As a pool heater may be the biggest investment into your pool equipment, you want to ensure you make the right choice and with so many different options on the market it can get confusing. We have created a quick read below outlining the different types of heaters and a few of our favourites.

Key features on most Heaters available these days are:

• Easy to read LCD display
• Compact design
• Very durable
• Able to heat almost any pool
• Wifi as a standard

• Costs of purchasing the heater vs operating costs
• The application, environment and the desired requirements of the heater
• The frequency in which you will use the pool

Whether you’re putting in a new in-ground pool or simply interested in upgrading your current pool with a state-of-the-art heat pump system, choosing the pool heater that’s going to be best for you depends on a number of different factors. You’ll have to decide if you want to invest a little more money up front for savings in the long run in the form of lower monthly operating costs, or if you want to save money on the initial purchase and installation, you’ll have to be willing to pay a little more each month to operate the heater.

Your location and climate will also be a big factor in deciding what type of pool heater to buy. If you live in a cooler climate that doesn’t get a lot of sunshine, solar pool heaters and electric heat pumps won’t be the best choice.

And finally, one thing that a lot of people fail to consider when making a decision for a pool heater is how often they will be using the pool. This comes into play because this will help determine the needed run times for your pump and to determine which one is best for your requirements.

Without going into much detail, hands down we love our ECO heat pumps because of their longevity, efficiency, safety and ease of use. If you want to get down into the nitty-gritty details, you can check out our very detailed comparison between solar pool heaters, gas heaters, and heat pumps here.

AstralPool believe your pool or spa should be a warm oasis, when you want it, without the huge costs associated. The Viron Gas Heater uses revolutionary technology to heat your pool quickly and accurately to the temperature you select.

Heat on demand technology will save approximately 20% on operating costs over a conventional gas heater. By not having to run your gas heater all the time you will also reduce the Co2 emissions produced.

Features:

• Save up to 20% on operating costs
• Condensation produced is collected and returned to the pool
• 30% - 50% smaller to save space
• Maintains a consistent and even temperature
• Viron 350 requires 300LPM Min

Cons:

• Higher upfront cost
• Poor aftersales support from Astral and in field service

It is important to note that Viron Heaters require more water flow than conventional pool gas heaters on the market. It is not as simple as removing your old gas heater and installing a Viron.

The AstralPool Heat Pump has been designed to heat your swimming pool using electricity. Based on the same principles employed in air conditioners and refrigerators, the AstralPool Heat Pump extracts the latent heat that exists in the atmosphere around us and delivers its direction into the swimming pool water.

Inverter technology allows the swimming pool heat pump to reach an extremely high COP compared with normal heat pumps in the market. The unique inverter technology reduces the speed of the unit as it reaches the desired temperature. This greatly saves on energy and enables you to enjoy swimming quicker and at a constant temperature.

With the optional WiFi module add-on, you can control on the go with your smartphone. Monitor and set your pool’s temperature even if you’re away on a business trip or holiday through your home’s WiFi. With the HeatPumpGO app (available for Android and iOS devices), your pool temperature will always be right at your fingertips wherever you are!

Features:

• Extend your swimming season or swim all year round
• R32 Gas for quicker heating times and less energy used
• Whisper quiet
• Super-efficient
• Maintains the pool temperature 24 hours a day
• Reduced temperature when the pool is not in use
• Low operating Costs
• Optional WiFi Module add-on for control though the HeatPumpGo App (available on Android and iOS)

SEE ALSO: Extending the Swimming Season with a Pool Heat Pump

High Performance, highly reliable and in a compact package. The AstralPool HiNRG Heaters are designed for rapid heat up of your swimming pool or spa and to work with today’s energy efficient variable speed pumps, even when set on energy efficient low speed.

The build quality, an important factor for gas pool and spa heating is so high that the HiNRG Heater is covered by a 5-year limited warranty on both commercial and residential installations.

Pros:

• High capacity for fast heat up
• Energy Efficient
• Pre-mixed combustion for low emissions
• Heating on demand
• Great quality unit

Cons:

• Higher upfront cost
• Poor aftersales support from Astral and in field service

Hands down our recommendation for the best swimming pool heater goes to the Water TechniX Inverter Heat Pump Paradise Series. It provides an excellent mix of value and performance, whilst still maintaining the level of heating that you have come to expect from the top-of-the-line heat pumps. Now that you've seen all and weighed all of the options, all that's left now is to determine the right size for your pool! Reach out to our team through the contact form today and our team of pool professionals will be happy to give you a FREE pool heating estimate.

As an added bonus, we've also teamed up with SplitIt to make payments on your heat pump purchase much lighter on the pocket by splitting up the cost into installments, interest-free and with no hidden charges! Head on down to our Payments Page for more information about SplitIt and our other payment methods.

Don't know what size heat pump or heater to get for your pool? You can check out our heater size guide here.

The total price for Heat Pumps does not include any electrical installation costs and plumbing costs. For the electrical installation, a qualified electrician is required to properly ground the unit and hardwire it into your home’s electrical system. The total costs for electrical installation of the Pool Heat Pumps can run anywhere from $120 - $200 depending on labor costs, location, and materials used for installation.

SEE ALSO: How to Install a Pool Heater

For the plumbing costs, a trade qualification is not required, but is recommended to ensure that the warranty isn’t voided. Plumbing costs can be anywhere from $100 - $500 depending on the labor costs and the complexity of the plumbing work to be done. If your pool’s plumbing system has enough space to accommodate a pool heat pump without complex plumbing work then it shouldn’t cost too much.

These are just rough approximations of expenses, for a more accurate estimate, contact your local electrician and plumber

For a more detailed explanation on things to consider when getting a pool Heat Pump, click the button below.

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Do you have any questions about this topic or the featured products? No worries, we're here to help! Drop us a question down below and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Happy swimming :)