How to Install an Electric Pool Heater

If you find your pool is too cold to enjoy, consider installing an electric pool heater. This is a relatively simple project for a do-it-yourselfer with moderate experience. Just follow the four steps below to install your own pool heater.

Step 1- Choosing Your Heater Location

Since you'll be connecting your heater to a commercial power outlet and your pool's water pump, place the heater as close as possible to the outlet as well as your pool pump and filter. If you are unable to find a place for your heater near both, you will need to either have an outlet installed near your heater or you will need to install long runs of PVC pipe to your pool's pump.

Step 2- Cutting Your PVC Pipe

Once your heater is your location of choice, find a place to put the exit pipe that comes out of the pool's filter. Mark a spot on this pipe adjacent to your heater's water pipe connection. This will be the place on the pool pipe where you'll be connecting your feed into the heater. Next, make a second mark 6" from the first mark. This is where water from your heater will enter the pipe that exits the filter and feeds water into the pool.

Cut out a piece of the water pipe between the two marks you made. Cut two pieces of PVC pipe the exact length you'll need to extend from the fittings on your heater's water connection to the elbow fittings you will attach to the water pipe. As an example for this article, say the two pieces are each 24" in length.

Step 3 - Connecting the PVC Pipe to Your Heater

Glue a PVC elbow fitting to the end of the exit pipe that comes from the pool filter and insert one of the 24" PVC pieces you've cut. Attach a fitting to the heater at its water input opening, then insert one end of the 24" PVC pipe into the elbow, insert the other end into the fitting you've just attached to the heater, then glue the joints at the elbow and the heater fitting. Now repeat this process so that you have the other 24" PVC pipe connected at one end to the output opening of the heater and the far end of the pipe to the elbow fitting on the pipe that delivers the water to the pool.

Step 4- Completing the Installation

Now plug in the heater's AC cord, turn on the pool pump and filter, and after a few minutes test the water in the pool near the place where the water enters from the heater. If the water there is warm, you can now get your swimsuit and get ready for your first warm swim.