Except for on certain exceptionally hot days, swimming in a cold pool isn’t much fun! Heating your pool extends its usefulness and your swimming season, allowing you to enjoy your pool in the spring and fall and on cooler summer evenings.If you own an in-ground pool in Winnipeg, we recommend two styles of heaters. Just give us a call – we are happy to discuss both of these options with you.
Gas Pool Heaters
A gas pool heater is similar to a home’s gas furnace. While you can choose a heater in a standard pilot model (manual) or an electronic pilot model (automatic) and know that both will work fine, you might have already learned that pilot lights can blow out and an electronic ignition can save you time and hassle!
Gas heaters work fast and can heat your pool regardless of the outside temperature (not that we recommend swimming in subzero temperatures!). In Winnipeg, they’ve proven to be the most popular option, and no wonder, with modern gas pool heaters operating at an 83% efficiency. We’ve also found that gas heaters tend to be slightly quieter than heat pumps.
Heat Pumps For My Winnipeg Pool
Heat pumps run on electricity and resemble a household air conditioner. Unlike an air conditioner, however, they exhaust cold air out of the top!
A heat pump requires an outdoor air temperature of at least 10 degrees to work effectively. Compared to gas heaters, heat pumps have a few advantages and disadvantages. While they operate at 98% efficiency, they do take up more space than a gas heater. Additionally, heat pumps cost about 50% more up front, but they do last longer than gas heaters.
Which one is right for you? We’ll take the time to discuss your needs, your budget, and the details of your pool to help you determine the right heating option for your pool.
How Big Should My Pool Heater Be In Winnipeg?
This depends on a number of factors including:
- The size of your pool
- Average sun exposure
- Your desired pool temperature
- Whether or not you use a pool cover
- What time of the year you’d like to swim
If you’d like to call us with this information, we’re happy to run the numbers and calculate the appropriate heater size for your pool.
How Much Will a Pool Heater Cost to Operate in Winnipeg?
Based on current gas and electrical prices in Manitoba, a heat pump costs about 60% less to operate when the outside temperature is 26 degrees Celsius. When the outside temperature drops to 10 degrees, however, the heat pump costs about 40% less to operate. If the temperature continues to drop, heat pump efficiency also continues to drop quickly and the pump will need to run defrost cycles.
Solar Pool Heating
The glass solar tubes pictured below will boil water in the middle of winter in Winnipeg! Yes these solar tubes are not effected by the outside air temperature as they are inside a vacuum. This type of solar heater takes up less space than any other solar type pool heater and are the most efficient.
Clearly, there’s a lot to consider when choosing what type of heater is right for you. You can trust the team at UV Pools and the owner, Dale Kreviazuk, to help you choose the option that will work best for you. We have years of experience and pool know-how, so give us a call and let us put our experience to work for you!
