How to Install a Pool Heater: A Step-by-Step Guide
Install a pool heater and never swim in chilly water again
Unless you’re a fan of polar plunges, your pool likely sits idle for months each year. With a pool heater installation, you don’t have to wait for summer to return to your backyard oasis. You can take a goosebump-free dip and extend the swimming season by following the steps in this guide to install a pool heater.
Why Should I Install a Pool Heater?
Warm water temperatures make a pool more inviting, which equates to more pool use. While a pool heater will set you back several thousand dollars, it will reward you in swim time. Instead of pulling out that pool cover when the mercury sinks into the 60s in late September, you can keep working on your backstroke even as the thermometer flirts with the 40s.
When you do finally have to close the pool, you can reopen it just a few months later when the first buds of spring appear. Depending on where you live, you may even be able to keep the pool open year-round. Use your pool heater to keep the water at a consistent temperature after the sun goes down, making night swimming more enjoyable.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Pool Heater?
The cost of installing a pool heater varies depending on whether you do it yourself or hire someone. If you hire a pool heater installer near you to get your unit up and running, expect to pay between $1,776 and $4,065, depending on the location, type, and size of the pool.
A gas or propane heater is the most affordable option, costing between $1,000 and $4,500 for the unit. Solar pool heaters are the most expensive, ranging between $2,000 and $7,500, while a pool heat pump runs between $2,000 and $6,500. Remember that while a gas heat pump may be the most affordable to install, it’s more expensive to run than a solar heater or electric heat pump heater.
Expect to pay between $500 and $1000 for labor if you hire a pro for your pool heat pump installation.
Preparing for Pool Heater Installation
Before purchasing and installing a pool heater, you’ll need to assess your pool’s plumbing and find professionals to help you with its utility connections.
Here are the preliminary steps you need to take.
Check the Flow Rate of Your Pool Plumbing
Your pool’s pump is responsible for circulating water through the heater, just as it does for your pool’s filter. Make sure your pump’s flow rate, rated in gallons per minute (GPM), is compatible with the flow rate rating on the pool heater you're planning to buy. Most pool heaters have the nominal flow rate listed on their specifications.
Don’t skip this step. If the pump doesn’t circulate water through the heater at a fast enough rate, it could overheat, causing it to shut off. If the pump is too powerful, it can damage the heater’s internal parts.
Since the pool filter sits between the pump and heater, your filter’s flow rate must also align with the heater’s requirements. If you need to upgrade your pump, you may also need to change out the filter.
Line Up the Necessary Professionals
While you can complete most of the installation on your own, you won’t be able to do all of it. Pool heaters are hardwired into your home’s electrical box and typically require a dedicated circuit because they use so much juice. This is not a job you can handle yourself. Hire a local electrician to make the electrical connections for the heater once you have it in place.
Making gas connections is also something you should leave to a professional. If you’re installing a gas pool heater, you’ll need to hire a gas plumber in your area to make the gas connections for the heater.
How to Safely Install a Pool Heater
There are several steps to follow when installing a pool heater. The following directions will take you through choosing the type of pool heater, finding the best location, building a sturdy base, and making plumbing connections.
1. Choose the Type of Heater
There are several types of pool heaters to choose from to warm the chilly waters of your pool. The three most common are gas, heat pump, and solar pool heaters.
Gas
A gas pool heater uses either natural gas or propane to create a flame that heats the water as it flows through. While these heaters are more expensive to run than their electric counterparts, they can heat water more quickly, making them ideal for pools that see sporadic use during colder months.
Heat Pump
A heat pump works by drawing in air and circulating it over an evaporator coil. The process creates a hot gas that transfers heat to the pool water as it passes through the heater. While heat pumps cost less to run than gas heaters, they’re more expensive to install and take longer to warm pool water.
Solar Heater
This type of heater works by using solar panels mounted at ground level or on the roof of your home. Your pool’s pump circulates water through a series of pipes that snake through the solar panels. In concert with the sun, the panels heat the water as it makes its way through the pipes before returning it to the pool.
While there are many benefits to installing a solar pool heater, this type of heater only works in locations that receive a lot of sunlight. Solar heater installation is expensive and may require upgrading your pool’s pump, but you can recoup that money in energy savings.
2. Find the Best Location
Choosing the right location for your new pool heater is key to ensuring it operates properly and works as efficiently as possible. Find a spot that’s within a few feet of your pump. The further away the heater sits, the harder the pump will have to work to circulate water through it. If possible, make sure the unit is within 25 feet of the pool to reduce heat loss as the water flows from the heater to the pool.
The pool should also have plenty of clearance where the heat pump draws air into the unit (usually on the sides) and where it expels cold air out of the unit (usually from the top). Make sure you have at least 2 feet of open space between the sides of the heater and any structures or vegetation and at least a 3-foot buffer above the unit to allow for ventilation.
Don’t fudge with these clearance requirements. A lack of air circulation around the unit can damage the unit and void its warranty, meaning you’ll have to foot the cost of repairing the pool heater or even replacing it.
3. Install the Equipment Pad
The pool heater should sit on a firm base. While you can hire a pro to install small concrete pad to serve as your heater’s equipment pad, a more affordable option is to use pavers or wood decking.
Once you have a pad in place, add your pool heater. Make sure the control panel faces outward with at least 3 feet of open space in front of it so you can access it easily. If possible, minimize the number of bends and turns in the plumbing between the two units by orienting the heater, so its water intake and outlet face the pool pump.
4. Connect the Heating Unit’s Plumbing
After you install the heater, water will flow from your swimming pool to the pool pump, then through the water filter, and to the heat pump before emptying back into the pool.
Once you have the heater in place, install the plumbing connections to the heater intake and outlet using rigid PVC piping (as opposed to flexible tubing) and PVC cement. If you don’t feel comfortable making these connections, consider calling a local plumber to handle this step.
Check the size of the plumbing inputs and outputs for the heater and your pool filter. Most systems use either 1-1/2-inch or 2-inch PVC pipes. Purchase enough pipe to make connections from the filter to the heater and from the heater to the pool. If the heater’s plumbing doesn’t match the size of the filter’s plumbing, you’ll need to install adapters to make the connections.
Run plumbing from the heater’s input to the pool filter, using elbows as needed. Next, install a pipe that runs from the output from the heater to the pool’s chlorination system. Make sure to add a valve between the filter and heater so you can bypass the heater when it’s not in use.
5. Make the Electrical Connections
As stated previously, pool heat pumps are hardwired to your home’s electrical box. Since they typically require a significant amount of voltage to start the compressor, most need a dedicated circuit. Making these electrical connections is not something you can handle on your own. Once the pool heater is in place, you’ll need to hire a licensed electrician to wire the heater to the electrical box.
Tips to Correctly Install a Pool Heater
By following a few tricks of the trade, you can get the most out of your pool heater and ensure the water stays nice and warm for many swimming seasons to come. Use the tips below when installing your heater.
Minimize the twists and turns in your plumbing: Connections and changes in direction create friction that reduces the flow rate of the water. Position your filter, pump, and heater strategically to reduce the number of turns.
Add an insulated pool liner: Consider purchasing an insulated pool liner, which will help to prevent heat loss in your pool. That way, you’ll reduce the time you need to run your heater and save money on your energy bill.
Winterize your heater: Draining the heater before the arrival of subfreezing temperatures is crucial to prevent water from freezing inside and cracking its internal components. Make draining your heater a part of your annual pool winterization routine.
DIY Pool Heater Installation vs. Hiring a Pro:
You can save between $500 and $1000 in labor by installing a pool heater on your own. Much of the installation, including setting up the equipment pad and making the plumbing connections, is something the average DIYer can handle.
If you don’t feel comfortable taking on this project on your own, consider hiring a pro. Even if you decide to take on this project yourself, you’ll have to hire a licensed professional to make any necessary electrical or gas line connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since a heater ties directly into your pool’s existing filter and pump, adding a pool heater to an existing above ground or inground pool is relatively easy, regardless of size or shape. In fact, this is a job you can handle yourself with the help of a licensed electrician. Schedule your installation for early spring to maximize your swimming season.
A pool heater is worth the expense, given that it can extend your swimming season by several months, depending on where you live. For many, adding a pool heater allows the pool to remain in service from May through mid-October. Even temperatures in the 40s and 50s are tolerable when the water in the pool is heated.
When selecting a pool heater, it’s important to think not just about the cost of the unit itself but also about how much it costs to run. Expect to pay about $100 per month to run a heat pump pool heater. A natural gas heater will cost twice that amount, while an electric pool heater costs about $250 a month.
Since pool heaters are costly to run, only use the heater when the water temperature dips to an uncomfortable level. If you’re trying to save money, turn the heater on only when the pool water dips below 78 degrees. Turn the heater off when you’re not using the pool for several days. It typically takes 24 hours for a pool heater to warm the water to the desired temperature.
If you use a pool heater, your pool will lose more water. A pool heater warms up the water, causing it to evaporate faster than it normally would. Installing a pool cover and keeping your pool covered when it’s not in use is one way to limit the amount of water lost through evaporation.