How Much Propane Does a Pool Heater Use?

Propane generates a lot of warmth for your (extended) swimming season.

When you invest the time, money, and effort that comes with having a pool in your home, it only makes sense to get as much enjoyment from it as possible. With a pool heater, you don’t need to worry about too-cold water preventing you from swimming in the evening and well into the fall.

A propane pool heater can extend your swimming season in Prescott, Flagstaff and other northern Arizona communities. It ensures that the water is always perfect so you can jump right in.

But like any home comfort system, a propane pool heater requires energy to run. Let the pros at Superior Propane take you through how much fuel your propane pool heater will use — and how you can improve its efficiency.

How do propane pool heaters work?

A propane pool heater uses a propane flame to warm up water from your pool pump and cycles this heated water back into the pool. Because propane has exceptional heat generation — 91,452 Btu per gallon — and today’s gas-powered pool heaters have fuel efficiencies of 90% and higher, you can reliably keep your water at the precise temperature you like.

How quickly do propane pool heaters burn fuel?

The fuel consumption of your pool heater will depend on a series of factors, including the following:

• The temperature of the water from the pool pump
• How often you swim during periods when the water needs to be heated
• The size of your pool
• Your preferred temperature settings

Bearing these variables in mind, you can still calculate how many gallons of propane per hour a particular pool heater will use. If you install a 250,000 Btu propane pool heater, it will burn about three gallons of fuel per hour (with each gallon generating 91,452 Btu).

How long does it take to heat a pool?

This calculation can be a bit more complex. A Btu or British thermal unit is the measure of how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. One gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds.

So, if your pool holds 15,000 gallons, your 250,000 Btu pool heater will take about one hour to raise the temperature of the water by two degrees. If you want to increase the pool temperature by 10 degrees, you’ll need to run the propane pool heater for roughly five hours, burning about 15 gallons of fuel.

How can you improve your pool heater’s efficiency?

There are some simple ways to lower the amount of propane you’re using to keep your pool temperatures comfortable. Here are some simple tips:

1. Use a pool cover, which helps prevent the evaporation that accounts for 70% of a pool’s heat loss.
2. Keep your pool heated to 78-80 degrees, which uses less energy than a “spa-warm” heat level.
3. Lower your pool temperature when you don’t plan to use it for several days.
4. Arrange an annual tune-up for your propane pool heater to keep it running efficiently.

Superior Propane ensures you never run out of fuel.

There’s one more thing that you should bear in mind regarding your propane pool heater. It can use a fair amount of fuel — and not always in predictable intervals. Northern Arizona families can count on the experienced Superior Propane team to help prevent unexpected propane run-outs. We provide free automatic delivery, where our computerized system calculates when you will need a propane delivery. For households with less predictable usage patterns, we also offer wireless propane tank monitoring, so both you and Superior Propane receive real-time info about your fuel levels.

Let Superior Propane help you keep your swimming season extra comfortable. Become a customer today.