A 100 gallon above-ground tank measures roughly 55″ tall by 30″ wide.
The tank is typically 10 feet from the pool heater and no more than 100 feet from the driveway, or a location where a delivery truck can stop and the delivery hose can reach the tank to fill it.
Pool heaters are usually turned on for a couple of hours in the morning to keep the pool warm, and then the sun takes over.
When the pool is not in use, the best approach to save money on the heater is to utilize a solar blanket.
Propane is a highly clean-burning fuel that is usually trouble-free, but because the heater is outside, we recommend a yearly inspection.
Our Service Department can set up an appointment for you.
Is it worthwhile to invest in a gas pool heater?
While there are numerous types of pool warmers available, propane pool heaters are widely considered to be the most cost-effective option. Propane pool heaters are more efficient than other varieties, allowing you to heat your pool faster while using less energy.
You can use propane gas heaters to keep your pool warm during the winter. You may also make the most of the hotter months by controlling pool temperatures properly.
Propane gas heaters provide consistent, warm temperatures, allowing your pool to remain comfortable for longer periods of time.
What is the propane consumption of a pool heater?
If you’ve never used a propane pool heater before, you might be surprised the first time you use it especially if you use it before the summer temperatures really start to increase.
The reason for this is that the average propane pool heater consumes around 1 gallon of propane per 100,000 Btus. A propane pool heater with a 400,000 Btu output for a standard-sized pool (21,000 gallons) will burn roughly four gallons of propane every hour.
So, how long will the heater be turned on? This necessitates a little math (bear with us).
- A average pool holds 21,000 gallons of water, which weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon. To raise the temperature of a standard-sized pool by one degree, you’ll need roughly 175,100 Btus.
- Pool heaters have an efficiency range of 80-95 percent; assuming an average efficiency of 80 percent, a 400,000 BTU heater will only produce 320,000 BTUs per hour. To put it another way, if you run a 400,000 BTU heater for one hour (using four gallons of propane), the temperature in a 21,000 gallon pool will rise by around 1.82 degrees.
- Now, if your pool is 60 degrees and you want to swim in 80-degree water, you’ll have to operate the pool heater for 10 to 12 hours; propane costs about $3.00 per gallon in Connecticut.
Of course, this is an extreme example, as you are unlikely to need to raise the temperature in your pool by 20 degrees any time other than late spring or early fall. However, it emphasizes the need of doing all possible to improve the efficiency of your pool heater.
- Use a pool cover – 70% of a pool’s heat is lost through evaporation, so cover it while it’s not in use!
- Maintain a pool temperature of 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Increasing the temperature by one degree raises energy expenses substantially; keep the water warm, but not spa-warm.
- When you won’t be using the pool for a few days, cover it and set the thermostat to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn off the heater if you’re going to be gone for an extended amount of time.
- Have your pool heater serviced at least once a year A pool heater, like any other fuel-burning appliance, requires routine maintenance to function properly. In fact, an annual pool heater tune-up will usually pay for itself in efficiency gains alone, not to mention the long-term benefits of frequent maintenance for your pool heater.
Are you having fun in your heated pool? Great! Just make sure you’re not spending more money than necessary to keep it going. To maintain your pool heater functioning at top efficiency, sign up for a Hocon Pool Heat Inspection and Tune-up, one of the many high-value Home Comfort Solutions we provide our loyal Connecticut customers.
Is it true that pool heaters consume a lot of propane?
Summer is almost here, which may be difficult to believe if you reside in the Northeast. If you have a pool, now is a better time than ever to consider heating it following the cool May we’ve had. This article will explain how propane pool heating works and provide an estimate of how much propane you’ll need to heat your pool. Because the majority of pools are in the backyard and a long distance from the street connection, running natural gas lines to the pool area can be highly costly. Propane is the most used fuel for pool heating.
What size Tank do I need?
Most pool heaters range from 300,000 to 400,000 BTU for a normal size pool (21,000 gallons). As a result, you’ll need at least 200 gallons of propane to meet the required pressure to operate these heaters. This can be done in a variety of ways. One method is to use 2-100 above-ground gallons tanks, which is arguably the most frequent technique to heat a pool. Another option is a horizontal tank with a capacity of 250 gallons above ground. Installing a 500 gallon or 1000 gallon subterranean tank is another possibility. This solution is much more expensive, but it is less distracting. If you plan to heat your pool on a frequent basis, this option may be the most expensive up front, but it may save you money in the long term.
How much will I use?
“I think my tanks are leaking, please come out and check,” is a regular call after a homeowner turns on their pool heater for the first time. Most of the time, there is no leak, and homeowners are surprised by how much gas they used to heat their pool. If you intend to heat your pool, be aware that it will consume a significant amount of propane in a relatively short period of time. Allow me to explain.
Every 100,000 BTUs, the average pool heater uses around 1 gallon of water per hour. Propane heaters are typically 400,000 BTUs, as I said previously. As a result, you’ll be burning about 4 gallons of propane every hour. So, how long will the heater be turned on?
How long does it take a propane heater to heat a pool?
Propane heaters use approximately 1 gallon of propane every 100,000 BTUs. This equates to 4 gallons per hour for a typical 400,000 BTU heater. Propane is currently priced between $4.50 and $5 a gallon. Check with your provider for the most up-to-date pricing. In most cases, one hour on propane will set you back $ 18.00. With no solar cover, an average pool (10-12K gallon) takes 8-14 hours to heat. When you use a solar blanket to heat your pool, you will considerably improve the effectiveness of the heating process and reduce evaporative heat loss.
Natural gas heaters (often referred to as NG heaters) consume approximately 1 therm per hour per 100,000 BTUs. That’s 4 therms per hour for a typical 400,000 BTU pool heater. Natural gas costs roughly $1.50 per therm near Tampa right now. On average, it costs roughly $7.00 to heat a pool for one hour using natural gas. With no solar cover, an average pool (10-12K gallon) takes 8-14 hours to heat. When you use a solar blanket to heat your pool, you will considerably improve the effectiveness of the heating process and reduce evaporative heat loss.
Heat pumps consume about 5,000 watts per 100,000 BTUs, or 5 kilowatts per hour. That’s 5 kilowatts per hour for a standard size 100,000 BTU heat pump. In our neighborhood, the average cost of power is $.16 cents per kilowatt hour. Electricity rates vary by utility supplier, so double-check yours. One hour on a heat pump, for example, will cost.80 cents. Expect 1 to 1.5 degrees of change each hour to heat an ordinary pool (10-12K gallon) without a solar cover. When you use a solar blanket to heat your pool, you will considerably improve the effectiveness of the heating process and reduce evaporative heat loss. Please keep in mind that if your water is colder than usual, heating periods will be longer!
Heat pumps are typically the least expensive choice for heating your pool in terms of operating costs.
A gas heater will heat your pool considerably faster than a heat pump, but it will usually be more expensive.
A heat pump heats your water by drawing ambient air through coils, thus as the air temperature drops below 50 degrees, the effectiveness of the equipment drops. To minimize lower temperatures and enhance heating effectiveness, we recommend just heating your pool during the day.
A gas heater is a great alternative if you want to get into the spa faster. In terms of heating time, a Heat Pump takes much longer to heat and is not as efficient as a gas heater.
Heat pumps cost around $3600.00, whereas gas heaters cost between $ 2300.00 and $ 2900.00 when installed.
Is it more cost-effective to heat a pool with gas or electricity?
Some may argue that gas is cheaper, but this is only half of the picture. When it comes to the initial cost, gas is usually less expensive than electricity. However, it is dependent on natural gas and propane prices, which means that while the equipment is less expensive, the cost of operation is usually higher in the long run.
In terms of cost, electric swimming pool heaters are considerably different from gas heaters. Because of their complexity, the devices are more expensive up front, and the cost of installation is also higher. Electricity, on the other hand, is usually less expensive in the long run. Electricity is also more dependable and has a longer lifespan than gas.
What is the most cost-effective method of pool heating?
Nothing beats swimming in a warm pool in the fall, when the summer heat has subsided. However, there is a cost. Depending on the size of the pool, the typical monthly cost to heat it might range from $300 to $1,000. But don’t worry; there are plenty of cost-effective alternatives to heat your pool. Here are seven of the most cost-effective ways to heat your pool during the off-season.
How long does it take to heat a pool with a capacity of 20,000 gallons?
You have a 125,000 BTU heater and a 20,000-gallon pool. Your water is currently 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but you want it to be at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. How long till the pool water reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit?
In most cases, heat pump and heater calculations are overly optimistic. Because the effectiveness of heat pumps fluctuates based on the air temperature, calculations cannot account for colder temperatures. When the air is quite warm, the indicated BTU size is used.
Gas heaters are more reliable, but they are also inefficient. They are only around 80% efficient, which must be taken into account. You should also expect to lose heat overnight, which will lengthen your heating time. It’s usually a good idea to round up after using this formula to calculate how long it takes to heat up your pool to account for heat loss and efficiency. The methodology provides pool owners with approximate times rather than exact times.
Pentair’s Heat Pump Calculator
Online calculators are usually not very user-friendly or accurate, therefore I’m not a big fan of them. The heat pump calculator on the Pentair website, on the other hand, is simple to use and includes all of the information you’ll need when buying a heat pump. The Pentair calculator tool gathers data on a pool’s location, size, and configuration in order to provide the best heat pump solution for the pool owner’s needs.
A screenshot of a pool owner in Florida is seen below. The graph depicts the average air temperature for each month, as well as the running time and overall consumption expenses. Pentair’s Heat Pump Calculator can be found here.
Other Resources
The best thing about heaters and heat pumps is that they allow pool owners to use their pool to its full potential even when the weather isn’t cooperating. Arriving to an ice-cold swimming pool with your party attendees isn’t ideal. We constantly advise that you plan ahead. It’s important to remember that even after you’ve finished your calculations and have a reasonable sense of how long it will take to warm your pool, you can’t account for other factors like outside temperature, efficiency, or heat loss through evaporation. When considering how long to operate your heater or heat pump, it’s always a good idea to round up. This allows you some leeway in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Heaters and heat pumps are significant investments. As a result, pool owners are extremely cautious and strategic in their usage of heat pumps and heaters. Pool owners, on the other hand, are not uncommon to have problems with their heaters. Here is a collection of more useful blogs about heaters to help pool owners with their heaters.
Should I leave the pool heater on all night?
Not only will it be difficult to keep the heat in your pool on colder nights, but you’ll also waste a lot of money trying to heat it. It’s better not to run your heater on an uncovered swimming pool at night unless you have a lot of money to burn.
How long would a 100 gallon gas tank keep you going?
We use a variety of home propane tank sizes for heating. The smallest of these tanks is a 100-gallon propane tank. We’ll investigate how long a 100-gallon propane tank can be used to heat a home.
At first glance, the math appears to be straightforward. The 100-gallon propane tank, for example, will last 50 40 days if we use 2 gallons of propane every day for heating. Because of the 80 percent tank rule, a 100 gallon propane tank does not contain 100 gallons of propane when fully charged; instead, it contains 80 gallons of propane when fully charged (safety measure).
In practice, though, we must consider our heating requirements. These are mostly determined by the size of our residence (square footage). As we’ll see later, 100-gallon propane will last anywhere from 11 to 85 days depending on home size and propane consumption in the United States (almost 3 months).
To figure out how long a 100-gallon propane tank will endure, we’ll need to know the following information:
- A 100-gallon propane tank holds 80 gallons of propane when fully charged. This is a safety precaution; if a 100 gallon contained 100 gallons of propane, the pressure on the internal wall of the propane tank may become dangerously high at higher temperatures.
We can figure out how long a 100-gallon propane tank will survive in two ways:
We’ll demonstrate how to perform both calculations. You should use the first calculation if you know your heating demand (which can range from 10,000 to 200,000 BTU/h).
The second estimate, which is based on average propane consumption and house size, is a simpler way to figure out how long a 100-gallon tank will last.
Note: You may find out how long all propane tanks (from 1 pound to 2,000 gallon) last by visiting this page.
Let’s start with the theoretical calculation, then go on to the far more realistic second calculation (house size based):
How much does it cost per day to heat a pool?
Natural gas consumes roughly 1 therm per 100,000 BTUs per hour on average (British Thermal Units). To put it another way, an average pool heater with 300,000 to 400,000 BTUs will cost $3.30 to $4.40 per hour to heat your pool. When looking at it from an annual perspective, it can easily cost $4,000 to keep a 14 x 28 Central Florida pool at 80 degrees Fahrenheit all year.
