Having a heating system in your swimming pool allows you to enjoy your pool throughout the year. During the colder months, the Sun isn’t as efficient in heating your pool.
This can make it uncomfortable to step into, especially if any of the swimmers are children or elderly people. If you enjoy using your pool for swimming laps, then the colder water may not bother you as much.
Do you use the pool as a tool for relaxation? Or for physiotherapy? Then you’ll be stuck using your pool for just three or four months a year.
An effective solution to this problem is a pool heating system. And if you have a Fibreglass pool, then there’s some great news for you. Not only is a fibreglass pool compatible with pool heating systems, but you can choose the kind of heating system you want to be installed as well!
So yes, you can absolutely install a heating system in your fibreglass pool. That means that you can enjoy relaxing or swimming in your pool any time of the year, come summer or winter.
Why should you install a heating system in your fibreglass pool?
A heating system enables you to consistently enjoy your swimming pool throughout the year. Australia generally receives around three to four months of the pleasant summer Sun in a year. Depending on where you live in the country, these numbers can go down as well.
During the warmer months, you can expect the temperature to go up to around 30 degrees. This is perfect weather and allows the Sun to gently heat your pool through the day.
During the colder months, the temperature can fall to 10 degrees. At this temperature, heat from the Sun alone won’t be enough to heat the water in your pool. As the temperature starts to fall, you may notice that the surface of your pool tends to be warmer than the actual pool water itself.
This happens as the Sun can still heat the surface of the pool but isn’t able to heat the pool thoroughly. Even if you test the pool water with your finger and find the temperature to be comfortable. You’ll feel the colder water envelop you as you enter the pool.
If you live in a colder place like Melbourne or Tasmania, then relying only on the Sun to heat your pool could prove to be an even greater challenge. In these regions, the temperature during the summer months is around 16 to 22 degrees. The Sun can’t adequately heat your pool at this temperature.
Spas generally maintain a temperature of around 29 degrees. The ideal temperature to heat your pool using energy from the Sun is around 29 degrees. This means that in the colder regions, the temperature is always at least ten degrees lower, making it harder for the Sun to heat your pool.
This is where a pool heating system comes in. With a pool heating system, you can enjoy your swimming pool come rain or sunshine. And pool heating systems aren’t just good for outdoor pools, but indoor pools as well.
Indoor pools don’t rely on the Sun as much to maintain the water temperature but rather on the general temperature of the surrounding environment. With a pool heating system, you can enjoy swimming in your outdoor or indoor fibreglass pool at any time of the year! So Can Fibreglass Pools Be Heated?
What kind of heating systems are available for your pool?
There are three kinds of heating systems you can install in your pool. These utilise different sources of energy and heat your pool in different ways. You can either opt for a single kind of heating system or install more than one.
The kind of pool heating system you choose depends on your preferences, how often you want to swim and where you live. They are:
Solar Heating
A solar heating system is a popular choice among pool owners. A budget-friendly and environmentally sound solution, this method uses solar energy from the Sun to heat your pool.
A solar heating system will also help you control your utility bills, as it relies on very little except solar energy to heat your pool. The amount of power you can expect a solar heating system to use from your home is around 1 kW/hr, meaning that it’ll barely affect your utility bills.
How it works is relatively simple. Solar capillary tubes will be installed on the roof of your house. Pumps connecting your pool water to the capillary tubes will be installed as well. The cold water from your pool will be pumped through the pipes to the capillary tubes.
Once it reaches the tubes, the water gets heated by the heat from the Sun and is then sent back. This heating system can increase the overall temperature of your pool by 2 degrees.
The reason the capillary tubes are installed on your roof is as it allows for more thorough heating from the Sun. The materials used in the heating system also allow for solar energy to more efficiently heat the pool water.
This method allows you to maintain a consistent water temperature in your pool. However, there are a few drawbacks to a solar heating system. Your heating system is reliant on the Sun. This means that if it’s raining or cloudy, or even the nighttime, then the solar heating system won’t be able to heat your pool efficiently.
Electric Heating System
If relying on solar energy isn’t your cup of tea, then an electric heating system could be exactly what you’re looking for. An electric heating system doesn’t rely on solar energy but rather on the heat from the air.
An electric heating system gathers heat energy from the surrounding environment and sends it through to a heat exchanger. From there, this heat energy is sent to the pool.
This method takes a little longer than a solar heating system to heat your pool. It also heats up the pool to a lesser degree than a solar heating system can.
However, you won’t be relying on the Sun, which means that you can heat your pool whether it’s raining or sunny, whether it’s daytime or nighttime. This pool heating system is also environmentally friendly, and you can easily accommodate it into your budget.
Gas Heating
A gas heating system is the most efficient of the three heating systems, but it’s also the least cost-effective. Typically, a gas heating system is used in spas to maintain a warm water temperature. It’s also not dependent on the Sun or heat from the air, making it usable even during the cold winter months.
The benefit of a gas heating system is that it can heat your pool quickly and maintain a consistent water temperature. It takes about an hour for a gas heating system to heat the spa. Depending on the size of your pool, you can use a gas heating system to warm it up.
People generally prefer to keep a gas heating system as a backup heating system if a solar or an electric heating system can’t be used. This helps you save power and use your pool anytime.
What should you take into consideration when deciding on the right heating system for your pool?
A pool heating system allows you to maintain a consistent water temperature in your pool anytime during the year.
The right heating system for your fibreglass pool will depend on a few factors, such as:
- Why do you use the pool? For swimming laps, physiotherapy, or relaxation?
- Who uses the pool? Children and the elderly need warmer water temperatures to feel comfortable.
- Where do you live? What is the weather like? How much Sun do you get?
- How frequently do you use the pool? Do you use it throughout the year?
If you aren’t sure about the right fibreglass pool heating system that’s suitable for you, you can ask a reliable pool installer for advice. Since some pool heating systems need to be installed at the time of pool installation, a reliable pool installer can help you.
A pool heating system is a great way to ensure that you can enjoy your pool when you want to, during any season and at any time of the year.