Winter starts December 21, but night time temperatures are already dropping. Extend your swimming season and use your pool all year long with a gas pool heater. Beachside Pool Service, the friendliest Laguna Niguel pool service, gets many questions about pool heaters. We’ve compiled the basics in this blog.

How Gas Pool Heaters Work

Gas pool heaters burn natural gas or propane to generate heat. The pool pump circulates water from the pool to the filter, then from the filter to the heater. Once the water is heated, it returns to the pool. Unlike heat exchangers or solar heaters, gas heaters work no matter the outside conditions. In addition, natural gas is a highly efficient way to heat water. Currently, SoCalGas is offering rebates of up to $750 to encourage pool owners to use natural gas instead of propane to heat their pools.

Sizing Your Pool Heater

If you start shopping for pool heaters, one of the first things you realize is they come in sizes. Just as your HVAC system must be properly sized to efficiently cool your home, your pool heater must be properly sized to heat the water in your pool. Follow these steps to size your heater:

1. Determine the water temperature you want in the pool. Most people prefer water in the range of 78°F to 80°F, but some people like it as high as 82°F to 84°
2. Look up the coldest average temperature in your area. In Laguna Niguel, the coldest month is January and the average January temperature is 57°F.
3. Subtract the average cold temperature from the water temperature you want and determine the amount of temperature rise you will need when water is the coldest. For a Laguna Niguel pool owner that wants a temperature of 80°F, the temperature rise is 23° (80 – 57).
4. Calculate the surface area of the pool. Multiply the length by the width. The average pool is 14 x 28, so the surface area is 392 square feet.
5. Apply size calculator: Area x temperature rise x 12 In our example, the answer is 108,192. This tells you the number of British Thermal Units (BTUs – a measure of heat) that the heater must output each hour to heat the water to the desired temperature.

Pool Covers and Pool Heaters

Laguna Niguel pool service companies usually think pool covers are a pain. The exception is a pool cover for a heated pool.  That’s because any good Laguna Niguel pool service knows that a heated pool must have a cover to maintain the heat. Once you expend the energy to heat the pool, you want to maintain that heat. A pool cover is essential. Whether you use a physical pool cover or a liquid pool cover, you want to cover your heated pool.

Pool Heater Install and Repair by Laguna Niguel Pool Service

Beachside Pool Service is the Laguna Niguel pool service company that can install or repair your gas pool heater. When it comes to pool heaters, heat exchangers, filters or pumps, Beachside has you covered. Call (949) 939-0023 for a free estimate today.