Propane Heater for a 15 ft Round pool???

Question

I am looking to heat my pool kind of cheap with propane, it is normally in the summer in Ohio 78-82 degrees water temp, what is the best way to go, Propane or gas?? How much normally is it for a propane tank all summer to fill? I do not want to hook into gas through the house, Please help and be brutally honest as I am a cheapskate, It is a small pool, last resort before tearing down, Thanks,, Jim

Answer 1

There is no cheap way to heat a pool! I assume it is an above ground. The smaller pool heaters are still around 175,000 btu's which is using twice what an average furnace consumes. I am a gas fitter and a salesman in the propane industry. Believe me when I tell you, these things use a lot of fuel. Here is the formula for comsumption. 100,000 btu burns 1 gallon in one hour. That heater will burn almost 2 gallons for every hour it operates. So a bbq tank is gone in 2-1/2 hours! You could never run a pool heater from a bbq tank, but you get the picture. A 123 gallon tank would cost you about $350 to fill depending on gas price in your area and last you about 70 hours of burning time. You will also have to rent the tank and have it installed. Good luck with it!