Propane Pool Heater Calculator
Estimate how much propane a residential pool heater burns per hour, per day, and per swim season.
Inputs
Surface area = length × width for a rectangular pool. A typical 16×32 in-ground pool is ~512 sqft.
Standard residential propane pool heaters run 80–84%. High-efficiency models hit 88–95%.
Average run time once the pool is at temperature — most setups cycle 3–6 hours/day.
gallons per swim season
How we got this
- 91800 BTU/hr
Heater BTU/hr to maintain target
- 1.2 gal
Gallons per running hour
- 4.8 gal
Gallons per day
Methodology
Pool-heater BTU demand follows the manufacturer planning rule:
BTU/hr ≈ surface area (sqft) × 12 × (target temp − ambient temp)
The constant 12 is the per-degree heat-loss coefficient published by major US pool-heater manufacturers (Hayward, Pentair) for an uncovered pool with no wind. A solar or thermal cover cuts heat loss to roughly 40% of the uncovered figure.
- Inputs: 450 sqft × 12 × (82°F target − 65°F ambient) with no cover.
- Steady-state demand: 91,800 BTU/hr.
- Convert to propane: divide by 91,500 BTU/gal × 84% heater efficiency = 1.2 gal/hr while running.
- Daily burn at 4 hr/day of operation = 4.8 gal/day.
- Across a 120-day swim season = 576 gallons/year.
Estimate only — actual burn varies with wind, evaporation, splash-out, and how long the heater takes to bring the pool up from a cold start. A rough rule: solar covers cut consumption 30–60%; raising the target by 10°F roughly doubles fuel use.
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