About Optional Pool Heating

Pool Heating is an option made available to all guests.

The costs to heat a pool in Florida are significant.

Most residential pool heaters in Florida are (like ours) highly efficient Heat Pumps, however there are still significant expenses incurred in heating a pool. In addition to the cost of electricity to run the heater, additional electricity and wear and tear are created for the pool pump, which must be run as much as nine extra hours a day to have heating available for the bulk of the day.

Additionally, there is the cost of the heater itself, which given the heavy use at a vacation rental and that it may be run almost every day twelve months of the year (unlike those climates where they are only used seasonally in the summer), need constant expensive maintenance and will only last a few years before needing replacement.

Not all guests will use the pool while staying at our properties. Those staying during summer months often find that the pool water is suitable to them simply through warming by the hot Florida sun directly overhead, and do not desire additional heating. Others (unlike me… brrrr!) just like cold water! We prefer to not charge those guests for pool heating who will not use or require it.

For dates during winter months that are quoted by us directly, we include Pool Heating in the quote indicating that it is at the option of the guest to included with their reservation or not. For guests who find and book our property through VRBO, HomeAway or other listing site, the site’s online booking system has no means for including seasonal options. These guests are provided the option of including Pool Heating with their reservation when completing our own Booking Form online as part of confirming their reservation.

When is it needed: Occasionally we will have a guest request that pool heating be provided for only part of their reservation, or want to wait until they arrive to decide if they would like it or not. This is not something we can accommodate. If the pool heating has been off, it will take approximately three days to bring the water back up to temperature. There is no way to “turn it on so you can swim today.”

When a guest books pool heating, we actually turn the heater on in advance of the guest’s arrival to ensure that the water is warm when they arrive. The last thing we want is a guest to arrive to a cold pool!

For these reasons, pool heating must be booked in advance, and must be included for all days of the guest’s stay. (If the guest will be staying with us for a period of longer than two weeks, we can accommodate these types of requests based on the guest’s schedule, within the limits of what we can provide.)

Cost: The charge for Pool Heating is $22 per night. This helps cover the cost of electricity, maintenance and the heating system itself. The average charge for this service in the Orlando area is $25 per night at most vacation rentals.

What you receive: The pool system runs on a timer daily in order to circulate the water through the filter and chlorinator in order to keep it clean and clear. This only requires about two hours of operation per day. When the pool heater is being used, the pump will start around 8:00 AM and run until around 7:00 or 8:00 PM so that pool water is being circulated through the heater (and filter and chlorinator) for about fourteen hours per day. During this time, the heater will operate continuously until the water is at 89° F. Once the water reaches this temperature, the heater will come on intermittently to maintain it throughout the day until the evening. The water will retain the heat through the evening hours, but then cool during the night. The next morning the cycle repeats.

The pool blanket: During winter months when the water can lose much of its heat overnight, a liquid polymer pool blanket is added to the water which prevents overnight evaporation and heat loss. This dramatically increases the retention of heat in the water overnight, when temperatures can get quite cool during the winter months.

How we control it: Our pool systems are remotely monitored. We get reports of water temperature, pump schedule, heater performance and other things electronically every hour. This allows us to ensure the pool system is always operating at its best. The pool equipment is physically locked off from guest access with padlocks and security boxes, and monitored by CCTV cameras. Guests are not to tamper with pool systems in any way. To do so will result in loss of the guest’s security/account deposit as per the Terms and Conditions of their rental.

Of course, if you have any questions about this or anything else connected with your rental, please call or send us an email.

Also see the posts Pool Heating and Pool Heating has Limitations for additional information.