Last Updated on November 23, 2020
Summer feels like paradise for most people who love swimming, and while there are some who love cold water, a warm swimming session is the most preferred due to its comfort and relaxation. The only problem is that with the absence of heat when the sun goes down during the hot summer months, one may not have any option other than warming up their pool. Such a process is not always easy, if you don’t have the right methods and might take longer than expected. With the following methods, however, you should be able to quickly heat your pool and start enjoying the benefits it offers.
Heat Swimming Pool Quickly
Solar heating
Nature’s resources come free, and you can take advantage of that to heat your pool. Solar energy, being one of the best free sources of energy can help you save some cash since all you need is a little pumping cost so that you can get water moving through the solar panels. There is a downside to this method, however, and it is that it’s not as effective when there isn’t enough sun due to cloud cover or time of the day. If, however, there is enough shine in your region and you have a reasonable budget for such a project you can consider using it since it’s quite economical in the long run.
Use a Heat Pump Pool Heater(HPPH) system
This is another effective way to heat your pool, but just like the solar heating method, you must take into consideration some factors. HPPH systems get their heat from the air, and as such, you have to consider running them when it’s warm enough. For this method, you have to set the controls for the filtration system so that it runs at the warmest time of the day. Keep in mind that the HPPH system will only be operational when there is water flow, and such flow has to supplied by the filtration system. As long as the filtration system is running when it’s warm, then you can expect your HPPH system to operate at the optimum Coefficiency Of Performance (COP). When buying such a system, therefore, go for the one with a higher COP rating, as that means greater HPPH efficiency.
Gas swimming pool heater to the rescue
Gas pool heaters are often preferred as a result of the benefits that they come with as compared to other heating systems. To be precise, they require a shorter heating time, in addition to being able to heat your pool no matter the weather. The only problem with such systems is that they do not spare you financially, owing to the high operational costs associated with running them. Having considered that, the best way to ensure that you cost-effectively run the system would be to use it sporadically. This should be the best pool heating system for someone living in a cold region and would like to use their pool several times in a year.
Invest in floor return lines
Return lines are essentially pipes that seem to put water in the same cycle over and over. What this means is that if you use return lines, water on the surface of the pool which will be warm remains warm, while cold water doesn’t change its state. The goal of such a system is to ensure that the temperature of the pool remains warm effectively and quickly.
Use a solar cover
Using a solar cover is one of the most efficient means of “heating” your swimming pool, and is recommended for most pool owners due to its effectiveness. It’s not a real heating method, because it works by controlling evaporation in your pool. Once you control evaporation, heating efficiency increases, and the cost goes down since you will require only a small amount of heat to get the pool temperatures comfortable. Solar covers come in various types, but all of them are effective in tackling the major challenge that comes with trying to keep a pool warm – evaporation. Such covers come in various types such as:
- Automated covers: This one is known as a “safety” blanket in addition to being used for heat retention. They are the most efficient since they are made in such a way that they deploy automatically by the use of a motor and series of tracks. The cover used with such a system is a heavy-duty vinyl material which covers the surface of the pool depending on the design. This way, it leaves no space for evaporation, which is why it’s able to reduce the rate of evaporation to almost zero. In addition to covering the pool, they act as safety measures since their construction and design allows them to hold the weight of a child who by any chance gets access to the covered pool. Even though such a cover would be expensive to install and maintain, it offers benefits that won’t come easily with other systems.
- Floating covers: This one is significantly less expensive as compared to automated covers, but the downside is that they offer no safety features. The cover is basically a thin vinyl sheet that contains tiny air bubbles to prevent heat loss. Even though the cover does a great job retaining heat in your pool, you must try to restrict access since it carries a safety risk if a child gets into the pool area with the cover in place. It’s considered an entrapment hazard because it floats freely and can wrap around someone if they fall onto it.
- Liquid cover: This one, compared to the other two types of blankets is the most inexpensive and easy to use. Even though that is the case, it’s the least inefficient method, but it is better than doing nothing. These blankets are applied by pouring the liquid into the pool so that it creates a thin, non-toxic and Eco-safe barrier that increases heat retention. It’s not visible to the eye, which makes it not easy to determine whether or not it has been applied. This method is however prone to wind speed on the pool’s surface, which is where efficiency goes down a bit.
- Solar rings: For someone who wishes to benefit from solar heat retention but is not ready to buy a solar cover, then rings should work just fine. They are cheap, easy to use covers which are similar to a solar cover that’s been cut into smaller rings or circles that are connectable. All you need to do is a place as many as needed in the pool, and let them float while retaining solar heat in the pool.
Windproof enclosure
Lastly, the wind is a common culprit that is capable of “stealing” the temperature of your pool. Compare it to blowing on a cup of coffee that’s too hot to drink – you take off the lid, blow consistently, and it works after some time. Had you not take off the lid, blowing on the cup would be a waste of energy and breath. Similarly, a windproof enclosure protects your pool from exposure to the wind, helping it retain the temperature longer.
In conclusion
Heating your swimming pool quickly is not such a complicated process, and it does not always involve introducing heat into the water. Retaining the heat keeps your water warm, and even if you need to heat it, only a small amount of heat will be required. If you have no idea how the methods above are applied, it would be best that you consider seeking help from professionals.
If you are in the greater Las Vegas area and you need a pool fence, check out our new location HERE