Pool Heating Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about pool heating, heat pumps or installations? Our experts have answered frequently asked questions and about pool heaters, pool heat pumps and other pool related topics.  If you have a question not listed, feel free to comment below or contact us for assistance.

What size pool heater do I need?

For rectangular pools 14 X 28 feet or less you can use 80,000 BTUs. If you use a solar cover, you can go up to 18 X 36 feet with the same pool heating systems. For over 18 X 36 feet you need to go with at least 100,000 BTUs. It never hurts to go with a larger size electric pool heater if you want to make sure that for the few times when the outside temperature dips that you will still be able to enjoy your pool.For round pools less than 22 feet, you can use 80,000 BTUs.If you use a solar cover, you can use the same size pool heaters up to 30 feet around. For round pools wider than 30 feet, a heater with at least 100,000 BTUs is recommended.

How do pool heat pumps work?

Follow this link to learn how heat pumps work.

All of our pool heaters are new from the manufacturer. There are refurbished and rebuilt heaters on the market, but we only sell new heaters. We think that it's too risky to start with something that has been repaired already. Usually the rebuilt ones are the same price or more than the new ones. If you don't buy from us, make sure you are getting a new unit with a full factory warranty.

How long do heaters last?

Hard to say. We have heat pumps going on 20 years. Most seem to last about 12 years. Gas heaters last about 6 or 7. There are big differences due to location, parts of the country, beach, sprinklers etc. I have a feeling that the quality of heaters being made today will make them last longer. I think the best heaters that have been ever made, are being manufactured today.

How do I know which brand is the right one for me?

Some brands are better for different applications. Give us a call and we will help you choose.

Why do I need a 300,000 BTU gas heater and only a 100,000 BTU heat pump?

Different technology. Cost is about the same for a 150,000 BTU or a 300,000 BTU gas heater. Might as well go bigger and have it heat up faster. A heat pump is designed to run longer to capture the free heat in the air.

What do you think is the most important quality in a heat pump?

Reliability.

Are there some heaters that you don't like?

Yes.

Which pool heaters do you don't like?

If you ask about a particular heater I will tell you the positives as well as the negatives.

General Questions

Should I use a solar cover?

Most people think that a solar cover is an inconvenience, but they do save you about fifty percent of your swimming pool heating expense. You will also save on water and chemicals too.

What if I see a price for less?

Please let us know, we will try to accommodate you. We have been getting reports from our customers that some low prices change upon ordering. Or they get a wild shipping price. There are many ways to ship a heater. When we ship to your home, it is always with a proper truck that will lower the heater to the ground. You won't need five of your strongest neighbors to help you lower it from the truck.

Do you charge taxes?

We only collect taxes in Washington. Sorry Washington, I'll give you a break on the shipping though.

Why should I buy a heat pump when a gas heater is half as much?

Nothing beats gas for the speed at which it heats. Unfortunately, you will pay up to five times the operating cost. Also, you need to consider the cost to run a gas line or put a propane tank by the pool. I've seen that cost close to a thousand dollars; bringing heat pumps and gas heaters close to the same initial investment.

How can I tell on my own if a heat pump manufacturer cares about customer service?

Give them a call and ask some questions. See if they are happy to hear from you or if they want to know how you found their number. Look at their website. You can learn a lot about a company that way. I saw one manufacturer with testimonials, and after I looked closely, it seemed they were all from the selling dealers and not the customers. Things that make you go...... hummmm.

Why don't more people in my neighborhood have heat pumps?

They will soon.

Delivery Questions

I'm worried about receiving a heater that was shipped from 500 miles away. Is that a problem?

I was looking on another website and they were explaining that they have warehouses all over the United States; thus, a heater will never travel very far to a customer, because metal and plastic heaters that travel long distances will get damaged. My sides are still hurting from laughing so hard! All heaters have to travel to the warehouses and doesn't matter if it travels directly to you from the factory or stops at a warehouse 100 miles from you. The less the heater is loaded and unloaded the better. It is very rare to loose a heater, maybe 1 out of 200. If china can ship dinnerware 6,000 miles and not crack it, I think we can get you a metal heater over the best interstates in the world. We have heaters from the Andes mountains in Bolivia to the Alps in Italy, so far with a 100% success rate. And anyway we have warehouses all over the country too.

Will the truck driver put the heater near my pool equipment?

Most of the time if you offer the driver $10.00 or $20.00 they will help you. I don't have any control over the drivers of the freight companies trucks. If one of my drivers delivers it in my area they will help you for free.

Installation Questions

Who will install my heater?

Heat pumps are very simple to install. They come with instruction manuals. Basically it is just gluing two pipes to the heater. If you are up north you will need a union to disconnect it in the winter and then you call a licensed electrician to wire it.

Can I install the heater myself?

About one third of my customers install the heaters themselves. Then they hire an electrician to run the wire. Installations are very simple and all the heaters come with manuals. It is only two PVC pipes in and out of the heater. All my customers have found someone close who could do the job.

If I install the heater myself. Will I void the warranty?

No.

Can I put the heat pump in a shed?

Heat pumps need plenty of air circulation. They work better outside.

Warranty Questions

How do I get warranty service?

All warranty's claims are handled through the manufacturer. You will be provided with the phone number in your Owner's Manual. They will then send somebody to your house or if they do not have a service center in the area they will hire a heating and cooling contractor to make the repairs.

I want to be confident that the manufacturer will stand behind the product. What should I do?

You can ask about my experience dealing with manufacturer's over the last 21 years or you can call the factory directly and ask a bunch of questions and see how they treat you. If it seems like you are bothering them or if you get caught up in an endless cycle of voicemail and don't get a return call promptly, that might be a good indication of their commitment to you.

Company Questions

Are your customer testimonials real?

Yes, all the letters on the testimonial page are real. They are from gracious customers who have answered questions from future heater owners all on their own. I feel a little guilty that they are using their precious time to help people, and me too. Also, please send me an e-mail after you buy a heater and I will put it on the response page. I laugh when I go to other sites and they have three testimonials without names or e-mail addresses.

Why should I buy from you?

I've personally been selling and repairing swimming pool heaters for almost twenty years. I've sold or repaired almost every heat pump that has ever been manufactured . I think that I have the best prices in the country. I know I have the best service. I will handle your questions personally and will help you choose the best pool heater for your requirements. And I am a nice guy.

Do you install heaters?

We don't install heaters but we have great people in Florida and in many parts of the country we can help find someone for you too. Most people know someone who can glue a couple of pipes and then they hire an electrician. Some homeowners do it themselves. It is not rocket science.

How is your customer service?

We pride ourselves on getting back to you right away. And if you have a problem, we will work with you until it is solved. We know other suppliers are not doing that because we get e-mails all the time directed mistakenly at us complaining about poor service. If you buy somewhere else we can't help very well.

Why do you sell so many heaters?

We wanted to have the best selection in the world. I use the web for most of my shopping and I always appreciate if all the information is in one place. If you ask my opinion first, you will get a good heater.

Will you keep my information private?

We don't share customer information with anybody. We might lose track of it too. So please bookmark our site.

Do you put coupons on heaters that don't sell well?

No. I promote my favorite heaters. I do not like getting calls that there is a problem with one of my heaters. I have lost sales because I told people that there were problems with a heater that they were interested in. If I was on commission I would fire myself. (Please believe me when I tell you the faults or the limitations of a heater. I don't want you muttering under you breath 3 years from now that you didn't know some quality or capacity issues when you bought the heater).

Will poolheatpumps.com tell me to buy now because prices are going up next week?

No. We will honor a price for 4 weeks after you see it on the site. Unless we put on the site the last day that you can buy it on the site. We also failed sales school, so we will never pressure you to buy. We think that when you are ready you will get one. And since the swimming season will be over soon, and the relatives will be coming for the holidays, you really should hurry.

How can your prices be $500.00 to $2000.00 less than I received locally?

As one of the largest distributors of swimming pool heat pumps in the world and we have made arrangements with most of the manufacturers for quantity pricing. We then pass the savings on to you.

Will you keep calling and e-mailing me to get me to buy?

No. Well maybe, if we are really slow. It hasn't happened yet.

I am nervous spending so much money on a heat pump with out meeting the owner of the company or being able to kick the tires.

We sometimes forget that some people are wary buying from a company that is not local. We ship heaters every day all over the world, and to us it is normal. All the manufacturers know who I am. Most even like me. We are listed on Dun and Brad Street and are a registered corporation. We just celebrated the 21th anniversary of our county license and will be around for a long time. Depending on your location we might be able to arrange for you to go to one of the warehouses to inspect the heaters. We also have people wiring us money all the time from parts of the world that I couldn't find on a map even if there was a Chinese buffet nearby. You can contact some of them on my customer response page if you like.

After I buy a heater from you, do you laugh all the way to the bank?

We try to laugh in the office but never while driving. We have been here for over 21 years and will be here for at least another 20 for you. We plan on being around until the technology changes and you will be able to heat your pool, barbeque holiday dinners, baby-sit the kids and watch first run movies all on the same machine.

Why do you write questions at 1am after a long day in the office. Why isn't your web designer helping?

I love my business; or maybe I am just a frustrated writer. As for my web designer she is in Disney World this weekend and I am counting the days until her return.

How can we trust you when most of the manufacturers take you out for Dinner?

That is my one weakness. I will try to split the dinner bill next time.

I saw a heater for $100.00 less than you on another website. I thought you had the lowest prices?

We should have the lowest prices. Sometimes is hard to compare because there's different ways to ship. Sometimes there are taxes involved and sometimes is not the same machine, older model or it has a different warranty. Just call as and let us know and we'll get to the bottom of it.

Contractor Questions

My local pool contractor says heat pumps won't work where I live?

They are wrong. We had heat pumps all over the world. From Costa Rica to Canada and from Hawaii to Spain. We have had no complains yet.

My pool contractor only sells one brand of pool heater. He says there is no need to carry any other ones, because his is the best for my area.

Do your homework.

My pool contractor is giving me a hard time about buying a heater from someone other than him. What should I do?

Get a new contractor. For 20 years I would do whatever work that my customers needed done. If I am charging for my labor then I am happy. If my customer is happy then we will have a long relationship. I have never understood contractors who fight their customers and punish them for doing their homework. It is not your problem if your contractor needs to make a Porsche payment.

Do you dislike swimming pool contractors?

No. Most of my friends are pool contractors. They are hard working honest men in a very physically demanding job. They have earned my respect.