Solar blanket
- Price: Between $50 and $150. Installation on a roll: $75.
- Pros: No operating costs. It limits exchanges between water and air. Ideal for keeping the water temperature.
- Cons: When it's cloudy, the water does not gain any degree. You must install and remove the fabric each time you want to use your swimming pool. Not appealing.
- Performance: Less than 5 degrees per day.
- Maintenance: Regular cleaning of the fabric to remove dirt and mildew.
- Lifespan: 4 years.
Solar panels
- Price: Between $2 000 to $3 000; $1 000 to install.
- Pros: No operating costs and green source of energy rewarded by the government.
- Cons: When it's cloudy, the water barely gains degrees. Complex installation. Need a lot of space to operate.
Heat pump
- Price: Between $2 500 and $4 500. Setup: $300 to $2 000 if we have to change the electrical connection.
- Pros: Lowest cost of use among other appliances. Keeps water temperature constant.
- Cons: The machine itself is expensive. Slowly heats water. Can be noisy.
- Performance: 2 to 8 degrees per day.
- Maintenance: Regular cleaning of the indoor coil.
- Lifespan: 15 years.
Fuel
- Price: Between $2 000 and $2 500 installation included; between $400 and $500 for an oil tank of 500 litres.
- Pros: It heats water faster. Relatively quiet. Since it is not influenced by the weather, it allows you to enjoy your swimming pool.
- Cons: Heating oil is expensive. The smoke can be unpleasant. There may be additional costs for adding a fireplace in the shed. Boiler corrosion caused by condensation. Soot clogs pipes and heat exchanger.
- Performance: 1 to 1.5 degree per hour.
- Maintenance: Annual inspection by a certified technician.
- Lifespan: 10 years.
Natural gas or propane
- Price: Between $2 000 and $3 000; installation between $300 and $900.
- Pros: Heats water faster. Silent. Since it is not influenced by the weather, it allows you to enjoy your swimming pool. It is possible to have an automatic ignition, making the system safer.
- Cons: Extra costs for adding a fireplace if you decide to put the heater in the shed. Boiler corrosion caused by condensation. For propane, rental of a tank is about $5/month.
- Performance: 1 to 1.5 degrees per hour.
- Maintenance: Annual inspection by a certified technician.
- Lifespan: 10 years
Electric
- Price: Between $500 and $1 000; installation between $200 and$2000 if we have to change the electrical connection.
- Pros: Keeps water temperature steady. Silent. Requires little space.
- Cons: It heats water slowly. Strict installation standards. Corrosion of parts.
- Performance: 2 degrees per day
- Maintenance: Heating elements regular replacement.
- Lifespan: 10 years
Comparaison des chauffe-eau
| Toile solaire | Capteur solaire | Thermopompe | Mazout | Gaz naturel | Propane | Électricité | |
| Coût initial | 75 $ | 2 500 $ | 2 500 $ | 2 000 $ | 2 000 $ | 2 000 $ | 750 $ |
| Taux d'efficacité | - | - | 400 % | 85 % | 80 % | 80 % | 100 % |
| Consommation annuelle moy. | - | - | 2 171 kWh | 947 L | 1 031 m3 | 1 531 L | 8 685 kWh |
| Prix unitaire moy. | - | - | 0,069 $/kWh | 0,499 $/L | 0,499 $/m3 | 0,509 $/L | 0,069 $/kWh |
| Frais annuels de chauffage | 0 $ | 0 $ | 149,80 $ | 472,55 $ | 514,47 $ | 779,28 $ | 599,27 $ |
Source: Agence de l'efficacité énergétique, 2000
Calculs établis en fonction d'une piscine hors-terre de 6,4 mètres de diamètre (38 000 litres d'eau). Les prix de l'énergie peuvent fluctuer dans le temps.
