Pool heater question for Floridians...

[Poohnatic]

Hi, fellow Floridians...

My MIL and SIL are getting an in ground pool built in a few weeks. Yes, I am intensely jealous-but that's a whole 'nother thread. Anywho, my SIL, in her infinite wisdom, is purchasing this pool without a screen enclosure OR any heating system.

Personally, I think this is insane and she'll only get a couple of months on either half of the year to swim (Sept/Oct) and (April/May).

So my question is this: if you DON'T have a pool heater, and you're in central florida, how much swim time do you truly get? If I ever get mine built, it's getting the enclosure and one more solar panel than recommended, but this is my SIL's baby.

Of course, we got the standing invitation to come use it whenever we want, but I'm not sure I'll be in it in January, like the lovely HEATED pools at Pop!

Suzanne

 

[diznygirl]

I'd screen in the pool just to keep the critters out!

We don't have a pool, but we use the un-heated pool in town for a long time - the last was just a few weeks ago. We are prob done until about March or April.

 

[wheeler1]

They live in central FL and will only be able to use the pool Sept & Oct and April and May unless they have a heater? Or an enclosure?

Color me confused.....

But then again, I live in the Northeast...what do I know about these things...

 

[Aimee K]

When we had a house with an unheated pool, we used the pool from about Mid April to about the end of September. The kids however would dive in when the air and water temp were both in the 50's

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My friends pool is not heated or screened..she swims about april-ish to about Sept/Oct ish.

I think her pool is cold ...my season with screen and heater is still going--if I let the kids swim in it.

If she lives on a shaded lot--her season will be much much much shorter.

My friend has 2 streets between her and the beach and an open yard.

Some people like cold water though.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

They live in central FL and will only be able to use the pool Sept & Oct and April and May unless they have a heater? Or an enclosure?

Color me confused.....

But then again, I live in the Northeast...what do I know about these things...

This is Florida--I don't swim unless it is the mid-80s or above air temp and corresponding pool temp.....

The enclosure in question is a screen and screens have a lot of impact on the pool temp and 2 identical pools other than the screen will have a temp difference of a few degrees.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We have a pool heater & hot tub heater which is connected. We do use the hot tub which can heat seperate from the pool.

To heat a pool costs a FORTUNE. You are looking at least $50.00- $100.00 range for 1 day. (depends how hot you want it and how cold it is).

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

solar heaters are free to operate and cost about as much if not slightly less than a gas or electric heater. Just make sure you have enough panels. We were on the cusp and had one less panel and went with how many they said we needed (we shortened the pool only a couple of feet). We later added the extra panel and it made a world of difference.

 

[ducklite]

There's a house in my neighborhood that's been for sale for 18 months now. It has a pool but no screen enclosure. One of my neighbors was talking to the Realtor on the house a couple weeks ago, and the three things that people don't like about the place are the color scheme, the lack of pool enclosure, and the location in the community.

Anne

 

[diznygirl]

They live in central FL and will only be able to use the pool Sept & Oct and April and May unless they have a heater? Or an enclosure?

Color me confused.....

But then again, I live in the Northeast...what do I know about these things...

No - the enclosure to keep the critters out, and using the un-heated pool from March/April TO October.......

Sorry to confuse you!

 

[lillygator]

mystery machine - what kind of heater is that?

We just put in our pool - no screen....but we got a heater for the pool and spa. We have only been running the spa heater until recently and the pool has been a bit nippy but not that bad. I hope our electric bill is not going to be $100 per day.

 

[ducklite]

mystery machine - what kind of heater is that?

We just put in our pool - no screen....but we got a heater for the pool and spa. We have only been running the spa heater until recently and the pool has been a bit nippy but not that bad. I hope our electric bill is not going to be $100 per day.

My next door neighbors got a $1000 power bill last February, they had left their pool heat on all that time and weren't even in town to enjoy it.

Now each time they leave I go over to their house and make sure they've set the a/c up and turned off the "pool boiler" as they call it. Twice this summer their daughter used the house and left the a/c set at 72 when she left to go back to the UK! I set it back up to 82 for them.

Anne

 

[marlasmom]

We have a solar heater. We don't use it in the summer. It gets too hot. It's too cold during the winter months. Our neighbors just put an enclosure around their pool. They said it was impossible to use at night without the enclosure due to the bugs.

 

[Poohnatic]

Thanks for all the replies.

Let me explain a little. She's not in the best of health and probably *could* use it in the summer, but in the evening. Health issues make it neccessary for her to avoid extreme heat. I thought an enclosure would help regulate the temps somewhat. So summer months (May to August) may result in the temps being too high.

I was thinking Solar as well, Lisa. That's the route I'll go someday. My thought process is that they are plunking down a big chunk of money for a pool that may be unuseable half the year *unless* they got the heater to extend into the winter months.

This really appears to be a buy first, think later kind of decision. I'd much rather see her call her pool guy to add a heater now than attempt it after it's been built. That's why I came to the DIS-your experiences can give me some more credibility. However, anytime I broach a subject with "I really think you should really consider this..." she does take what I have to say to heart.

Anne, she's not considering resale in the equation. To be brutally honest, I think that within 5 years, we'll be selling the house and moving Ed's mom here. I can't bring that into the conversation-but I can mention the panicked phone calls about how to get rid of the love bugs!

Part of the pool thing is my fault. I told her the mobility issues she has are only going to get worse if she doesn't excercise or walk (she uses an ECV outside the home and a rolling office chair in the home). I'd suggested going to the Y for the arthritis swim classes, but she got an inflata pool instead. Too small. Of course, she's justifying the expense by constantly telling us we can come over whenever we want to use it.


Again, everyone, THANK YOU!!!

Suzanne

 

[Redbudlover]

I have a pool in Austin, TX and don't like swimming in cool water - I like it like bath water! I have a pool cover that warms it up earlier in the spring so I can swim from April until mid October. It would be longer, but almost inevitably we have a cold October storm that dumps a lot of cold rain into the pool and cools it off. After that we don't seem to get enough hot nights to keep the pool warm. I have considered getting a pool heater - preferably solar for cost efficiency and have wondered about the reliability of a heater and also about how much longer you really do get to swim? Could anyone with a heater tell me of their experience?

 

[ford family]

My next door neighbors got a $1000 power bill last February, they had left their pool heat on all that time and weren't even in town to enjoy it.

Now each time they leave I go over to their house and make sure they've set the a/c up and turned off the "pool boiler" as they call it. Twice this summer their daughter used the house and left the a/c set at 72 when she left to go back to the UK! I set it back up to 82 for them.

Anne

Great job!
It costs us $300 a month to get that level of service!

ford family

 

[The Mystery Machine]

mystery machine - what kind of heater is that?

We just put in our pool - no screen....but we got a heater for the pool and spa. We have only been running the spa heater until recently and the pool has been a bit nippy but not that bad. I hope our electric bill is not going to be $100 per day.

We also just put in our pool. Haven't got to use it much. Need to update my photos. I finally did the landscaping last weekend.
It takes a solid 6 months to get everything done. We are here in North Texas and do not need a screen.

As far as the heater, we have a gas heater. We can choose to run it just for the hot tub, pool, or both if we want.
We might run it once just to up a few degrees when MIL comes for Thanksgiving.

 

[diznygirl]

The screen enclosure wouldn't provide complete shade, but it would help with the Love Bugs and the lizards and the snakes....


Some of the houses here have the pool half-covered with the roof, so there's lots of shade on the pool at certain times of the day. I suppose you'd also have to consider which direction the house faces......

Sounds like they should just keep house-hunting.

 

[ducklite]

Great job!
It costs us $300 a month to get that level of service!

ford family

They offered to pay me, but I just can't take money to take in the mail and keep an eye on the place for them. To me that's just something neighbors do for each other.

They bring me a couple bottles of wine each time they are in town, and of course we are welcome to use their pool anytime we'd like, although we haven't used it yet. They have an actual pool service that comes weekly, but the switch for the heater is inside the house and the pool company doesn't have access to inside, only the lanai.

Anne

 

[kbkids]

Well - I guess I'll be the voice of dissent, but I've lived in Florida all of my life, and I can't stand the pool enclosures. I want to swim outside - not inside a room. We live in the panhandle and swim from early May until mid October. It's about half and half around here whether there are enclosures or not. We're in the process of building a new home right now, and in talking to the pool guy, he asked whether we planned to put in the enclosure. When I said no, he said they were finding alot of people not doing them anymore around here.