Heating your swimming pool, all options at a glance

Do you want to heat your pool so that you can enjoy it for as long as possible. Who would not want that? Many types of pool heating have come on the market in recent years. But how do you best heat your pool? And which pool heating is the most environmentally friendly and cheapest? We list the options for you.

Option 1: Heating a swimming pool with a SunnyTent

A SunnyTent is an inexpensive, environmentally friendly and efficient way to heat your swimming pool. How does the SunnyTent work? Everyone knows the greenhouse. The foil / glass makes it very warm inside and the heat is retained. That’s how the SunnyTent works. As a result, the swimming pool water is also heated, without energy costs.

Curious how quickly the water warms up with a SunnyTent? Read all about it in the blog ‘Too cold for swimming? Not with a SunnyTent!’

An additional advantage of the SunnyTent is that your swimming pool is also kept clean. Furthermore, you can leave it outside all year round, because the SunnyTent covers and protects your pool.

Option 2: Heating the swimming pool with a heat pump

A heat pump is a relatively energy-efficient way to heat up your swimming pool. This is because the heat pump uses not only electricity, but also the outside air. This saves on energy costs compared to traditional electric heating. Although the heat pump is suitable for all types of swimming pools, not all heat pumps are suitable for lower outside temperatures. You will also need a separate pool cover to ensure that the water retains the heat and stays clean.

Option 3: Inverter heat pump

You can also heat your pool using an inverter heat pump. Although the purchase price of this pump is a lot higher than a “normal” heat pump, this pump saves costs in the long term. The normal heat pump always runs at full power and goes on standby as soon as the desired temperature is reached. An inverter heat pump, on the other hand, is always switched on, so that it immediately notices even a small temperature drop. With minimal effort, the inverter heat pump can then bring the temperature up to standard again. Although it is easy to maintain the water temperature with an inverter heat pump, you still need a cover to ensure that the water cools down as little as possible and stays clean.

Option 4: Heating the swimming pool using electric heating

With an electric heater you heat your pool water as with an electric kettle. A spiral, along which the water runs, is heated by electricity. Although this method is effective and compact, the energy costs are quite high. A pool cover is also not included with this option and will therefore need to be purchased separately.

Option 5: Heating the swimming pool with a heat exchanger

With a heat exchanger you transfer heat from one system to another. It can be linked to your central heating transferring the heat from it to your swimming pool. It is slightly more energy efficient than electric heating, but the energy costs are still relatively high. Because of the connection to your central heating you can only have the heat exchanger installed by an expert. Your swimming pool is also not covered with this option, so that the water cools down faster and does not remain clean.

Option 6: Heating the swimming pool with a wood-burning stove

You can heat your swimming pool cheaply and quickly with a wood-burning stove. This method is also relatively environmentally friendly. Instead of high energy costs, you now only pay for the wood. The operation is quite labour intensive and the smoke could cause nuisance. Furthermore, a swimming pool cover is not included. From the beginning of 2020, wood-burning stoves must meet stricter emissions standards and energy consumption. This should reduce the smoke pollution.

Option 7: Heating the swimming pool with solar panels

Another cheap and environmentally friendly way to heat your swimming pool is with solar panels. The only costs for this are the purchase costs. Then the sun does the work. Unfortunately, existing solar collectors are unable to properly heat the large amount of water of an average swimming pool. It can take a long time before your pool reaches the desired temperature. In addition, the water is only heated when the sun is shining. A pool cover is also not included with this option. To prevent the pool from becoming dirty and cooling off quickly, it is recommended that you purchase a cover.

Option 8: Heating the pool with a pool cover

A pool cover is used primarily to retain heat. By properly covering your pool you lose less heat. With a warming pool cover, the heat from the sun (so it only works if the sun shines) is transferred to your pool water. However, this is very slow and only has a very limited effect. Although a cover may prevent any dirt from initially getting into the pool, the pool will not remain completely clean. The process of removing the pool cover can result in dirt falling into the pool.

The best choice

As you can see there are many different ways to heat your pool. Find out in advance which method or combination of methods best suits your needs.

Curious about the SunnyTent? See which model fits your pool with our size chart!