In Pasco and Hernando, an unheated pool is comfortable for most of the year. But once the cold fronts start rolling through in late fall, the water can drop into the 60s, and swim days get rare until spring warms things back up. A pool heater fixes that, but only if you have the right one, and only if it's actually working.
We service and repair Pentair, Jandy and Hayward heaters every week. Here's the straight comparison we give our own customers.
How Each Type Heats Your Pool
Gas heaters burn natural gas or propane and heat the water directly as it passes through. If your home doesn't have a natural gas line, a gas heater can run on a propane tank instead.
Electric heat pumps don't create heat. They pull it out of the outdoor air with a fan and compressor, the same way your air conditioner works in reverse, and move it into the water. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a heat pump delivers roughly 3 to 7 units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses.
Heat Pump vs. Gas: The Honest Comparison
Cost to run: heat pump low; gas high, especially on propane
Speed: heat pump slow, a few degrees a day; gas fast, a few degrees an hour
Cold weather: heat pumps lose efficiency below about 50°F air temperature; gas works in any weather
Upfront cost: heat pump higher; gas lower
Typical life: heat pump 10+ years; gas 5 to 10 years
Best for: heat pump for keeping the pool warm most of the year; gas for heating on demand
Why most Florida pool owners choose a heat pump
Our weather is made for heat pumps. The Department of Energy says they're most efficient when the outdoor air is above 50°F, which describes most of our fall, winter and spring days. Because they make heat so efficiently, they cost far less to run than gas over a full season. If you want the pool at 82°F from October through April, a heat pump is almost always the cheaper way to do it.
The trade-off is speed. A heat pump is built to hold temperature, not to heat a cold pool in an afternoon. Set it and leave it.
Shaded pools: the summer problem nobody expects
Not every pool gets full sun. Big oaks, a two-story house, a north-facing yard or even the screen cage itself can keep the sun off the water for much of the day. We see shaded pools that never reach a comfortable temperature, even in July and August.
This is where a heat pump really earns its keep. Summer is when heat pumps run at their most efficient, because the air they pull heat from is hot. A heat pump can take a shaded pool that might top out in the high 70s and hold it right where you want it all summer, for a fraction of what gas would cost. Add a solar cover at night, and the pool holds that heat even longer.
When gas makes more sense
Gas heaters shine when you want heat fast and only some of the time. If the pool sits cold most of the winter and you only want it warm when the grandkids visit, a gas heater can bring it up in hours instead of days, and it doesn't care if it's 40°F outside. Our winter cold fronts regularly push nights into the 40s, especially inland around Brooksville and Dade City, and that's exactly when a heat pump struggles and a gas heater keeps going.
Some homeowners run both: a heat pump for everyday heating and a gas heater for cold snaps.
A note for coastal homes
If you're on a canal in Hudson, Hernando Beach or Port Richey, salt air is hard on both kinds of heaters. It corrodes heat pump coils and fins, and it rusts gas heater cabinets and burners. Keeping the unit clean and checking it often adds years to its life.
7 Signs Your Pool Heater Needs Attention
Call a pro if you notice any of these:
It runs but the water won't warm up. Often a sensor, a flow problem, or (on a heat pump) a refrigerant or compressor issue.
Error codes on the display. Pressure switch, flow and sensor codes are among the most common, and many are simple fixes.
The gas heater won't light, or lights and shuts off. Usually an ignitor, flame sensor, gas valve or venting problem.
Black soot or a burning smell from a gas heater. Shut it off and call. Soot means the burner isn't burning cleanly.
Ice on the heat pump coil on a cool morning. Some frost can be normal in cold weather, but heavy or constant icing points to a problem.
Rust, leaks or water pooling under the unit. A leaking heat exchanger can be expensive, so catch it early.
Your bills jumped but the pool's no warmer. A heater losing efficiency costs you money every hour it runs.
Repair or Replace?
Repair usually makes sense when the heater is fairly young and the problem is a single part: an ignitor, sensor, pressure switch, fan motor or control board. According to Angi's 2026 cost data, the average pool heater repair runs about $460.
Replacement usually makes sense when:
The heater is near the end of its life: around 5 to 10 years for gas, 10 or more for a heat pump
The heat exchanger or cabinet is badly rusted or corroded
Several parts are failing at once
The repair would cost a big chunk of what a new unit costs
You're switching from gas to a heat pump to cut running costs
Angi puts most pool heater replacements at $1,500 to $4,000 for the unit, plus $300 to $1,000 for labor, depending on the size and type. Gas heaters at the end of their life are often good candidates for a switch to a heat pump, because the savings on fuel keep paying you back every month.
Get It Checked Before the First Cold Front
The best time to find a heater problem is October, not the January morning you want to swim. Shore Pool Pros diagnoses and repairs gas heaters and heat pumps across Pasco, Hernando and North Pinellas, and we'll give you an upfront price on a repair or a replacement so you can make the call.
We're licensed: owner Ian Barocas holds Florida Certified Pool/Spa Contractor license CPC1461117.
Call or text (727) 710-1992, or request a free estimate online. See our equipment repair service for more.