Mechanical pool heaters help keep the water temperature at a constant comfortable level. But in South Florida, where the weather is warm practically all year round, they aren’t always a cost-effective investment.

A lot of pool companies will try to sell you a pool heater as part of their mechanical package that also includes a filtering system, a water circulator, and pool chemicals. But of all of these, the heater is definitely the piece of equipment you probably will use least often. So do you really need it?

Pool Heaters Cost

Top-quality pool heaters can be expensive. In some instances, they can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Before you spend that money, take a good look at how often you can expect to actually use this costly piece of equipment.

Depending on where you live, in many parts of South Florida it never gets really cold enough to need a pool heater — at least not for very long. So if you can forgo using your for the few days or weeks every winter where the ambient air temperature gets mildly cooler, you may be able to avoid the need for a pool heater.

Maintenance Expenses

Another consideration is maintenance costs for a pool heater. Like any other piece of mechanical equipment, pool heaters can break down. This is especially true if you rarely or never use it. And the most disappointing thing is to have your heater break the first time you turn it on.

Solar pool covers may offer all the benefits of a pool heater at a fraction of the cost. Plus, because they are simply made of plastic, they can’t break down like a mechanical heater. Yet they can keep your water both warm and clean with minimal care.

Do you really need a pool heater? Maybe not.