Quote:
Originally Posted by midiwiz
much like the engineer said.... but with additional Florida input. Solar works easily to keep a pool at 92 year round DEPENDING ON LOCATION. For this area I really wouldn't lean on solar on the coast yes but not "up north" here. Also what it does to your roof... yeesh.
Propane heaters work the quickest. Electric for the average Florida pool can take over a day to get it up to temp meaning recovery from a 33 degree night will take a long while. We have considered electric heaters a waste of money since once a pool goes in the electric bill goes up, electric heater (the one time we tried it) added another $200 to the already high electric bill.
Just some food for thought.
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There is zero chance that a solar heater will keep a pool at 92 during the 4-5 cooler months here in The Villages. It may work down by Miami or Key West (although I would have to run the numbers there as well), but not here, and that is what the OP is discussing.
With regards to an electric heater raising your bill by $200 - not sure where you got your numbers, but my pool is always 88-89 during winter, and it adds between $30-$40/month to my bill. I knew that before I ever installed it based on the cost of electricity, the size of my pool, and the BTU of the heat pump (with electric get the biggest heat pump you can get - currently 144K BTU - a bigger heat pump only costs a few hundred $$ more, but will last longer, heat the pool faster, and is more efficient). During the summer, of course, it adds $0 to my bill.
Natural gas/propane will heat faster, but both cost quite a bit more than electric for the same amount of heat. Expect to spend anywhere from $200-$850 a month with a propane pool heater or $100-$400 a month with natural gas.
If you have a pool with a built in hot tub, you probably want a gas heater to ensure you can use the hot tub when you want it. Ideally, I would have a small gas heater dedicated to the hot tub, and an electric heater for the pool. Automation can coordinate two heaters easily.
I went with a standalone hot tub - more comfortable, and far less costly to run. It's usually at 100-102, and costs $8/month on my electricity bill.