With energy prices on the constant rise so many more people are turning to solar power to heat their swimming pools. The fact is that energy prices aren't going to come down, so a solar pool heater makes a wise long term investment.

There are more then a few things to consider however; if you are thinking of going the solar route for heating your pool and the first one is cost. Conventional pool heating systems can seem quite cheap when compared to a solar pool heater but in the long run the cost will balance out in energy savings.

Installation is a big portion of the expense of a solar pool heater, because they can and do take up a lot of space and that means that they are usually installed on the roofs of buildings. Solar pool heaters will also require that you have an extra powerful pump in your pool house, because the water has to be moved around and pumped up to the heating elements on the roof.

One thing that you have to bear in mind with a solar pool heater is that they aren't going to work so well on cloudy days. Also they aren't going to heat your pool as quickly and to the temperature that a conventional pool heater will if you like your pool water steamy hot.

When a solar pool heater is used in conjunction with a solar pool cover though, you can expect your pool to be perfectly warm and comfortable for the majority of the swim season.

One thing that some people do is to have a conventional and a solar pool heater installed in their system and rely on the solar pool heater to bear the brunt of the heating work and use the conventional heater now and again for things like night time parties in the winter.

Written by Trey Fuud. Find the latest information on Solar pool heaters as well as Solar pool covers