Is your pool heating ready for Christmas? An Adelaide checklist

Quick answer: If you want a warm swim on Christmas Day, your pool heating needs to be working properly well before the big day, because pool water warms slowly. Already have solar or a heat pump? Check it now, so any problem gets found early rather than on Christmas Eve. Thinking about adding heating? Summer is our busiest time of year, so get your free onsite quote in early.

Why Christmas sneaks up on your pool

The Christmas Pageant rolls through the city on Saturday 14 November, and for most Adelaide families that's when Christmas officially starts. From there it's a blur of breakup parties, school concerts and present shopping, and the pool usually doesn't get a second thought until someone asks, "can we swim after lunch?"

The catch is that December in Adelaide isn't reliably pool weather. The Bureau of Meteorology puts the city's average December minimum at 15.1°C (Bureau of Meteorology), and a pool loses most of its heat overnight through evaporation. So even after a warm Christmas Eve, an unheated pool can feel pretty bracing on Christmas morning.

Pool water is slow. It takes about 1.16kWh of heat to lift 1,000 litres by 1°C, so an average backyard pool needs hundreds of kilowatt hours to warm up properly. We explain the maths in how long it takes to heat a pool in Adelaide. That's why heating that isn't quite working right is worth sorting now, not on the morning of the 25th.

Your pre-Christmas pool heating check

Spend ten minutes on these now, while there's time to fix anything you find.

For solar pool heating:

• Is it actually circulating? On a sunny day, the water coming back from the roof should feel warmer than the pool. If it doesn't, the solar pump, valve or controller may need attention.

• Check the controller. A Zane PC5 controller compares the roof and pool temperatures and only lets water circulate when there is solar gain. Make sure it's switched on, set to your preferred temperature and not showing a fault.

• Look for leaks. Wet patches under the pipework, drips at fittings or a pump that's losing water are worth sorting now.

• Leaves and debris. If you can see a build-up on the collectors from the ground, give us a call. Please don't climb on the roof yourself.

• After a storm, check for damage. Our hail damage guide covers what to look for.

For heat pumps:

• Clear the airflow. A heat pump needs room to breathe. Move pot plants, pool toys and stored furniture away from the unit and clear leaves off the coil.

• Check the display for error codes, and make sure the unit is set to heat mode at your preferred temperature.

• Listen to it. New rattles, a fan that sounds rough or a unit that runs all day without warming the pool are signs it needs a look. Our guide to why a pool heat pump isn't heating properly walks through the common causes.

• Book a service if it hasn't had one in a while. Regular maintenance keeps it efficient and helps it last.

Found something you're not sure about? Our service and support team repairs and services pool heating across Adelaide, and we keep parts in stock at our Beverley showroom.

Getting the most from your heating over Christmas

• Don't let the pool go cold. Holding the temperature is cheaper and quicker than reheating a pool from cold, so keep the heating running in the lead-up to Christmas.

• Allow time if it has dropped. If the pool has gone cold, a correctly sized heat pump typically takes a few days to bring a covered pool back up. Solar gets there more gradually, over a run of sunny days.

• Set it to your preferred temperature and let it do the work. If you have a heat pump, running it during the warmest part of the day gets you the most heat for your power.

• Blanket on every night. It's the single biggest thing you can do to keep heat in. If you don't have one, start with our guide to using a pool blanket with solar or a heat pump.

Hosting at your place? A few easy wins

• Blanket on until the guests arrive, then off just before everyone jumps in.

• Test the water a couple of days out. Warm water and lots of swimmers use up chlorine faster, so check your chemistry before Christmas Day and again afterwards.

• Blanket back on at night. Boxing Day swims will thank you.

Thinking about adding pool heating?

Summer is our busiest time of year, so the best thing you can do is get your free onsite quote in early. We'll check your pool size, where the equipment sits, your roof (for solar) and your power and switchboard (for a heat pump), then tell you which option suits your pool and your budget. We'll also give you an honest answer on timing when we quote. Our installs are done by our own team, not subcontractors.

Both options give you a warmer pool and a longer swimming season, and there are a few differences worth knowing:

• A heat pump works day and night, in sun or cloud, so it's the most predictable option. Our Guardian Eco Pro and Guardian Lux V inverter heat pumps are also at their most efficient in warm summer air. Read more about pool heat pump installation.

• Solar is the cheapest to run, because the heat is free and you only pay to pump water through the collectors. Summer is its best season. See how solar pool heating works.

• Both together is what a lot of our customers end up with. Solar does the heavy lifting on sunny days, and the heat pump tops it up on cloudy days and stretches the season into autumn.

• Handy on the tools? Our DIY solar pool heating kits come with everything you need for a self-install.

Not sure which suits your pool? Try our heat pump sizing calculator or read our solar vs heat pump comparison.

We're family-owned, we've been heating Adelaide pools since 1979, and our own team has put heating on more than 20,000 of them. Book a free onsite quote and we'll check your pool, roof and power, then tell you which option suits.

Frequently asked questions

How soon can you install pool heating?

Summer is our busiest time of year, so install dates depend on our calendar when you book. The sooner you get a free onsite quote, the better. We'll give you an honest answer on timing when we quote.

How do I know if my solar pool heating is working?

On a sunny day, the water coming back from the roof should feel warmer than the pool, and the controller should be on with no fault showing. If not, the solar pump, valve or controller may need a look.

Why is my heat pump running but the pool isn't warming up?

Common causes are blocked airflow, a dirty coil, the wrong mode or set temperature, or an uncovered pool losing heat overnight. If you've checked those, book a service.

Should I leave my pool heating on over the Christmas break?

Yes, with the blanket on when nobody is swimming. Holding the temperature is cheaper than letting the pool go cold and reheating it. If you're going away for a while, it's fine to turn it off and reheat when you get back.

Is solar or a heat pump better for summer?

Both work well in summer. Solar is the cheapest to run and has its best months now. A heat pump is more predictable because it works day and night in any weather, and it's at its most efficient in warm air.