
What size heater do I need for a 27 foot above ground pool?
Heat Pump Sizing Chart - Above Ground PoolsPool Size (Feet)Summer 4 BTU'sExtended 6 BTU'sUp To 13,000 Gallons Up To 24' Round or 15' x 30' Oval50,000 BTU85,000 BTUUp To 17,000 Gallons Up To 27' Round or 18' x 33' Oval65,000 BTU110,000 BTUUp To 21,000 Gallons Up To 30' Round or 18' x 40' Oval85,000 BTU125,000 BTU1 more row
How do I know what size pool heater I need?
Determine BTUs needed to maintain your pool's temperature To maintain the temperature, you need about 10 BTUs per hour, per square foot of surface, per degree above the air temperature. That means keeping a pool with a surface area of 300 square feet at 80 °F 60 °F weather would require 60,000 BTU per hour.
What size pool heater do I need for a 20000 gallon pool?
Pool heaters measure their power in BTU (British thermal units). One BTU raises the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. There are 8.33 pounds of water per gallon. That means that if you have a swimming pool that holds 20,000 gallons, it requires 166,000 BTUs to increase by one degree.
What size pool heater do I need for a 18 pool?
Recommended Gas-Fueled Pool Heater Size Based on Pool SizePool Size:Recommended Heater Size:16' x 32'250,000 BTU18' x 36'325,000 BTU20' x 40'400,000 BTUJul 31, 2019
Can a pool heater be too big?
A pool heater can be undersized: if it cannot replace the heat lost through evaporative cooling, the pool's temperature will fall below the ideal. However, there is no such thing as oversizing a pool heater. The larger the heater's output, the faster it heats the water in the pool, and it will not begin short-cycling.
How fast will a 400000 BTU pool heater heat a pool?
4 therms per hourFor a typical size 400,000 BTU pool heater, that's 4 therms per hour. Currently, natural gas runs about $1.50 per therm near Tampa. The average cost to heat a pool for one hour on natural gas is around $ 7.00. To heat, an average pool (10-12K Gallon) with no solar cover typically takes 8-14 hours.
What size pool heater do I need for a 15x30 pool?
Therefore, the minimum size heater that is recommended for a 15 x 30 pool is 150,000 BTUs. This is simply the recommended minimum size.
What size pool heater do I need for a 12000 gallon pool?
For pools under 10,000 gallons, small gas heaters like the Hayward 100K$) BTU output are suitable. Pools up to 15,000 gallons should look at the Pentair 125K BTU or higher, and 20,000 gallon above ground pools should look at the Raypak 150K BTU.
What is a comfortable temperature to heat a pool?
85 to 89 degreesAccording to The United States Water Fitness Association, water temperatures for younger children and the elderly will generally need warmer temperatures ranging from 84 to 94 degrees Fahrenheit, while a comfortable pool temperature for adults is 85 to 89 degrees.
How many gallons is an 18 foot above ground pool?
Finally, measure the pool's depth. For example, if your pool's diameter is 18 feet, your radius is 9 feet, and your depth is 4 feet: 3.14 × (9 x 9) × 4 x 7.5 = 7630.2 gallons.
How do you size a pool heater for a pool?
In order to make an informed decision about what size of pool heater you need for a given application, you need to know the following:1) The volume of the pool. ... average length x average width x average depth x 7.5 = volume in gallons. ... average length x average width x average depth x 7 = volume in gallons.More items...•
Do pool heaters use a lot of electricity?
Heating a swimming pool can consume a lot of energy and add up to high heating bills. You can improve your swimming pool's heating and energy efficiency by installing an energy efficient pool heater and by taking steps to reduce pool heating costs.
How do you size a pool heater for a pool?
The pool's surface area divided by three gives you the minimal BTU size recommended for that particular surface area. Continuing the example above with the 15 x 30 pool, after dividing by 3, you get 150. Therefore, the minimum size heater that is recommended for a 15 x 30 pool is 150,000 BTUs.
What size pool heater do I need for 12000 gallons?
For pools under 10,000 gallons, small gas heaters like the Hayward 100K$) BTU output are suitable. Pools up to 15,000 gallons should look at the Pentair 125K BTU or higher, and 20,000 gallon above ground pools should look at the Raypak 150K BTU.
How many BTU pool heater do I need for 15000 gallon pool?
You can find the BTUs needed to heat your pool on a 60-degree day by multiplying your pool's gallons by five. For example, a 15,000-gallon pool will need a pool heater with at least 75,000 BTUs.
How many BTUs does it take to heat a 15000 gallon pool?
Looking at the chart above, we can see that 15,000 gallon pools require a heat pump with 90,000 BTUs, which is right in line with our 92,160 BTU figure.
Why Is Pool Heater Sizing Important?
We’ve all heard the saying “bigger is better”. When it comes to gas pool heaters, this is mostly true. However, it really depends on your pool size, and budget.
What temperature should a heater be?
A sweet spot for most heaters is between 82°F and 86°F, so for simplicity’s sake we’ll use 85°F.
Why use a solar cover for pool heater?
With a cover, you can use a heater that outputs less BTUs because the heat stays trapped in the water. Solar covers are also available as rings, or as pourable liquid covers, helping reduce evaporation of the pool water so you won’t have to constantly refill the pool.
What is a BTU pool heater?
Note: BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a unit of measurement that measures thermal (heat) energy. Gas pool heaters are rated for BTU input/output and range from 100,000 – 400,000 BTUs.
How much water does a BTU heater raise?
But once it reaches the desired temperature, it can easily maintain it. When it comes to minimum size, the general rule is 1 BTU will raise 1lb. of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Does a propane heater heat faster?
Do you want to be able to warm the pool in only a few hours? Are you someone who wants to swim regularly in the cooler months? If this is you, a large BTU gas heater will heat fast, and you won’t need to run it for long stretches of time. Propane has an advantage over natural gas here as it burns hotter and heats faster.
Does size matter for pool heater?
Contrary to what women say, size really does matter – at least, as far as swimming pool heaters go. Correct pool heater sizing can be slightly tricky, but it mainly comes down to this: large heaters will heat quickly, whereas smaller heaters take more time to distribute heat throughout the pool. The choice is yours.
How should a pool heater size be?
The heater size should be based on how warm you want the pool or spa water and how fast you want the pool to warm up. If you plan to keep the pool warm all the time a smaller heater will work. The most economical use is to oversize the heater and quickly warm up the pool water before you are ready to use it.
How to determine the size of pool heater?
Use the following formula to get started: Determine what temperature you'd like the pool water to be. Subtract the average spring and fall air temperature for the period you will use the heater.
What happens if you put a heater in your pool?
An overpowered heater may raise the temperature too high , risking injury to you as well as damaging your pool.
Do you need a heater for a pool?
For many, a natural gas or propane-fueled pool heater is an absolute necessity. Not only does adding a heater to your pool ensure you'll have a warm, comfortable pool to hop in every time you're ready to take a swim, but a heater can also drastically extend your swimming season.
Can you use a pool heater in advance?
Of course, there are two main ways you as as pool owner may choose to use a pool heater. One of these is to let the pool cool down when not in use, then turn on the heater in advance of any swim to bring the temperature back up to where you'd like it.
What Is A Cop
What does COP stand for? You probably read this quite often on the sides of pool heat pumps and typical air conditioning systems. While conventional heaters only achieve efficiencies of about 75%, a heat pump delivers on average about 5 times the heat absorbed. Nearly 80% of the energy needed to heat the pool comes from the ambient air.
How A Heat Pump Pool Heater Works
As the pool water circulates through the pool pump, it passes through a filter and the heat pump heater. The heat pump heater has a fan that draws in the outside air and directs it over the evaporator coil. Liquid refrigerant within the evaporator coil absorbs the heat from the outside air and becomes a gas.
What Pool Heater Size Do I Need
For many, natural gas or propane-fueled pool heaters are an absolute requirement. Adding a heater to your pool ensures you’ll have a warm, comfortable pool to hop into whenever you’re ready to take a swim, but a heater can also drastically extend your swimming season.
What Size Of Pool Heater Do You Need
Pool heaters allow you to open your pool earlier in the spring, and extend the swimming season well into the fall, but they are a large investment, so before running out to buy a pool heater you should spend a little bit of time doing research.
The Customers Ideal Water Temperature
You need to identify what temperature your customers prefer to swim at .
Estimating Heat Pump Pool Heater Costs And Savings
For an outdoor pool, use the following tables to help estimate your annual heat pump pool heater costs and savings compared to using an electric resistance or a gas pool heater.
What Size Pool Heater Do I Need
For many, a natural gas or propane-fueled pool heater is an absolute necessity. Not only does adding a heater to your pool ensure you’ll have a warm, comfortable pool to hop in every time you’re ready to take a swim, but a heater can also drastically extend your swimming season.
Volume (In Gallons)
For a rectangular pool, you need to measure the average length multiply by the width and its depth and then by 7.5
Ideal Temperature
To get the ideal temperature you need factor in the difference of the lowest temperature in your region from the temperature you need in your pool.
Heater Size Calculator
Using our example above, we can now calculate the BTU needed for our pool:
Gas Pool Heaters
These are the most powerful pool heaters producing about 100,000 to 500,000 BTU. They use gas or propane to heat the pool water very quickly to the required temperature. They are very efficient in heating, and they are ideal for pools which are only used periodically.
Electric Heat Pump
The electric heat pump is not an electrical heater rather it works as a reverse air conditioner. The electric heat pump uses electricity to push ambient air over the evaporator coil to the compressor, which then pumps it to the heat exchanger which in turn heats the water from the pool.
The Solar Heater
The solar heater uses electricity from the solar solar panels. This type of pool heater hardly has a running cost but has a disadvantage that it depends on the climate of the region you live in -whether there is enough sunshine for the solar panels to generate electricity.
Kenneth Wilson
Retired contractor. Currently residing in Southwest Florida. Now in semi-retirement, I write and manage this blog focused on helping home owners make savvy decisions when it comes to finding contractors and getting their projects done.
How hot is a 20,000 gallon pool?
You have a 20,000-gallon pool and use a 125,000 BTU heater. Your water is currently 70 degrees F but you would like it to be a minimum of 80 degrees F. How long will it take before the pool water reaches 80 degrees F?
Why is a pool heater important?
A good swimming pool heater can bring you a lot more enjoyment in your pool. It can make the conditions more comfortable, contribute to your health, and prolong your swimming season.
How does Goplus solar heater work?
Here’s a little something different in a solar heater. The Goplus Solar Dome works just like solar panels in that it absorbs the sun’s rays, but the way it does it is unique.
What is EcoSmart pool heater?
The EcoSmart Electric Tankless Pool Heater is unique in that it uses the latest flow sensor technology instead of pressure switch activation. This prolongs the life of the unit because it’s less likely to burn the elements out.
How does a Fafco pool heater work?
This Fafco heating system works a little like solar heating panels in that it pumps water through the solar collector to heat it up. Then, it pumps it back into the pool.
Can you heat a pool with solar rings?
For example, for someone with a small pool in Florida, solar rings might be the best way to heat their pool. But for someone in, say, New York, the best way might be using a gas heater.
Is a gas pool heater harmful?
Gas heaters are the only pool heaters that can sometimes be harmful to the environment because of their emissions. However, most newer models are made with this in mind and meet emissions standards in even the strictest of states.

Why Is Pool Heater Sizing Important?
Sizing Considerations
- Keep in mind a few things when deciding on heater size: 1. The convenience factor.Natural gas is pumped in via a gas line for an endless supply, whereas propane needs to be housed in an oversized tank. Refilling this tank can be a logistical nightmare as it weighs hundreds of pounds when full. 1. How fast the water is heated. Do you want to be able...
Other Considerations
- There are some additional variables you should account for as well. 1. The type of gas you’re using.Both natural gas and propane will do the job but from a cost perspective, natural gas is the less expensive of the two and in some areas can be up to 80% cheaper. However, propane is energy rich, so you’ll use less of it to produce the same amount of heat when compared to natur…
Size Really Does Matter
- Contrary to what women say, size really does matter – at least, as far as swimming pool heaters go. Correct pool heater sizing can be slightly tricky, but it mainly comes down to this: large heaters will heat quickly, whereas smaller heaters take more time to distribute heat throughout the pool. The choice is yours.