Heater for a Vinyl Pool

by Laura
(Fairfield, CA)

What kind of heater would be best? ELECTRIC, GAS OR PROPANE? And what brand name do you think is the best?

Hi Laura

The best way to heat your above ground pool is going to depend on what is most available to you locally and at what price. I prefer electric ones myself simply because we do not use gas in our home. It's easier for me to run an electric wire one time than it is to keep a propane container full on a regular basis. Natural gas, or propane, are probably much more cost efficient than electric but that again depends on your source and the going prices.

This page talks more about above ground pool heaters and recommends a couple.

Pool Heaters

If you need to swim year round this is probably the way to go. For extending the use of your pool by a few months a year you may be just fine with some solar panels and a solar cover. The pages below will give you more ideas for heating an above ground pool.

Heating an Above Ground Pool

Swimming Pool Solar Panels

Solar Pool Cover

Heating a Soft Sided Pool

I am just wondering if there is a heater you can get for the round soft sided pools or if there is a way to heat them. Ours is either a 10' or 12' round pool. I was also wondering if a waterbed heater may work.

Photobrat

Hi

Thanks for the good question. A water bed heater would not be big enough to do the job. The best option is one of the solar panels for above ground pools. They would easily adapt to your existing filter hoses and heat the water up considerably.

The other option would be an electric spa heater. This type of heater is more expensive and would require additional plumbing but it would keep you swimming year round.

Solar Heat for an AGP

by Chris
(Westchester, NY)

After two years of having my solar panels sitting on the lawn behind my deck I decided to install them on the roof of my two story house. I was advised that the filter pump would not be able to get the water up to the roof so I added a second pump.

The problem I'm facing is the pressure from pump #1 is blowing the lid off of pump #2 any advice on how to handle this. I've attached a sketch of the line and valve layout.

Hi Chris.

I would start by going over these two sites and make sure you have your valves and check valves all in place. The heater line should be running off the return side of the filter so it should not affect the pump on the input side.

www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_hot_water/pools/installation/index.htm

www.solarhotusa.com/support/literature/files/Pool-instructions.pdf

If the lid to your secondary pump is the one coming off you could just get rid of the hair and lint pot altogether. Since you are working with clean, filtered water, there is no need for it. Run your pipe directly into the front of the pump.

This is a very simplified version of a solar panel hookup.

Swimming Pool Solar Panels