Installing a Propane Swimming Pool Heater

installing a propane pool heater

If you live in an area without natural gas service, but want the comfort and convenience of a gas pool heater, you can install a propane gas pool heater. Just about any natural gas heater you can buy is also available as a propane heater. The only difference is in the orifice sizes, for the gas valve and burner orifices.

Installing an Propane Pool Heater

The installation process is exactly the same for both heater types. It’s only the gas hookup that is different. Assuming you’ve done your homework to buy a pool heater that will give you the heat output you want, you can buy a propane pool heater.

1. Placement:

Propane heaters should be placed on a non-combustible surface, with 2-3 feet of clear space all around. They should not be placed indoors or near any window openings or intakes for the house. Above the heater should be clear sky, no overhanging stairs, low eaves or roof line.

2. Plumbing:

Cut the return pipe after it has exited the filter, and using schedule 40 PVC, connect pipes in and out of the heater and reconnect the exit pipe back to the return line. Chlorinators should be moved downstream, after the heater and at ground level, to prevent corrosive fumes from backing up.

3. Power:

You can still buy a millivolt heater, which requires no power supply, but wiring a digital heater is easy. You don’t need a separate breaker; you can tap power from the timeclock or pump switch. Use 220 volt or 110 volt and follow the instructions to connect power inside of the heater. Simple.

Propane Gas Connection

propane heater plumbing connection

This is the easy part. Just call up your local propane providers and tell them you want a quote to install propane tanks, and make a connection to your new propane pool heater. They’ll ask you what size of heater it is; they need to know the output in BTUs. The model number of most propane heaters indicates its output. For instance, a model 250 would produce 250,000 BTUs, and a 400 would be 400,000. The size of the heater will determine the size of the propane tank and regulators.

They’ll give you a turnkey price for the installation and testing of the heater. You may be offered a price to buy the tank(s), or you can lease the tank and pay a little bit for it each month on your propane bill. Delivery trucks will come to top off your propane tank, or you can call them when you would like to have a refill.

A large propane pool heater will require a 500-gallon tank in most cases, whereas a medium to small heater can get by with a 250 gallon tank. Your propane company will be able to advise you on the best tank size for you.

You can bury the tank in the ground if you like, build a removable fence around it, or embrace your tank and paint it in some whimsical way.Installing a propane pool heater can be done in just a few hours and then the gas company can come do their thing in just another few hours.

74 thoughts on “Installing a Propane Swimming Pool Heater

  1. Propane heaters for swimming pools should have at least 3 feet of space around them. Important so that you can ensure that nothing gets too warm near a heater and so that potential fumes can have a place to vent. I would imagine that you could get a gas company to install a propane heater for you that you have bought online.

  2. Hi Davy. I have a propane tank with a regulator on it. I ran an underground 1” pipe from the regulator to my pool heater and a 1” line to the house. I used a 3 way T in the ground to tee off the 1” line. Do I need another regulator before it goes into the pool heater?

    • Hi Frank, I believe that you need a regulator on both lines, to keep the ‘draw’ or suction correct for all units connected. However, I suggest that you contact an LPG supplier or contractor, or someone with more experience than me, because I am not qualified to safely comment on this!

  3. Hello. We recently installed a 24′ round above-ground pool. We got the pool used, and it also came with a Raypak Model: P-R206A-EP-C heater. We live in Iowa, and the water temp is currently ~72°F. I have a 100 lb LP tank (~24 gallon) that I was hoping to use to fuel this heater, to save the cost of trenching in an additional line from our 500 gallon tank. Can you give me an idea of how much fuel a heater like this will use, while trying to maintain a water temp of 78°-80°? Thanks!

    • LPG heaters use about 1 gallon per hour, per 100,000 BTUs – so yours would burn thru a 100-gal tank in about 50 hours. How long it runs each depends on many factors, but you should be able to add 6 degrees temp in about 3 hours….? So, it would not last long, maybe only about 3 weeks, before needing refill, but in 3 weeks, you may not need 6 degrees, only 3 degrees, and eventually none in the hot part of summer, and then usage will increase again in fall. Also very weather dependent, and if you use a cover, you will retain much heat lost at night.

  4. Stuart Hoffman

    Hi, is it safe to leave a pool propane tank empty over the summer?

    Thank you

  5. Jonathan Slater

    Hi Davy. We have a large inground pool 45,000 gallon and it is et back from the house 150 feet down in a ravine and we want to heat it. Gas is not an option. Propane was best option but the propane companies only have hoses 125 feet so we were looking to use heat pump. We are willing to pay for the elec work ($$$) but the additional prob is that the HP have 140,000 BTU max and we need at least 250,000-300,000 to make it work. So we were thinking of buying 2 HP and connecting both of them again ($$$).
    Do you know of HP that is 300,000 BTU

    Any suggestions ?

  6. Hi Davy!
    We have a 33 ft. round inground pool which is far from the only potential location of a propane tank. The trenching and installation of a gas line would run close to $6k plus the cost of the heater, tank, gas, and usage. The trench would run through our yard and be between 200-300 long, which would make it not only expensive but also disruptive.

    Would it be possible and/or advisable to swap the gas tank for a full one every year instead of running a gas line?

    • Wow that’s expensive! Might be cheaper to move the pool, lol (kidding). I suppose the propane truck cannot reach the pool area, huh? I think building a gravel road would be cheaper, but maybe not the ‘look’ that you want in the backyard. It might be cheaper though, if you could put the tank on a cart, and tow it with your lawnmower or ATV, or pickup to the front of the house, then you could move the tank each time you need it filled. Truck comes and fills it, then tow it back to the pool, and reconnect the gas line…? Contact your LPG supplier, ask them if that would be doable. I’m not certain…

  7. Hi there. We have a 8×16 above ground (just trying to find something workable since COVID and parks closed). I am trying to figure out how to heat it. Pool guy says our pump is not likely strong enough for porch-top solar panels. Ground panel likely won’t work because the only spot for the pool is often shaded. We don’t want go the route of gas line dig/install…so it looks like propane. When I call around it seems few companies know how/will do a propane install. Any suggestions welcome: location is London Ontario Canada.

    • Hi there – what you may consider is using what’s called a transfer pump, small inexpensive pumps that are primarily used to transfer liquids between tanks or vessels, and connect to a garden hose. You also will need garden hose, and garden hose adapters, with GHT (garden hose thread, which is slightly different from NPT, or national pipe thread). All can be found at your local Home/Hardware store. Use the transfer pump as a booster pump, and run it during the sunny part of the day. A solar blanket will also help to add some heat, and more importantly, to retain the heat at night.

  8. Wanda Hart

    I live in Michigan and have a small 24 ft. round above ground pool that has a deep end. We live in the country and use propane gas for our house – which is the only option. The pool is in full sun, but I like it to be 75 degrees or more to swim so I don’t know if solar would work. What is the best heater you can recommend and would the pool company install it or the gas company?

    • Hi Wanda, 24 ft pools are not really ‘small’, but you can heat with solar or propane. Propane is more reliable, but of course solar heat is free. Solar would work in Michigan, it’s very popular in Canada. You just have to have enough solar square footage to get enough heat gain, about 200 Sq ft, in your case. A 100K BTU to 150K BTU propane heater would also be a good choice, such as those made by Hayward or Raypak. Your pool company can install, or the gas company likely has a contractor that could do it as well, perhaps at a lower cost than the pool company.

  9. Kim Brown

    Hi,

    We live in Nebraska and have a 15×30 oval SALT water pool we are looking at heating.

    We can not add a 220 to our panel so we have to do gas.. we will either have to run a gas line or do propane tank or solar . we would like to use it in spring and fall … looking for the best ideas to use ..

    So many options between propane and gas and solar … I just want the easiest and cost effective way

    Any tips would be appreciated

    • This is an aboveground pool I assume, if you have one long side of the pool facing south, and it gets a lot of sun, setting up a 4′ x 20′ solar panel on a tilted table (a triangular rack) mounted next to the pool would be ideal. Not so ideal if you don’t have the southern exposure or have lots of tree cover. 6-8 hours of unobstructed sun is best for solar. If not, I think my next step would be natural gas, if the line from the meter to the heater was not too much. If you call your nat gas company, and tell them you want to add a say 150K btu nat gas pool heater, they will tell you if your meter needs to be upsized, and… what they would charge to upsize and run a line to the heater. It could be less money than you think, often discounted because… they are happy to sell you more gas. But if very far away from the meter, then you could look at propane. Again you would call a local propane supplier and tell them you want to install a 100K-150K btu heater, and get a price for a tank set-up (buy or lease), and the cost to run the LPG line to the heater. This initial cost is also often lower than you would think, because… they are gettting a hopefully long-term propane customer. If they were close in price (nat vs lpg), I’d stick with Nat Gas which may have less price fluctuations in the future, and to keep it all with one vendor, one invoice.

  10. Alice Carroll

    Thanks for the tip that propane pool heaters should not be placed anywhere near windows. I’ve been thinking about getting a gas line for a heater so that I can still use my pool during the holidays. I think getting to have a nice soak during a cold day would be very relaxing.

  11. Hi Davy! We have a 27′ round above ground pool. When the sun happens to come out in NE Ohio, it has sun on it most of the day. We always leave a solar cover on when not in use even though the late summer/early fall winds like to blow it around. Looking to extend our swimming season into early May and Sept/Oct and like the pool to be around 80-84. The pool sometimes gets too warm during the summer months. We can have some significant temperature swings where the night time temperatures more than negate any solar heating effects from the solar cover during the extended months. We tried large coils of black irrigation piping (200′?) in combination with the solar cover to boost the solar effect last year without noticeable gain. We have the option of going with an electric heat pump or propane pool heater. Currently we have a 100 gallon propane tank on the property for the stove and hot water tank in the house so we know we will have to get a newer larger tank. We are leaning towards propane due to worries of heat pump not being strong enough. Propane research lead me to this awesome blog. What would you recommend for a heater, propane or heat pump and why? If we decide to go propane, what size/model do you recommend? If we decide to go electric, what size/model do you recommend? Is there anything else you think we should consider in making this decision?

    • Hi John, I tend to lean towards the heat pump, because of lower operating cost, with less risk of the price of power/fuel going up dramatically in the future, and for reliability and durability, as heat pumps tend to have fewer problems overall. However, you’ll have to weigh the costs. The purchase of a heat pump in the 50-70K BTU range cost twice as much as a propane heater in the 125-150K BTU range, but with reduced operating costs, saving $100-$200 per month, payback can come in 2-3 years. Second cost factor is installation. How far is the heater from the gas tank? And how far is the heater from the home breaker box? If you have a 100 amp sub-panel (small breaker box) by the pool pump already, then you can likely pop in a new 30-40 amp breaker very cheaply. But, many above ground pools do not have a subpanel, and will need to trench and bury a power line, from the home breaker box, to the pool equipment pad, and depending on how far that is, can cost $500 to $1500. For the LPG gas, you know you’ll have to lease (or buy) a larger tank, so consider that cost, plus the cost to trench and bury the gas pipe from the tank to the heater. To figure out these costs, ask your LPG supplier to provide a quote, telling them you want to add a 125K to 150K LPG pool heater, and ask for their recommendations on tank size and cost for connection to the heater. At the same time, you can get an electrician to quote a price to bring 30 – 40 amps of power (depends on the heater, which size breaker is needed, 30a for T55, 40a for T75), to the pool equipment pad, to connect (wire and bond) the new heat pump. One may be much cheaper than the other, or they may both be close in price. For your size pool, I like the Pentair Mastertemp 125K LPG heater, or the Raypak 150K heater. For a heat pump, I like the Aqua-Cal T55 or T75 models. The larger heaters will heat faster, and stay running less time, resulting in a small savings.

  12. Hi there. We have a 16×24 above ground pool. What propane heater do you suggest for this size? We only will heat it a few times a year as it gets super hot in the summer here in California! We are not able to get natural gas all the way back to the pool. What size propane tank? 100 or 200? Thanks!

    • Hi Kim a 100K BTU heater would be sufficient, and go with the larger tank, as the 100K heater can use 1 gallon per hour of operation, and would deplete a 100-gal tank quickly.

  13. Heloisa Fitzgerald

    Hello David, we have a 40×20 inground pool in Boston Massachusetts.

    We have a heat exchange that does nothing for spring and fall as it takes sooo long to 140.000 btu Howardy.

    We will be adding a Propaine heater to the pool. We already have a 1.000 Propaine tank buried.

    We like the pool at 87-88F

    What would you recommend we buy for propane heater, and where should we install it? We have the pool room where the water filter is. (Could vent through a window but masonry would not work for straight up venting. ).
    The heat exchange is outside. Should we put it next to it?
    Thank you in advance for looking into our situation.

    • Well Hello Mrs. Fitzgerald; it would be safer if it was installed outside the pool room, as leaking propane, or leaking exhaust gas could both be fatal when installed indoors. However, heaters tend to operate more efficiently and effectively, and last longer, when installed under a roof, in a dry area… so you could do it either way. Pool heaters can be vented straight up or vented at an angle, to come out of the side of a building, but the vent stack must be higher than the apex of the roof, which may be a ‘look’ you had not had in mind, tall stack sticking up 3 or 4 ft. Check the heater model Owner’s Manual for specific venting instructions. An easy solution would be to place the new heater right next to the old one, as you suggest, and just re-route the pipes to run water in/out of the new heater, then have the LPG company connect a gas line. 20×40 is a big pool, and since you want the water 88 degrees… I would recommend the larger models, something in the 300K-400K BTU range. For the price and for other reasons, I like the Raypak https://www.intheswim.com/p/raypak-digital-propane-heaters the 336, or the 406 if you will be running the heater in April or October. To reach 88 degrees, it won’t be cheap, but a lot cheaper in July, than it will be in April. You might expect $200/month in gas during July, and $450 in April, perhaps. Using a solar cover will save you 40-50%. And turning down the heat (to 75-80) during periods of non-use, will also save big, just like a home thermostat.

      • Heloisa Fitzgerald

        Thank you for you thorough reply.
        I just bought the heater from you.

        • That’s great! Thank you for the business! I’m here every day, if you have any installation or operation questions. I can also be emailed at swimmers @ intheswim.com

  14. Brian west

    I have a 12000 gal pool with attached spa. I have a Hayward 400k Propane Heater. I intend on heating the spa 2-3 times a week. And may keep the pool heated a few degrees to extend the swimming season for a month or two a year. The propane company recommended 250 gal tank. Do you think that would be sufficient or should I go for the 500 gal tank. Thanks!

    • HI Brian, for such a small pool, I think the 250 gal would be fine. They’ll have you on a route to refill the tank, probably drop by to refill 3x per year, more or less, depending on your usage.

  15. Mark Sherman

    I replaced 17 year old Hayward 250 with a 450 and it will attempt to light but won’t run. Showing LP on the display. I have 1/2 black pipe for the 27 ft run from a 500 gal tank. All other equip is same as before (regulator) what is my solution. The pool is indoor 20×40 10’ deep.

    • Hi Mark, it could be… that it just takes some time to bleed out the line, or remove the air in the line, and replace it with LPG. Because the orifices are so small, it can take some time. Otherwise, be sure that the pipe size is appropriate for the distance and the regulator is correct, consult manual for specs on both.

  16. Robert M Owens

    Hi. I have a Hayward H400 pool and spa heater that runs off an LPG tank. I’ve noticed that it will not light in the early morning in Central Florida. I’m wondering if this is due to the expansion and contraction of the LPG? A normal day here will reach 90 degrees but early morning may be 65 to 70. Is that enough to change the regulator output volume? The heater starts on the 1st try when I return from work.
    Thanks
    Robb

    • Hi Robb, not heard of such a thing. I think it must be coincidence that the heater won’t light in the morning. Instead of temperature, I might think morning humidity or moisture could cause problems, with the wiring and switches… possibly.

  17. Karen Wood

    I have an indoor in-ground pool Measuring 16 ft wide — the shallow end is about 3 ft it is 7 ft long. THe mid dept is 10 ft long and 16 feet wide going from 3ft to 7 ft. The deep end is 12 feet by 16ft wide and is 7 feet deep. I doubt you need all of that but –over all it is 16 ft wide and 29 ft long. I have a very old heater Teledyne laars ( Propane) I am not sure of the model or btus. I would like to replace it but have no idea where to start. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

  18. Tony Colasurdo

    My vendor tells me I can’t convert my pool to salt water system If I have a propane heater. Why?

    • Huh? I have no idea why that would be. Salt water can be corrosive to a copper heat exchanger, but it’s rare that it causes problems.

  19. A ridiculous question, but a question nonetheless.

    I have a 15 foot round, 52″ deep above ground pool. I would like to purchase a heater be it propane or nat gas. My home does have nat gas but the main gas line coming into my home is on the opposite side of my house, about 50 yards from pool/pump.

    What kind of heater would work best? I am thinking propane and being that it is a small pool, could i use regular propane tanks, like those that hook up to a grill? I don’t want to heat the pool constantly, just raise the temp prior to swim season with maybe running the heater off and on during the summer to maintain. Thanks!!!

    • Hi Joe, I would not do propane, but would bury a gas line from the meter to heater, 50 yds is not that far if without obstructions, etc. Even the smallest 100 BTU heaters need larger tanks (200 gal) to operate most conveniently. A 5-gal tank would empty in less than a day. If you have good sun, you could go with a solar heater. Solar blankets can add some heat, and prevent night time heat loss. The Hayward H-100 heater would be the most convenient and reliable way to heat the pool. You could also use an electric heat pump for aboveground pools. But yeah, if you go gas – I’d go natural, having the pipe run may cost less than you think. Call your gas supplier, they often do it very cheaply, b/c they are happy to sell more gas!

  20. I live in northeast Pennsylvania and am looking to purchase a pool heater. My pool is 15 x 30. What size would you recommend?

    • Hi Anna, northeast PA, well I’m going to assume that your pool is inground, and approximately 20,000 gallons. I’m also going to assume an average amount of daily sun, with average wind speeds or not in a high-wind area. Also assuming that you will try to use a solar blanket as much as possible, to reduce heat loss, and also assuming that you want a 10-20 degree temperature rise, but are not trying to heat the pool to 95 degrees in April! OK, with all those assumptions, I would suggest a heater size of 250,000 btus as a minimum. You could go larger which would heat the water faster, and thus operate slightly less often, perhaps reducing maintenance, but no guarantee of that. So anything from 250K to 350K would be fine for your pool.

  21. Awesome website with great content!!!
    Can you help me with this question? How long in terms of heating hours would an underground 250 gallon gas tank power a pool? What I am asking is that if my temperature of my pool is let’s say 79 and I want to heat it to 84, I am just trying to estimate (in terms of hours) how long 250 gallons of propane would last? If you indicated it would last 50 continuous hours then that helps me in terms of managing our use, etc… Thank you!!!

    • Hi David, it depends on the size of your pool heater actually – but to keep the math simple, you can figure 1-gal of LPG per hour – per 100,000 BTU’s of pool heater size. So a 300,000 BTU pool heater (or model 300), would use about 3 gals of LPG per hour. Now, a good sized pool heater can raise the water temperature about 1-2° F per hour, again depending on it’s size. Let’s assume 1.5 degrees per hour, so to go from 79-84°, with a 300K heater should take about 3-4 hours, for which you would use 9-12 gallons of LPG. Using a pool cover, to block wind and evaporation and help retain heat, can reduce gas consumption by up to 50%.

  22. Hi,

    I have a 17,000 gallon in-ground pool. I would like to have a heater propane installed. What size heater would you recommend 2,000 – 2,500 – or 3,000 btu? Also based on that, what size propane tank, one 250 gallon tank or two? My pool gets mostly sun all day and I am located in Massachusetts so I would want the heater for April/May, Sept/Oct and possibly on cooler days.

    Thanks

    • Hi Sue, since you want April and October, I would go for the 300K btu, which will need to run less than others. And depending on your usage levels, and if you use a solar cover to keep heat in the pool when not in use – you could need one tank or two may be better, so that you can go 2-3 months in between fill-ups. You could start with one tank, and see how it goes the first season, and if needed, install a second tank later, won’t cost any more to do it that way.

  23. Chuck Buscaglia

    I just purchased a pool heater and I put 100 gallon tank at the pool what do I need to do for a regulator and the safety requirements to install this to my new heater I have a 24-foot above-ground pool pool guy said he’s never done this before that’s installing the heater

    • Hi Chuck, I would suggest having the local propane supplier come and hook up the gas, and install the proper regulator. I’m not qualified to answer, and I don’t know the answer anyway. The LPG company might advise you without cost, or maybe not. Gas hookups that are done improperly could damage the heater, or create a safety hazard, including explosion… :-0

  24. Hi – We are renovating our pool. The previous owners left an above-ground 250G propane tank, which we haven’t used or touched in the last 5 years since we moved in. I suspect it is too small for our needs anyway, but my question is.. what is the life expectancy of a propane tank? It has 1986 printed on the tank. Wondering if it is still safe, should we should get a new one? Thanks

    • Hi Kelly, the life expectancy of a Propane tank could be 30 years, or longer if the valve is replaced, or if it is sheltered. Your propane supplier could advise you on the safety of the tank I suppose, or advise on any maintenance that can be done. 250 gal tank is kind of small, but could be used for a small pool heater, refilled monthly probably.

  25. Rene Arriazola

    Hi Davy, I live in Chicago and just purchased a Pentair 125,000 BTU propane heater for my 15’ round above ground pool which I believe is 5,000 gallons. What size propane tank do you recommend I purchase to heat this size pool? Thank you.

    • Hi Rene, a 200 gallon tank should be good – the heater will consume about 3 gals of LPG for every hour of run time. Such a small pool may only need to run for 2 hours per day to keep a the pool warm (depending on how warm you want it), and if you use a solar cover (or not), to keep the heat trapped. So, if you use 6-7 gallons per day, a 200 gal tank should last about 30 days. Your propane supplier can also provide advice on tank size, in relation to your heater size.

  26. Hi Davy I live in Massachusetts and I’m putting this year a propane gas heater , I love my back yard and my concern is where I’m gone install the heater and gas tank can the heater at least can be in the shed?thanks and have a great day

    • Davy Merino

      Hi, a heater could be in the shed, but only with extra expense to install proper venting, thru the roof, and enough air inflow with vents or screens. Heaters produce carbon monoxide, so it can be dangerous to install them inside, even in a shed. Usually the heater is installed right next to the filter, to make plumbing and wiring easier. Sits on a 3’x3′ concrete pad, or other non-combustible surface, with 24″ of clearance on 3 sides and 36″ clearance in the front of the heater, and clear sky above (and not under a window to the home, for the aforementioned CO gas emissions). The gas tank can be buried, or installed in a shed. You can also erect small fences, lattice or plantings to hide the equipment.

  27. Having a 300k BTU pool heater installed. Pool guy telling me one thing, propane company telling me another….. What size tank will I need. Pool is in Northern part of New Jersey.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Lori, it partly depends on what you anticipate your usage to be – pool heaters consume about a gallon of propane per hour, for every 100K btu, so you would use 3 gallons per hour of operation. Depending on the outside temperature, and if you use a cover or not, and what temp you set it at, or the delta difference between outside air temp and water temps… your heater may run from 3-12 hours per day. I would tend to side with the propane supplier, they know their business better than the pool guy, I would think. And, you don’t want to run out of gas every month, right when you need it most perhaps – and the LPG company can’t get out until Monday – whole weekend is shot! 🙂 Overly dramatic perhaps, but you should want a tank that won’t run out of gas too often. You will also pay more, I think may be a trip charge for each gas refill.

  28. Jason Herbert

    Hi Davy. I’m trying to hook up my sta-rite 400 heater with a 25 gallon propane tank. I know it’s small but we don’t have the room for anything else. We are having trouble getting the heater to stay lit. The regulator on the tank sounds like it is whining. We are using a 6’ 1/2 inch bendable pipe like the ones for dryers. Any ideas? Anything might help

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Jason, tank size of 25 gallon? Is that a typo? That will only operate a 400,000 BTU heater for about 6 hours, before the tank is empty. Might add 5-7 degrees to the pool before that happens, depending on your pool size, but may quickly lose the heat again, unless you cover the pool. As to your real question, I’d like to avoid comment on the gas connection, as I am not even close to being a gas contractor, and mistakes in this area can be very dangerous!

  29. I am looking to get a propane pool heater for my in ground 28,000 gal pool. What size heater should I get and do I call the propane company first or the pool company to come out and get things started? Thanks!

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Rachel, I would call the pool company first, and if you plan to buy the heater from us and have them install it, be sure to let them know that. If they won’t install it, because they won’t get the heater sale, then any HVAC company could handle the job. In fact, since the propane company will handle the gas installation part, it’s really just placement, power and plumbing, which could be nearly any handyman who can read an installation manual. So secure an installer first, the cost to place, plumb and wire the heater should be no more than $500 in most cases, given good location and access, etc. You can also call the Propane company beforehand, but they won’t need to visit until the heater is in place, then they will bring tanks and gas line, and complete the installation. Depending on what size tank you get, and location and access – it could also cost $500, or more if you purchase the tanks (or you lease them from the LPG company). They just need to know your heater size to quote you a price…

      Now for the heater size, I would look at 300,000 – 400,000 BTU size. 400K is typically the largest size in residential pool heaters, and useful if you have a spa attached to the pool, or if you want 25-30° temperature rise, ie – 50° to 80°. If you don’t have a spa and don’t plan to heat 50° water, you could go smaller, like a 325K, or possibly even a 250K, if you just want 10° or so added to the water, on average. Also consider wind – very windy pools lose heat faster, and if you plan to use a solar cover on the pool. If you can be a regular solar cover user, you could also use a smaller heater. But if you have a windy pool and no cover, get a bigger heater. 28,000 gals is not huge, but it’s not a small pool either. Thanks Rachel, good question!

  30. Jon Rosenthal

    I live in South Florida and want to replace my non functioning propane spa heater with a new one.
    I’m told my new one will stain my pool with a salt system and I have to put in bypass plumbing with a manual valve that needs to be flipped every time I want to use the heater. This seems difficult to me
    Any thoughts?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Joe, not a bad suggestion for a copper heat exchanger, but can be avoided if you got a heater with a cupro-nickel heat exchanger. For instance the new Hayward H-135 heater, or any of the Hayward propane heaters actually.

  31. Wendy Gvozdich

    Hi, we are in The process of having an inground pool with a hot tub Done. We aren’t interested in heating the pool but the hot tub. We have a gas water heater and fireplace in our home, but they want A LOT of money to run the line from the tank in the front yard to the back yard so we are looking for an alternative route to heating our spa. Our pool builder suggested running an above ground tank straight to the hot tub provided it’s allowed in our covenants and restrictions in our neighborhood. What would be your suggestion to us?

    • Davy Merino

      Sure, just ask the company to give you quote on a second smaller tank for the hot tub heater (give them the size), maybe a 200 gallon, they will quote it sure, as long as the truck can reach it to refill it, they would love you to have a second tank, (more gas use), and may even have a special price? if you ask nicely? good luck!

  32. Hello, I have a 52 000 liter swimming pool and I want to install a propane gas heater. I’m not sure how much propane I’ll need of how big the heater should be.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Jenny, 52000 liters or 13750 gallons US, is a fairly small pool, so no need for a large 400K BTU heater, unless you are trying to heat during the middle of winter. If you are looking for a modest temperature rise of 10-20° F, then you could use something as small as the new Hayward ABG135 heater, or go up to a 250K BTU inground heater model. As far as how much propane will be used depends entirely on how hot you heat the pool, and if you use a cover or not. A propane supplier can give you better details on what they normally see, in terms of gas usage monthly/annually, or the size of tank they would recommend for your pool size and usage patterns. Likely a 250 gal LPG tank, but they would have other options. In US dollars, a pool your size could spend $100-$200 per month on the gas, again depending how warm it is, and if you use a cover, and of course more gas is used during colder months, and less during hotter summer months. For a typical 6 month season, expect $700-$900 probably.

  33. Nancy Willard

    Hi Davy

    We will be having a 300,000 BTU pool heater installed. What is the typical size propane tank that we will need?

    Thank you for your help.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Nancy, if you plan to use the heater regularly, then a 500 gal tank would be appropriate, can go for months between fill-ups. But if you are using the heater moderately, and plan to use a pool cover to retain heat, consumption will be much less. and for smaller pools, say under 15,000 gallons, the consumption is less too. There are 91kBTU per gallon of propane, so your heater will consume 3.3 gallons of propane per hour of operation. It may only need to run for a 2-3 hours per day to maintain temps, it doesn’t run all the time. But that can be over 200 gallons per month. So a 200 gallon tank may be too small. Maybe 250-300 gallon is probably the smallest you’d want to go. Hope that helps!

  34. Have a 14 by 20foot above ground pool.
    Bought a 150,000 but heater.
    What size of propane tanks would you suggest?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Donna, I believe that the best size would be a 200 gallon tank, that should last you quite a while, but your propane supplier or dealer could better advise.

  35. Howard Cimaglio

    I have a l00.ooo btu propaneoutdoor heaterfor aboveground pool i have a 100 gal propane tank what type of regulator do I need high pressure low pressure also I’ve got half inch coming out of the heater I need to reduce it to either 3/8 or 5/8 can I do that and would it be high pressure or low pressure regulator and hose

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Howard, honestly I don’t know, I leave the gas connection details to gas contractors. If you ask the question of your gas supplier, they may be able to help, or there are many gas guys online, like this one, who maybe can answer your question. He may want to know the make/model (Hayward H100?), of your heater.

  36. Georgia Worley

    Can a Propane Hayward 100KBTU pool heater be installed on the deck above the pool pump and filter? Or does it have to be level with the filter?

    • Hi Georgia, sure it could be installed on the deck, placed on a concrete on stone paver, no problem.

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