Pool heating: options and what it really costs
Heating is measured not by the price of the unit but by the volume of water to be heated. And the cheapest way to extend the season is usually a cover, not a heater.
Pool heating can be installed and can extend the season by a few months. But the mistake most often made here is measuring the cost by the price tag on the unit.
Volume is what drives the cost
Heating cost varies with the size of the pool. As the volume of water to be heated grows, both the equipment capacity required and the running cost paid every season rise. The difference between a 30 and a 60 square metre pool looks like a factor of two on the equipment, and widens further on the bill.
Depth is the quiet variable here too. Of two pools with the same surface area, the deeper one means more water and therefore more energy.
Where the loss happens
Heated water loses its heat in three places: evaporation from the surface, conduction to the surrounding air, and escape through the ground. By far the largest of these is the surface. Holding the heat matters as much as producing it.
The cheapest item: a cover
That is why the first question in any heating conversation is not the unit but the cover. A cover reduces heat loss appreciably; by shortening the heater's running hours it pays for itself quickly. Heating an uncovered pool is like heating a house with the windows open.
Choosing the unit
Capacity is calculated from pool volume, the target temperature and the period of use. An undersized unit never brings the water to temperature; an oversized one is wasted investment. That calculation is made from volume, not from guesswork.
For an indoor pool the picture changes: air temperature and humidity control come into play, and heating alone is not enough.
A realistic expectation
Heating does not turn a pool into a summer pool; it extends the season at both ends. Opening a few weeks earlier in spring and closing a few weeks later in autumn is a realistic target. If you want year-round use, the subject moves from heating to indoor pool design.
Once we have discussed your dimensions and how you intend to use the pool, we work out together which solution makes sense.
Let's talk about your project.