[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by jeffc1965

Thanks for all of the replies. If we are fortunate enough to get the house, I think we will go for the electric heat pump option. I would be fearful of solar panels on the roof as was mentioned.

Good choice, some advice from a pool owner with a heat pump. Get a solar blanket pool cover also and keep the pool covered whenever not using it during the colder months. Heat pumps work great, but they work slow, heating the pool only about 1-2 degrees per hour. The key is holding the heat in the water once it gets warm. Without a cover, you will loose most of the pools heat overnight and the pump will be running almost all the time. With a cover, you typically only need to run the heater for a little while before swimming and while swimming. The difference between the pools temperature before going to bed and waking up can easily be 10 degrees on a cold night depending on weather or not it’s covered. Running a heat pump typically cost about the same as running your A/C, which you don’t need during the cold months, so your electricity bill will be about the same. Getting into a 90 degree pool on a 50 degree night, with the steam raising out of the water, is priceless.

One note of caution, a covered pool holds in chlorine better than uncovered, so watch the chlorine lever carefully and adjust your chlorinator accordingly. Swim on : )

[larrycrilley@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by jeffc1965

The Villages developer has started building veranda homes that include small swimming pools. My understanding is that the pools are not heated. Does anyone know how difficult it is to install a heating system afterwards? A small pool may not require heat during the summer, but I can see the need for heat during the winter. Any thoughts?

I recently changed out my 20-year-old gas pool heater for a new one, it was around $3500.

Heaters (solar, electric, and units) simply tie into the same plumbing as your filter system. This requires zero excavation work. Of course you will need an energy source and hopefully you have at least electric near the filter pump. Adding a gas line or solar panels to your roof will increase the cost of installation. You may have to increase the concrete pad to put the heater on. This is not an overwhelming project as long as you have room to place a heater near the filter.

Being from the north, I find my pool heater to be a wonderful thing!

[Range Rider]

Originally Posted by jeffc1965

The Villages developer has started building veranda homes that include small swimming pools. My understanding is that the pools are not heated. Does anyone know how difficult it is to install a heating system afterwards? A small pool may not require heat during the summer, but I can see the need for heat during the winter. Any thoughts?

You don't need anything but Solar Heating for your pool. I have had mine for 15 years and it works good. Call Jack's Solar !

[Chi-Town]

My gas heater is quick to get to the pool temperature set. Heats up the spa surprisingly fast.

[Vickim]

Originally Posted by jeffc1965

The Villages developer has started building veranda homes that include small swimming pools. My understanding is that the pools are not heated. Does anyone know how difficult it is to install a heating system afterwards? A small pool may not require heat during the summer, but I can see the need for heat during the winter. Any thoughts?

I’d call T&D pool ! We had a heat pump and Solar. The Solar kept the pool too warm in the summer and didn’t work in the winter , sun too low in the sky. We had solar panels removed now pool is nice and refreshing in summer and when winter comes around we use the heat pump. We have a 60,000 gallon gunite swim spa by T&D pools .

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

I added solar after pool was completed.
If you have a roof or space for gas heater and the money should not be too difficult.
Are you looking to buy?

Solar won't heat the pool to any reasonable temp in the December-February timeframe. I keep my pool at 88 during the winter, and solar can't come close. A heat pump will heat the pool for less than $50 a month. If you're going to install solar AND another heat source to heat the pool when solar doesn't cut it, it doesn't make sense to install solar. You'll never recoup the additional cost for solar.