Swimming casually is one thing, but spending time in a properly heated and soothing pool is another. We always want our pool to be properly heated but it’s usually difficult to estimate how long that will take.
It takes only between 5-48 hours to heat a pool with a gas heater. As for a solar heater, it takes anything between 3-7 days.
However, many factors could greatly affect these estimates, and they are later discussed in this article. You will also get to see how to calculate the heating period for various sizes of pools using a gas heater. So, buckle up and come on this ride with me.
Factors that Affect the Healing Time of a Pool
Your heating equipment is not the only component responsible for how fast your pool heats up. Knowing these factors will help you estimate your pool’s heating time better and help you significantly reduce heat loss.
- Weather condition
- Climate
- Wind direction and speed
- Time of the day and direction of the sun
- Pool cover (prevents about 75% of heat loss)
- Capacity of heater
- Air temperature
- Pool Size
Now that we’ve seen the little factors that affect how fast a pool heats up, let’s delve into the major factor – your type of heater.
How Long Does it Take to Heat a Pool with a Solar Heater?
Generally, a solar heater takes a day to heat a 32 m2 pool to 4.5 ͦ C. But as we’ve seen above, this will greatly vary due to some surrounding factors.
A pool in a hot region will obviously heat faster than that in a cold region. For example, it takes about 3 days for pools in Brisbane to heat to 28 ͦ C. Conversely, those in Melbourne could take as long as a week. However, on average, it takes between 3 days to a week to completely heat a pool with a solar heater.
How Long Does It Take to Heat a Gas Heater?
The gas heater is the better option because it heats pools quite faster. Other factors also influence it, but not as much as the solar panels due to their mode of operation. On average, it takes between 1-3 days to heat a standard-sized pool with a gas heater.
Here’s the breakdown:
Every gas heater has a rating called the British Thermal Unit, BTU, which measures its capacity. According to ScienceDirect, it is the amount of water required to increase the temperature of one pound of water at sea level by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Mathematically,
(WG) X (W/G) X (ΔT)
_____________________ = Heating time
BTU
BTU
Where:
WG = Volume of water in your pool in gallons
W/G = Weight of one gallon of water = 8.33 pounds
ΔT = Desired temperature – Initial temperament of pool in Celsius
BTU = British Standard Unit output of a heater
Here is a comprehensive table I came up with, showing you the heating time of different sizes of pools using a gas heater.
| S/N | LENGTH X BREATH (m x m) | AREA (m2) | VOLUME (gallon) | HEATING TIME (hours) |
| 1 | 6 x 3 | 18 | 4,755 | 5.4 |
| 2 | 7 x 3 | 21 | 5,547 | 6.3 |
| 3 | 8 x 4 | 32 | 8,453 | 9.6 |
| 4 | 9 x 4 | 36 | 9,510 | 10.8 |
| 5 | 10 x 4 | 40 | 10,567 | 12.0 |
| 6 | 11 x 5 | 55 | 14,529 | 16.5 |
| 7 | 25 x 18.29 | 457 | 120,792 | 137 |
Note: A gas Heater with an output of 206,000 BTUs was used alongside a temperature difference of 28 ͦ C.
Conclusion
Now that you know how long it takes to hear a pool, you’d be able to make more informed decisions going forward. For example, you can now make a better judgment concerning the capacity of the heater to buy. You can also perfectly plan towards your pool parties, being assured of the time your pool will be fully heated.
