If you are reasonably confident and competent when it comes to many DIY tasks, you might consider the prospect of installing a pool heater by yourself in order to keep costs down.
It always pays to buy the best quality available for your budget regarding pool heaters as it will last longer and perform better than a cheaper version. With that strategy in mind, you might be tempted to do the installation work to stay within budget.
Here are some of the things you should know about installing a pool heater. This should help you decide whether to go DIY or order and arrange an installation by a local plumber or electrician.
Start by ordering the right pool heater
Regardless of your level of DIY competence, the job won’t be entirely successful unless you manage to order the right heat pump for your pool.
A simple but effective way to calculate what size and capacity of heater you need is to work out the approximate volume of your pool. You can do this by multiplying the measured length of your pool by its width. Multiply that number by 1.5.
Once you have that measurement, you should also consider your typical climate and pool usage. These factors are relevant in order to identify the best pool heater for your needs.
Another key number to check is the flow rate. You need to be sure that the gallons-per-minute (GPM) flow rate aligns with the flow rating for your pool.
Talk to your supplier for guidance once you have these basic figures to hand.
Decide on the type of heater you want
Your next decision is about making a choice between a heat pump, gas, or solar heater option.
Bear in mind that a solar-powered version tends to only be viable in locations where there is an abundant amount of sunshine available throughout the year.
How to install the equipment pad
One aspect of the installation that you can probably tackle by yourself with a degree of confidence would be siting and installing the equipment pad for your pool heater.
You can often use a paver or some wood decking for the base. Take care to make sure that the control panel is outward facing. You also need to allow a minimum of three feet of space for access purposes.
Plumbing and electrics
You will need to create a dedicated circuit for your heater as it requires a significant level of voltage to operate.
It is wise to hire an electrician for this task for safety and compliance requirements.
A certain level of competency is also required with regard to installing the plumbing correctly. If you are going to do this yourself, make sure you check that the inputs and outputs are compatible with the pipework.
Conclusion
It is best not to take any chances with either buying the right type and quality of pool heater or the various aspects of the installation process.
You could save money on installation costs when you take the DIY route, but certain parts of the job, such as electrical and plumbing work are usually best left to a professional.
A good solution would be to buy the best pool heater available, do the groundwork for the installation in terms of setting up where it is going to go, then get the required professional help to ensure that everything is installed correctly and safely.
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