Choosing a System
There are three main types of pool heating; Solar, Heat Pumps and Gas Boilers, each suited to different applications. Solar, by far the most popular, suits most domestic needs or is used as a preheater in commercial applications. Gas and Heat Pumps are commonly used commercially and where solar heating is impractical.

	Pool Size	Usage	Costs				Life Years	CO2 Emission
		All Year	Installation	Maintenance	Running	Ownership
Sunbather Solar Heating	Any	No	Medium	Low	Zero	Low	15+	Zero
Gas (not recommended)	Any	Yes	High	High	High	High	5-10	Medium
Heat Pump	Any	Yes	High	Low	Low	Medium	10-20	Low
Electric Element (not recommended)	Small	Yes	High	High	High	Medium	5	High

Choosing a System
There are three main types of pool cover; Thermal Blanket, Bubble Cover and polystyrene sheet, each with different price/performance characteristics.

	Properties			Costs				Life Years
	Weight	Flexible	Strong	Installation	Maintenance	Storage	Ownership
Sunbather Thermal Blanket	Light	Yes	Yes	Simple	Low	Simple	Medium	5-10
Bubble Blanket (not recommended)	Light	Yes	Medium	Simple	Low	Simple	Medium	3-5
Polystyrene Sheet (not recommended)	Light	No	No	Simple	Medium	Difficult	Low	1-2

Wall and Floor Insulation
Flat polystyrene insulation on the Walls and under the floor of a pool reduces heat losses and allows the pool to heat more quickly and retain the heat for longer.