Pool Heat

[Orchid70]

Hi

just a question about pool heat experiences? I have been in the cooler months and the pool has been cold with pool heat in some villas and lovely and warm in others? Is there a temperature that owners who rent villas must set the temperature to? Had to complain a few times and the temperature was put up to what I would expect. It's so frustrating to be paying for heat that doesn't do what its meant to. Is it owners saving money by not putting the temperature up or does the heat turn the pool green?

I know it can only heat so far when very cold but through experience I've noticed a lot of difference between them all.

If anyone can shed some light on this I would be grateful as the pool is an important part of our holiday.

[steph_goodrum]

Pool heating is not really an exact science because of so many factors. For a start the orientation of the pool will make a difference, the pool heater itself, if you have a pool blanket or solar cover, the number of hours the pump is run. I suspect what has happened is what many of us find. There is an "average" number of hours (our heater doesnt even have a figure to set the temp at - just for example max) which is normally enough to keep the pool at a comortable swim temp. If it has just been turned on it will obviously take a few days to reach that temp. The pool pump is usually set to around 8 hours a day as we were advised. If it is much cooler, this may be increased to 12 to help keep the temp. In our case it has always been that sometimes we find it needs to be run longer and sometimes it is fine and is nothing to do with saving money as we feel that if we or guests are expecting to be able to swim then it will be adjusted. We have tried running it for longer as the norm and found that people said ti was too warm then for them to swim for long. (Having spent an hour once thinking I was a lobster I can understand why but I never thought I would say it was too hot).

[DaveL]

Another problem is what would be considered 'normal'.

I have had guests who asked for it to be turned down to 80 as they thought it was to warm and others who said they could not use it because it was below 95.

Both of these are extreme examples but go to show the range that guests want.

If this is an important part of your holiday then when you send out an enquiry make clear that you want to know the setting for the pool in winter. This is not to say that it will be at that temperature because of environmental conditions. However at least you know what the heater will be trying to reach.

Now to put things in perspective Disney sent all their pools to 82/83 in winter and this is around the temperature that is recommended by the Red Cross. Personally I find this a little cool and prefer about 88. So there you have the big word all about pool temperatures, 'personally'. The answer is talked to the owner before you arrive and you should have a wonder stay.

Dave

[autumnc]

Dave is right, pool heat is a very personal and individual choice. Some guests like it cold and refreshing, others like it like bathwater, so there is never a 'right' temperature. We have ours set at 88/89 degrees and we do make sure guests know it can go either way if they feel it's too warm or too cool for them. We've never been asked to lower it though, so that seems to be a good balance that works for us.

The other aspect to take into consideration is the different systems - gas and electric. Some electric heaters can only work up to certain air temperature and may cut out during cold periods, gas heaters can work at any temperature, but they are a lot more expensive to run than electric. The electric heaters will only cut out in really cold temperatures though, so that might only be an issue for a few days during the winter months.

Just make it clear on any future inquiries that a warm pool is essential and most owners will be happy to work with your personal preferences. It may be a little more expensive for higher temperatures because pool heat can be very costly, but if a few extra dollars a day make all the difference to you, then it will be worth every cent.

[Gerry Reed]

We too have ours set at around 88. This does not mean it will be at 88 but that the heater will turn off when it reaches 88. Most heaters work like A/C in reverse, taking heat from the air and putting it into the water. If you feel the warmth at the back of your fridge that has been taken out of the fridge - that is the way it takes warmth from the air and puts it into the pool. If the air temp is very low, 50s or lower, the pool heater will have difficulty keeping the water warm even if it is on all day and most heaters turn off altogether if the temp goes below 45. Even Florida does have the occasional frost in winter.
Keeping the solar blanket on when the pool is not in use, is very important or the water will loose heat quicker than the heater can put it in - especial on winter nights and during the day you can see steam (and therefore heat) coming off a warm pool if the air is cold. Heavy rain will also cool the pool. It may take a day or two to recover from a few cold days/nights or heavy rain.
A few pools have other forms of heating, such as gas - very expensive, and solar - great in summer but not so good on a cloudy winters day !
If the pool is cool and the heating is not on for at least 8 hrs a day - you can feel if it is on because the incoming water will feel a little warmer (only a little warmer, a degree or so ) than the rest of the pool, it may be worth asking to have the hours increased but obviously their is no point having the heating on once it is cold in the evening or before the air temp starts to rise in the morning.
We our also concious that our pool heater is very noisy and as it is down the side of the house ( not next to the pool) we do not want to keep our neighbours awake and guests might prefer to sit around the pool in peace in the evenings.
So, owners have to balance many factors and for most of us, cost is not the prim factor in keeping the pool warm. After all, we do charge for pool heating.
Hope this helps but as said by others, it is worth saying to an owner that a warm pool is important to you so that they can balance the above factors as much as possible.

Sue

[steph_goodrum]

I must admit during the Summer a friend had to replace her air conditioning unit and was without for a few days and the house was unbearably hot but her pool was a bit too cold to use as her solar heating was also leaking a bit o couldnt use it. We all decided that the first person who could make a system that drew the surplus warm air out from the house into heating the pool would be onto a winner

[Gerry Reed]

I must admit during the Summer a friend had to replace her air conditioning unit and was without for a few days and the house was unbearably hot but her pool was a bit too cold to use as her solar heating was also leaking a bit o couldnt use it. We all decided that the first person who could make a system that drew the surplus warm air out from the house into heating the pool would be onto a winner

I have often thought that. We spend a fortune pulling heat out of the house with one unit and next to it stands a second unit pushing heat into the pool. Why can't the two be combined. I realise that the two are not always both working - mid winter and mid summer, but a lot of the time we have both on. Could the heat taken from the house not be diverted into the pool somehow ? rather than just lost to the atmosphere.

Sue

[LiesaAnna]

we love the pool heated it helps my joints, my son in law dives into freezing cold water.. puts me to shame lol i understand that it could be expensive to the villa owner so always happy to pay for pool heating

[brownm]

The outside weather temperature can make a massive difference to the pool-heating so the correct use of a pool blanket is essential to preserve the already heated pool in preparation for next days use.

[Tony G]

That's something else to add to my list of things to 'research before using'!