Winter has well and truly arrived in Brisbane, with the overnight temperature dropping into single digits. Now is the time that many swimming pool owners retrofit a heater to their existing setups. When adding a pool heater, you will need to consider the heater’s position in relation to the pool fence. I know of several pool owners that have had to shield or box the heater due to it being located within the non-climbable zone of the pool barrier, which effectively lowers the height of the fence.
Brisbane Pool Safety’s tips for pool heating
- Pool colour selection. If you are having a new pool installed, you should consider the colour of the pool surface as the pool colour will affect the temperature of the water. Darker colour pools are warmer than lighter colours. For swimming pools in Brisbane, I recommend going with a darker colour. I have encountered a few pools in Brisbane that have been colder than the owner would consider comfortable, even in the middle of summer. A property that I own in Albany Creek with a dark blue colour surface has a water temperature about 2 to 3 degrees warmer than a white coloured pool I have in Cashmere.
- Use a pool cover. The majority of heat is lost through evaporation. Adding a pool cover will aid in heat retention throughout the entire year. Just remember to reduce your chorine output and take the pool cover off every few days. With a pool cover on, you will find your chlorine levels will skyrocket.
- Do you need to heat the pool? You may find that you are not swimming during the colder months of the year, and the electricity cost will far outweigh the benefit of heating the pool. Some owners like to heat the pool to extend the swimming season by a couple of months and switch the heating off during the year’s coldest months to save on electricity.
If you would like to know more or need advice on where to install your pool heater to ensure you still meet your compliance requirements feel free to call or send me an email. I am also available via Facebook.