How does a solar pool heater compare to a gas heater?
When considering how to heat your pool, two main options usually come up time and time again—solar pool heating and gas heating. The best option for you can depend on many factors like where you live, the size of your pool and how often you want to be in it. However, the two heating solutions can be compared in a more general way to help you assess which might be better.
Take a look at our quick guide to solar pool heating and gas heating so that you can discover the pros and cons of both.
How Do Both Heating Solutions Work?
Our article on how a solar pool heater actually works offers a great guide to the ins and outs of solar pool heating. However, it’s interesting to look at the two kinds of heating against one another.
A solar pool heater works by enhancing the sun’s warmth and using a panel, pump and filter to warm the water and feed it back into your pool. On the other hand, a gas pool heater works by using natural gas or propane to heat the pool water in a combustion chamber. For this reason, gas heating is a lot quicker than a solar pool heater but a lot less energy-efficient.
What Are The Differences In Operating Costs?
One of the big reasons that people opt for solar heating is that you can expect to have lower energy bills with a solar pool heater. If you’re constantly using your pool with a gas heater, then you can expect your wallet to take a hit. In fact, it’s thought that switching to a solar pool heater can save you an average of $1000 in fuel costs alone.
By generating electricity when exposed to sunlight, solar energy is free after the initial installation and can reduce pool system costs by up to 60 percent. Plus, propane- or natural gas-powered pool heaters will slowly degrade over time, costing more and more for maintenance and fuel. But UMA Solar’s pool panels have life expectancies almost twice as long as most traditional healers, and their efficiency does not decrease over time.
When Should Each Form Of Heating Be Used?
Gas heating can be great if you live in a colder part of the country and rarely use your pool. This is because it can help to heat your water up quickly, and if it’s only used infrequently (say a couple of times a week) then it won’t become too expensive. A gas heating system is also a good idea for those who have smaller pools like hot tubs and mini pools that need to be heated every now and again.
However, if you live in a warmer part of the country and would like to extend your swimming season, then a solar pool heater will be much better. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also be helping the environment and extending your swim season in the process.
If you’d like to learn more about solar panels for your pool, read up on how long solar panels last to see whether they’ll be a good investment for your home.
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