems way high even if it includes running 220VAC electric. I think you should get some other bids.

As for other modifications they are minimal. Obviously you will have to cut into the return piping and run it to the heater and then connect the heater output to the return lines. You might want to install valving so that you can by-pass the heater at times. Other than that you should be fine as is, unless your pump is at its limits in which case the extra pressure drop from the heater might restrict your flow. You can always install it and then see if you need to upsize the pump based on actual flow rates once you are done.

[DavidD]

I Agree, the Heat pump cost seams way high. Last March, I purchased a Jandy XE2550 Titanium Scroll Heat Pump from poolheatpumps.com for $2,300 (free shipping to commercial address with loading dock) for my 16x32, 16K gallon IG fiberglass pool. I think the newer models are around $2500 this year. I then spent another $200 for wire, panel and conduit and installed it myself since I'm quite the shade tree electrician. It did take me all day to install so I would count on paying someone for at least 6 hours labor.
On another note, we swam April 02, 2005 until Nov 11, 2005 (except for a couple of cold weeks in late Oct.). Pool water was 84 degrees Saturday before last (04/01/06) however it did take almost 3 days of running the pump 8 hours during the day to bring water from 64 to 84 (also with a solar cover left on). With the huge jump in local gas prices recently, for once I think I made the right choice the first time as I was considering a gas heater.

[mopool]

I Got A New Heat Pump This Year, 16,000gal Fiberglass Pool, We Are In Missouri Day 1 Water Temp Is 55- High Air Temp 64 Low Was 33
Day 2 Water Temp Is 68- High Air Temp 55 Low Was 36
Day 3 Water Temp Is 81- High Air Temp 67 Low Was 44
Day 4 Water Temp Is 93 High Air Temp 61 Low Is 55
Went For A Night Swim On April 10th

The Heat Pump Is Holding The Temp At 90 To 93

And My Wife Loves Her Big New Bath Tub

[kaybinster]

What type and size heat pump did you put in? Glad to hear it worked so well, although heating it that hot with these cold nights you may be in for a nasty surprise when you get your next electric bill. Sure they are less costly to run than gas, but they are not free!

[rlp]

The only quote I've received so far is for a Hayward HeatPro 2100 & Leslie's is offering free installation so it'll come to about $3100 if we decide to go with them. I've looked at Aquacal & some others & they're all around $3K, so $7K does seem way off the map.

[mopool]

I got a pentair "THERMALFLO 1200 HP"
THE LAST THREE YEARS IN MISSOURI HAVE BEEN COOL SUMMERS, THE HEAT PUMP INSTALLED WAS $5,550.00 THATS ALOT BUT IF WE CAN HAVE TWO OR THREE MORE MONTHS OF FUN IT WILL BE OK

THE POOL INSTALLED WITH ROCK, BATHHOUSE, AND LANDSSCAPING WAS OVER $50,000. SO 10% MORE AND DBL THE SWIM TIME IS OK

[Zaphod]

DavidD:

Thanks for the site recommendation (http://poolheatpumps.com). I also found another site - http://shop.solardirect.com/ - which offers side-by-side comparisons of the virtues of gas/electric/solar heating and sells products for each one. (An aside: I've not ordered from either site and haven't found independent reviews of either, so I can't speak to the customer satisfaction).

I've zeroed in on the Jandy AE2500-t heat pump, rated at 115,000 BTUs, which seems hefty enough to heat my 29,000-gallon pool, based on my research thus far. It's listed at $2,995.00 with free delivery.

I've consulted with a couple of local installers who are quoting me installation of about $400 to $500 (one caveat: I need to expand the subpanel at my pool, which is currently rated at 60 amps for my pump, filter and booster pump. The Jandy would draw an additional 60 amps, so I'm in the process of getting a quote for the subpanel upgrade). The install includes connecting the Jandy to the electrical box and attaching it to the filtration system. (So, that wild $7,000 over-the-phone estimate was grossly inflated and underinformed).

rlp, I had initially considered a gas heater. They seemed to be about $500 to $1,000 less than comparable heat pumps. But dealers and installers - along with some independent research - convinced me that the heat pump was the way to go: higher initial costs seemed to be offset by lower operating costs (ie, cheaper electric than gas power). Additionally, I'd need to run a natural gas line from my house to about 150-200 feet to the pool area, at about $1,000 for the first 50 feet. That about gave me a heart attack - and started to sway me toward a heat pump.

The following link contains U.S. Department of Energy comparisons of how to heat a swimming pool: gas, solar and electric:

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/.../mytopic=13160

It's been a useful thread, rlp.

Thanks,

Z