Nothing determines use of a pool more than having the right water temperature. In Melbourne if you have a pool, you’re going to want a pool heating solution as swimming pool in Melbourne is only likely to reach 16 or 22°C in the middle of summer!
So when you are ready to build (or have built your pool), you’ll need to decide what kind of heating you want. There’s 3 major types of heaters and below, we’ve put together a guide with why you would choose one option over the other. Enjoy.
Solar Heating Systems
Solar heating is the most popular & cost effective pool heating system. By using the energy that mother nature provides from the sun, you can heat your pool safely & cheaply.
Solar Pool heating works via a solar pump which pushes water through a tiny network of tubes in the solar panels to heat up the water. This pump requires very little energy as it’s not having to generate heat.
The only catch to solar heating is that… you guessed it, you need the sun! If your area doesn’t experience consistent sunlight, you may struggle with reliability. This is the exact reason we often recommend one of the other heating systems for swimming pools in Melbourne.
Gas Heating System
Gas is the dearest method of heating your pool as it generates the heat by itself. It’s not relying on sun or air temperatures, so you can pick exactly how hot you want your pool and when you want it to be hot!
Gas is also the quickest way to heat your pool. So if Melbourne has an odd hot day and you really want to get in the pool, gas is going to be your best bet and heating up the pool ready for you to enjoy.
As with all good things, they tend to cost money. So most people tend to use gas as a secondary system when either solar or electric isn’t quite cutting it.
Electric Heating System
Heat pumps are very popular with Melbourne Pool owners. Heat pumps reuse energy from the air so they can be similar to solar – friendly on your wallet! They work by collecting heat from the air and transferring it into your pool water via a heat exchanger.
Depending on the climate where you live, an electric heating system can sometimes be more effective than solar power, as it can still collect heat from the air during cloudy weather and at night, when the sun obviously is not shining. Electric pumps also tend to heat your pool water more quickly than solar heating systems.
However, electric heat pumps require a significantly greater amount of electricity to run than solar heating.
What’s the best?
Well let’s break it down.
Solar heating is generally the cheapest to run but is very dependant on external factors (ie the sun!)
Electric heating/heat pump is more expensive to run than solar but is generally a better fit for Melbourne
Gas heating is the most expensive to run, yet it is the most effective way of heating your pool.
So the winner is….
They’re all great and serve a purpose! It depends on your budget, where you live and how you plan to use your pool. We can certainly help you decide what will be best for you and your lifestyle so contact us today to discuss a new pool for your home.