[dsnrbec]

We installed a pool this past summer with a variable speed motor and electric heat pump. We’ve been hesitant to turn the heater on fearing a sky-high electric bill. In another post, there was some discussion as to how much difference in your electric bill it actually makes. I know size and temperature are variables but would love to know what others are paying extra each month to keep their pool (uncovered) heated to the mid 80’s. Also, does it make sense to keep the heater running everyday or just turn it on when there are a few days of warm temps forecasted? Please help these newbies out! Thanks

[callalily]

I had my pool heater installed last May. Before I installed it, I found a great online pool heat cost calculator but the link no longer works. I remember that it estimated that it would be most expensive to heat the pool in January and February (several hundred dollars per month). Next most expensive month was December (maybe $200 for the month).

After installation, the increase in my electric costs for the summer months was minimal, maybe $50/month through September. I turned off the heater in late October/early November as the air temps were too cold for me to swim. I turned it on for a week at Thanksgiving for my guests and that probably cost about $100.

A 5 kWh heater will cost 60 cents a minute to run. In current temps, it would probably have to run almost 24/7 to keep the pool at 85 degrees. 60 cents times 24 is about $14/day.

Right now, on Feb. 10, my pool temp is 70 degrees. I'll wait until it's around 75 degrees before I turn on the heater, probably some time in March.

If you have a pool cover, you can greatly decrease the cost of heating the pool. I tried that, but it was too much of a bother to put it on and off (kidney shaped pool). My solar blanket sat next to the pool, in the bird cage. I threw it out after a year, since it was disintegrating.

The pool came with the house. If I had to do it again, I'd build a rectangle shaped pool with a built in automatic cover.

[JSR22]

We heat only by solar. We have a rectangular poll and put the solar cover on end of Nov and take it off mid February. Richt now my pool is 83 and warm enough to go in.

[tophcfa]

We have a rectangular pool with an in deck pool cover that is easy to put on/take off and we have both solar and an electric heat pump. We use our pool any time of the year and there are typically only a handful of days each winter where we don’t use the pool because of cold. The key is to always keep the pool covered whenever not being used from about mid November to late February. We typically only use the heat pump for a few hours after the sun goes down or on very cloudy winter days so our nightly swim is toasty warm. Since we don’t use air conditioning during the winter, our electric bill is typically lower than the summer months during the winter when running the heat pump. As the attached photos show, our pool is currently at 93 degrees from the solar alone while covered. This week has been relatively warm and sunny for the first half of February so we have not used the heat pump for the past few days. Time to take off the cover and go for a swim : )