We have both solar and an electric heat pump. Gas is not an option where we live. Solar does the job for about 9 months a year, no other heat needed. No heat source is needed for about 6 months of the year, including solar, since Florida is so warm from the second half of spring through the first half of fall. From about the middle of November until about the end of March, solar won't do it, the sun is too low, the days are too short, and the air is too cool. That's when we use the heat pump. It works great except for the coldest days in the winter. There are about 3-5 weeks per year wher the heat pump just won't get the pool warm enough, but that's acceptable. Heat pumps work by sucking the heat out of the ambient air, the warmer the air, the more efficient the pump operates. So when it's really cold out, the pool will still be cold with an electric heat pump. Gas heat, which a good friend has in their pool, is awsome. No matter how cold out it is, it immediately cranks out hot water. However, it also cranks out $$. If money is not a constraint, get gas and you can use your pool 365 1/4 days per year with no worries. Our electric heat pump works good for us about 11 months per year and we have been very pleasantly surprise at how little it increases our electric bill, not bad at all. However, don't expect your pool to warm up quickly with an electric heat pump. A general rule of thumb is that you will get about one degree of temperature gain per hour. The pump will have to run a lot durning colder times. Lastly, whatever you choose, get a good pool cover to hold in the heat when not using the pool. We have a simple rectangular pool so putting on and taking off the cover is very quick and simple. Our cover is on a roller that is inside the pool deck. To put on or take off the cover, you open up a door in the deck and un-roll or roll-up the cover. Very easy and can be done in about one minute by one person. Hope this helps.
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