Extend your Northern Districts swimming pool season

There’s nothing better than a cooling dip on a hot summer afternoon or balmy evening — but have you considered extending your pool season? This means you can stay fit and enjoy an invigorating swim year round. A pool heater will appeal to future home buyers, too.

Depending on the system you choose, installing a pool heater may be easier than you think. The ideal temperature for a pool is around 28 degrees Celsius — any higher and it starts to feel like a bath, and any lower is too chilly to spend much time in the water. And if your pool has good orientation and receives some sunlight, you may be able to get away with a pool blanket to extend your swimming time by a month or more.

Connecting a heater to extend your pool season

There are several different forms of plumbing and heating you can choose. All will connect to your pool and other equipment differently, which will impact on your energy consumption, power bills and ease of use.

In series pool heaters

Gas and heat pump heaters use valves to push the water through a heater. These run at the same time as the chlorinator and filter, and can be added to an existing pool as they use the pool’s existing water inlets and outlets. However, they can’t be used for solar heating, which requires another booster pump, so they are not the most energy-efficient choice.

In series pool heaters with a booster pump

If you want your water to be solar heated, you’ll need to add a booster pump, which connects to your solar-heating roof system. However, the filtration system will need to run at the same time, which adds to the running costs.

Independent heating system

An independent system will require more plumbing work, but will operate more efficiently in the long run, whether you choose solar, gas or pump heating.

If you are installing a pool, this is the best choice. If you are retrofitting heating to an existing pool it is still the most efficient system, but will cost more in the short term.

It’s also worth remembering that gas and heat pump heaters are more expensive to run, which may put you off heating your pool year round.

The most cost effective way to heat your pool is to use solar-heating, while also ensuring your pool is located in a sunny spot without too much shade or overhanging trees.

Using a pool cover to keep your pool warmer

If you don’t want to go to too much trouble, a simple pool cover is another way you can extend your pool season without the expense and hassle of a heating system. Pool covers come with their own roller, which sits at one end of the pool. They are particularly effective if your pool receives a lot of sunlight, as the heat can then be ‘locked in’ by the sun. A cover can also reduce both chlorine use and water evaporation.

Using a pool cover in addition to a heater will mean that the cost of heating your pool is reduced, as you are locking in the heat. So if you are going to the expense of a pool heater, you might consider adding a pool cover, too.

Talk to me

As a local resident, I am always happy to talk to people about ways they can add value to their homes in preparation for selling. Please feel free to call me for a no-obligation chat if you are thinking of putting your home on the market and would like to know what buyers are looking for in Thornleigh, Westleigh, Pennant Hills and Normanhurst.