How Pool Heaters Work

Even in Arizona, sunshine alone cannot always keep your pool water comfortable. Pool heaters or heat pumps can keep your pool warm enough to swim in throughout the year. At Pools By Design, we can help you pick the ideal pool heater for your size and type of pool. Our experts focus on energy efficiency and can extend your pool season significantly.

Here are some facts about how pool heaters work:

Types of Heaters

Choosing the right type of heater is critical and it is important that you understand how each option works. Pool heating systems are typically classified into three types: heat pumps, solar heaters, and natural gas pool heaters.

Pool Heat Pumps

A pool heat pump uses electricity but does not actually generate its own heat. Instead, heat pumps have a fan which draws in the outside air that has been warmed by the sun through an evaporator coil. Liquid refrigerant within the coil absorbs heat and transforms into a warm gas. This gas then passes through a compressor. Here, it transfers heat through a heat exchanger condenser to the cool pool water. Now warm, the pool water flows back into the pool and the heated gas is condensed and returns back into the evaporator where the cycle begins again.

Solar Heaters

Solar pool heaters use the power of the sun to heat your pool water. Most solar heating systems include a collector or a series of collectors, a filter, a pump, and a flow control valve. The pool water is first pumped through the filter to remove any debris, then through the solar collector where it is heated. Some systems have sensors that can indicate if the collector temperature is sufficiently warm or similar to the actual pool temperature. The system then uses an automatic or manual valve to divert water through the collector to be heated. Depending on the situation, the water may bypass the collector altogether.

Gas Heaters

If you decide on a gas pool heater you will have to decide whether to run it on liquid propane or natural gas. Like the heat pump and solar heater, a gas system has a pump to filter water. The pump circulates the pool’s water and passes it through a filter. This water then moves to the heater. Gas burns in the heater’s combustion chamber, heating the water and then returning it to the pool.

These types of systems heat the water quickly and are most efficient when heating a pool for short periods of time. This makes them a good choice for pools that are used infrequently. Unlike heat pumps and solar pool heaters, which rely on either the outside air temperature or the rays of the sun, gas pool heaters can maintain your pool’s temperature regardless of the weather or climate.

Choose the Right Pool Heater

At Pools by Design we take pride in providing our customers with excellent service, exceptional attention to detail, and quality products. We make sure your new custom pool is perfect down to the last detail, including your choice of pool heater. Let us help you extend your swim season by providing you with the heated pool or spa of your dreams.