The Best Pool Heaters for Year-Round Swimming

Enjoy Your Pool More, Heat It with Propane

In our previous post, we took a quick look at some of the ways we Tennesseans use propane to enhance our outdoor living at home. Although propane pool heaters were mentioned, we think a deeper dive into their benefits is in order.

Now, with all of the sunny, warm days we enjoy in the Volunteer State, it may seem like a pool heater is an unnecessary luxury. But while average temperatures enable the typical swim season to last from May through September, we still have to contend with some below-average temperature days and evenings during that time.

And what will your plan be or the rest of the year—especially if you’re someone who enjoys a daily swim as a fun form of aerobic exercise? It seems a shame to travel elsewhere and just let that backyard swimming pool go to waste.

That’s where the best pool heaters come in. There are a few different types, each of which offers its own benefits to help keep your pool warmer when the temperatures cool down.

It goes without saying—but we’ll say it anyway—that our obvious choice would be a high-efficiency propane pool heater (sometimes referred to as a gas pool heater). It’s a popular option because propane pool heaters can quickly heat your pool to your desired temperature. Many people feel that this is the best pool heater around.

If you rely on one propane fuel and service provider, they know your home’s heating source and can seamlessly integrate your pool heater and install it quickly and properly for you. Your propane service professional can also take care of annual maintenance to ensure your heater runs problem-free.

How a Propane Pool Heater Works

A propane pool heater simply burns gas to warm water from the pool pump, then cycles the water back into the pool. That’s why propane pool heaters are an ideal choice for in-ground and aboveground pools and spas.

The best propane pool heaters are:

• easy to install and maintain
• efficient
• durable and reliable
• eco-friendly
• available in a number of sizes and colors

Propane Pool Heaters Vs. Other Options

Propane pool heaters have distinct advantages over other pool heater types, including:

• Electric heat pump heaters – While this system is more cost-effective than using a simple electric element pool heater, it needs to use surrounding air to warm water in the pool – which means it can only produce water that’s slightly warmer than the temperature of the air. That’s a problem if you feel like a swim when there’s a chill in the air.
• Solar pool heaters –These have higher upfront costs and take longer to heat your pool compared to a propane pool heater. A solar system also doesn’t work at night or on cloudy days when the sun isn’t at its brightest. Since these heaters can only heat the pool when the sun is shining, this type of pool heater is limited in how much heat they can provide. So if you enjoy midnight swims, solar pool heaters aren’t for you.
• Natural gas pool heaters – If you have natural gas service in your neighborhood, keep in mind that propane pool heaters give you the same performance of natural gas heaters without the expensive hardware and hassle needed to connect the pool heater to your home’s gas line.

To learn more about propane pool heaters and the many other ways you can take full advantage of propane inside and outside your home, please contact your Tennessee propane service provider and they’ll be glad to give you advice.

Read more about how propane raises the bar on outdoor living.