A question about pool heating

[Katys Grandad]

One of my children is thinking about having a week's break in February/March and has been looking at villas in Orlando. He has asked me a question I can't answer but I'm sure I'll find the answer here.

It seems obvious that if he's going to use the pool it will need heating at that time of year. His question is, when the villa hasn't been occupied in the preceding week, when is the heating actually switched on and and how long from that point will it take for the water temperature to get to a comfortable level? I suppose his real question is whether it's actually worth doing for 1 week if the pool is being heated from cold.

[christhear]

This will depend on what the MC does, mine always turn the pool heating on the day before arrival so it would have been on for 24hours at least. Being a Gas pool heater this will have the pool ready to use by the time they arrive.

[CERICROWLEY]

Just from my point of view. I have a thermostat control, that I can view from the UK. Pool heat in the winter months, will be switched on the day before and pump extended to reach temp of around 87/8, and pump put back to normal regular hours, pool blanket is put on. It is then upto the guests to ensure the pool blanket is kept on whenever not used and overnight to keep the temp from falling dramatically. There will be some drop overnight, but if blanket is used correctly, it should be fine.

[Pookie]

We always have the electric heating turned on 24 hours before the arrival date.

Effectively 48 hours because most UK arrivals are late on the first day.

We also have a solar blanket which does keep the heat in and this does need to be put on at night or left on if the pool is not in use during the day.

Lynne

[mary and colin]

This will depend on what the MC does, mine always turn the pool heating on the day before arrival so it would have been on for 24hours at least. Being a Gas pool heater this will have the pool ready to use by the time they arrive.

We are the same. gas heater and turned on 24 hours before.

Mary

[Robert5988]

KG,

I did a couple of studies on this for our pool and the US Government have some excellent websites on pool heating - unfortunately the links have adverts so can't post them(extract below), but most domestic pools should be designed to raise temperature by at least 1F an hour. However in winter this requires a lot of heating and is not always achieved - according to the pool contractors I consulted.

Gas heaters usually have a much higher output than electrical heat pumps. They are usually cheaper to install(where gas is available) which is why developers often install them, but more expensive to run.

Obviously at that time of the year, pools can lose heat very quickly if not heated and wind is a huge factor in cooling. So initial temperature of water at start of rental is crucial.

Below gives you some idea of the factors involved.

Sizing a Gas or Heat Pump Swimming Pool Heater

You should have a trained pool professional perform a proper sizing analysis for your specific swimming pool to determine pool heater size.
Sizing a gas or a heat pump pool heater involves many factors. Basically, a heater is sized according to the surface area of the pool and the difference between the pool and the average air temperatures. Other factors also affect the heating load for outdoor pools, such as wind exposure, humidity levels, and cool night temperatures. Therefore, pools located in areas with higher average wind speeds at the pool surface, lower humidity, and cool nights will require a larger heater.
Gas pool heaters are rated by Btu (British thermal unit) output. Outputs range from 75,000 Btu to 450,000 Btu.
Heat pump pool heaters are rated by Btu output and horsepower (hp). Standard sizes include 3.5 hp/75,000 Btu, 5 hp/100,000 Btu, and 6 hp/125,000 Btu.
Calculating Approximate Size

To calculate an approximate heater size for an outdoor swimming pool, follow these steps:

1. Determine your desired swimming pool temperature.
2. Determine the average temperature for the coldest month of pool use.
3. Subtract the average temperature for the coldest month from the desired pool temperature. This will give you the temperature rise needed.
4. Calculate the pool surface area in square feet.
5. Use the following formula to determine the Btu/hour output requirement of the heater:
   

This formula is based on 1º to 1-1/4ºF temperature rise per hour and a 3-1/2 mile per hour average wind at the pool surface. For a 1-1/2ºF rise multiply by 1.5. For a 2ºF rise multiply by 2.0.
Related Information

[florida4sun]

Simple answer and based in experience with lots of different heaters. The pool should be warm for your arrival. Wehn the pool heater is switchd, would be allowed for by the MC but typically electric heaters would be turned on 24 hours before and gas heaters the morning of your arrival (assumming check in of around 3pm).

[Tonish]

We have had experience of this a few times as a guest. In winter, from stone cold to a useable temperature takes about a day. Sometimes less. We could have been lucky, the pools we needed it for may have had particularly efficient or powerfiul heaters, but it has happened on at least 3 occasions in different properties and 24 hrs has been enough each time.

[Laurel Oak]

The short answer is yes its worth having pool heat for a week.

[luckylady]

If the house hasn't been occupied for a few days. My MC does the same switches the heating on a full 24 hours before the guests arrival.
In fact if there is only a three day gap between guests,we leave the heating on. As it’s not worth switching the heating off for a short period when the pool is at the correct temperatureI.

I agree definitely worth having pool heated for a week.