Pool heat pump consultations in Boulder County
Strata Heat Pumps installs heat pumps in Boulder County, in every ZIP code listed on this page. Pool and spa heat pumps are not in the online estimate. Ask for a consultation for an address in Boulder County and we visit, size the unit and quote.
Pool heat pumps in Boulder County
Strata is taking consultation requests for pool and spa heat pumps now. We quote after a site visit. A pool heat pump moves heat into water instead of burning fuel. It gives Boulder County owners an electric pool heater option for a pool heater replacement or a new pool heater installation.
Census figures show Boulder County has 142,809 homes. Detached houses make up 57.9% of homes, below Colorado's 61.8%. Owner occupied homes account for 62.5%, compared with 66.3% statewide. Detached properties usually provide a clearer path for outdoor equipment, pool plumbing, and electrical review.
The median Boulder County home was built in 1986, close to Colorado's 1987 median. Home age does not size a pool heat pump. We inspect the existing equipment, electrical panel, water volume, plumbing, cover, and planned use before we select equipment.
Boulder County rules for pools and spas
Boulder County building code section B26 says heated pools of 200 sq ft or more must use solar thermal or non-fossil heating, or offset their energy with on-site renewables. A cold-climate inverter pool heat pump uses non-fossil heating. Boulder County rules accept solar thermal or a renewable offset.
The same Boulder County code says spas must be offset unless they are CEC Title 20 listed and under 64 sq ft. This applies to a hot tub heat pump plan as well as a larger spa. Inside a city or town, that place's own code applies, so we check the local rule first.
Code is one reason the consultation starts at the property. We confirm the equipment plan and local requirements before we quote. Boulder County has 3.1% propane-heated homes, versus 4.9% across Colorado, so fuel and electrical choices still vary across the county.
Xcel time of use and pool heating
Xcel Energy supplies electricity in Boulder County. Colorado Public Utilities Commission time of use rates set Xcel residential peak at 5 to 9 pm on weekdays, at 21.3 cents per kWh in summer. Every other hour, including weekends, is off-peak, at 7.9 cents per kWh in summer and 6.8 cents from October through May.
We heat a pool mostly between 9 am and 5 pm. Air is warmest then, and the pool heat pump runs more efficiently. With a cover, the pool loses well under one degree Fahrenheit through the 5 to 9 pm peak. The unit tops up overnight only when needed.
Time of use controls are part of the job. Without scheduling, most of the savings disappear. Spa use also falls in the 5 to 9 pm peak. We preheat a spa by 5 pm, then let it coast on an insulated cover while people use it in the evening.
Pool heat pump running costs in Boulder County
At $1.00 per therm, gas in an 83% efficient pool heater costs $1.20 per useful therm. A heat pump at a COP of 5 in a warm afternoon costs $0.46 at the off-peak base rate, or $0.64 with riders. This comparison uses Xcel off-peak rates and about 3 cents per kWh of riders.
At a typical COP of 4, a heat pump costs $0.58 at the base rate and $0.81 with riders per useful therm. At a COP of 3 in cool or very dry air, it costs $0.77 at the base rate and $1.07 with riders. We check these figures against your own Xcel bill before we quote.
At 35 F on a shoulder night, a COP of 2.5 puts the heat pump figure at $0.80 at the base rate and about $1.00 with riders. Scheduled to stay off during peak hours, a heat pump runs about 10 to 60% cheaper than gas. The result depends on air conditions and controls.
Cold nights, dry air, and propane
Gas heater combustion capacity drops roughly 4% per 1,000 ft. At 5,300 ft, that loss is about 20% at Front Range altitude. A pool heat pump has no combustion derate. It still needs correct sizing because air-source output drops in deep cold and dry air.
Pool heat pump ratings assume 80 F air at 80% humidity. Front Range summer afternoons often run 15 to 25% humidity, so actual output is lower. Standard models lose output below 50 F, and many stop at 40 F. Cold-climate inverter models with reverse-cycle defrost are rated to run down to 23 F, 5 F, or, for some models, -4 F.
A cold-climate inverter model stretches the swim season roughly from April through October and can heat a spa year-round. Propane also matters in Boulder County. Allenspark has 54.4% propane heat, Gold Hill has 66.3%, Jamestown has 69.5%, and Glendale has 75%. At $2.50 per gallon of propane, a heat pump is 2 to 3 times cheaper to run than a propane pool heater.
Sizing and electrical needs for Boulder County pools
We size a pool heat pump for dry air, water volume, desired temperature, pool cover, exposure, plumbing, and the season you want. A pool over 20,000 gallons may need two units and two circuits. This is why a pool heater installation starts with a site visit, not an equipment guess.
A 140,000 BTU pool heat pump needs a 50 A, 240 V circuit. We check panel capacity at the site visit and plan load management where the panel is tight. Electrical capacity matters as much as water volume when selecting an electric pool heater.
Recovery and temperature holding are different jobs. Raising a 20,000 gallon pool 10 F takes about 6 hours on a 400,000 BTU gas heater and about 15 hours on a heat pump. A heat pump is for holding temperature rather than heating a cold pool on demand.
Pool and spa consultations in Boulder County
Boulder has 46,765 homes and 39.2% detached houses. Longmont has 42,435 homes and 60.5% detached houses. Louisville has 66.5% detached homes, Lafayette has 55.5%, Superior has 58.7%, and Erie has 86.6%. Those differences affect the equipment location, electrical route, and site review for each pool heat pump.
Other Boulder County places include Allenspark, Altona, Bark Ranch, Bonanza Mountain Estates, Crisman, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Glendale, Gold Hill, Gunbarrel, Hidden Lake, Jamestown, Lazy Acres, Lyons, Mountain Meadows, Nederland, Niwot, Paragon Estates, Pine Brook Hill, Seven Hills, St. Ann Highlands, Sugarloaf, Sunshine, Tall Timber, Valmont, and Ward. Allenspark has 97% detached homes, and Ward has 97.1%.
Submit a consultation request for your Boulder County pool or spa. We visit, size the unit for dry air, check the electrical panel and local rule, then quote after the site visit. We install and service pool heat pumps and spa heat pumps. We do not repair gas pool heaters.
Boulder County towns
| Homes | Median year built | Built before 1960 | Built 2010 or later | Gas heat | Electric heat | Propane | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 46,765 | 1978 | 18.2% | 9% | 62.5% | 33.6% | 1.2% |
| Longmont | 42,435 | 1990 | 10% | 15.5% | 76.3% | 21% | 1.3% |
| Louisville | 8,304 | 1991 | 6.6% | 18% | 77.1% | 21.4% | 0.1% |
| Lafayette | 13,323 | 1993 | 7.1% | 21.5% | 73.4% | 24.4% | 0.6% |
| Superior | 4,907 | 1997 | 0.6% | 9.2% | 77.1% | 20.6% | 1.9% |
| Erie | 11,277 | 2007 | 2.3% | 39.4% | 81.3% | 16.8% | 0.3% |
| Allenspark | 813 | 1950 | 62.9% | 0.7% | 0% | 20.1% | 54.4% |
| Altona | 280 | 1978 | 5.7% | 6.4% | 55.2% | 37.5% | 0% |
| Bark Ranch | 60 | 1990 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 11.7% | 38.3% |
| Bonanza Mountain Estates | 98 | 1969 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 46.9% | 53.1% |
| Crisman | 95 | 1975 | 13.7% | 8.4% | 14.7% | 18.9% | 57.9% |
| Eldora | 517 | 1938 | 91.3% | 0% | 5.2% | 12.1% | 35.7% |
| Eldorado Springs | 170 | 1965 | 36.5% | 5.9% | 72.9% | 11.8% | 2.9% |
| Glendale | 69 | 1993 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 75% |
| Gold Hill | 175 | 1938 | 85.7% | 0% | 0% | 14.9% | 66.3% |
| Gunbarrel | 4,897 | 1979 | 1.2% | 5.5% | 79.3% | 16.9% | 1.6% |
| Hidden Lake | 54 | -666666666 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| Jamestown | 132 | 1952 | 63.6% | 3.8% | 16.9% | 5.9% | 69.5% |
| Lazy Acres | 478 | 1979 | 2.7% | 3.8% | 0% | 14.9% | 74.3% |
| Lyons | 792 | 1998 | 9.8% | 11.9% | 79% | 13.3% | 5.7% |
| Mountain Meadows | 105 | 1981 | 0% | 9.5% | 11.4% | 0% | 73.3% |
| Nederland | 691 | 1976 | 24.7% | 7.1% | 58% | 22.1% | 7.2% |
| Niwot | 1,577 | 1981 | 5.9% | 1.6% | 76.9% | 15.9% | 7.3% |
| Paragon Estates | 338 | 1972 | 15.7% | 3.6% | 81.7% | 18.3% | 0% |
| Pine Brook Hill | 319 | 1976 | 0% | 3.1% | 90.4% | 0% | 0% |
| Seven Hills | 44 | -666666666 | 0% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| St. Ann Highlands | 189 | 1992 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 16.9% | 33.3% |
| Sugarloaf | 215 | 1977 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 19.9% | 26.7% |
| Sunshine | 75 | 1965 | 18.7% | 0% | 0% | 38.7% | 61.3% |
| Tall Timber | 133 | 1973 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 69.2% |
| Valmont | 43 | 1948 | 79.1% | 0% | 46.5% | 53.5% | 0% |
| Ward | 68 | 1938 | 57.4% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 52.9% |
- Heat pumps in Boulder46,765 homes, median year built 1978.
- Heat pumps in Longmont42,435 homes, median year built 1990.
- Heat pumps in Louisville8,304 homes, median year built 1991.
- Heat pumps in Lafayette13,323 homes, median year built 1993.
- Heat pumps in Superior4,907 homes, median year built 1997.
- Heat pumps in Erie11,277 homes, median year built 2007.
- Heat pumps in Allenspark813 homes, median year built 1950.
- Heat pumps in Eldora517 homes, median year built 1938.
- Heat pumps in Gunbarrel4,897 homes, median year built 1979.
- Heat pumps in Lazy Acres478 homes, median year built 1979.
- Heat pumps in Lyons792 homes, median year built 1998.
- Heat pumps in Nederland691 homes, median year built 1976.
- Heat pumps in Niwot1,577 homes, median year built 1981.
- Heat pumps in Paragon Estates338 homes, median year built 1972.
- Heat pumps in Pine Brook Hill319 homes, median year built 1976.
More for Boulder County
- Ducted heat pump in Boulder CountyPrices by home age and the Boulder rebates for this system.
- Dual-fuel heat pump in Boulder CountyPrices by home age and the Boulder rebates for this system.
- Ductless mini-split in Boulder CountyPrices by home age and the Boulder rebates for this system.
- Heat pump rebates in Boulder County$7,000 on a 3-ton gas home, program by program.
- Pool and spa heat pumpsHow a cold-climate electric pool heater works on the Front Range.
- Boulder pool and spa heating rulesBoulder County and City of Boulder rules for heated pools and spas.
- Pool heat pump vs gas and propane costCost per useful therm against gas and propane pool heaters.
- Hot tub and spa heat pumpsA heat pump as a hot tub heater, all year.
Questions we hear
What does a Boulder County pool heat pump consultation cover?
We visit the property and review pool volume, water temperature goals, cover use, plumbing, equipment placement, dry-air conditions, electrical capacity, and local rules. A 140,000 BTU pool heat pump needs a 50 A, 240 V circuit. We also check if a pool over 20,000 gallons needs two units and two circuits before we quote.
What rule applies to heated pools in Boulder County?
Boulder County building code section B26 requires heated pools of 200 sq ft or more to use solar thermal or non-fossil heating, or offset energy with on-site renewables. Spas must be offset unless they are CEC Title 20 listed and under 64 sq ft. Inside a city or town, we check that place's own code first.
How do Xcel time of use rates affect a pool heat pump?
Xcel's summer weekday peak runs from 5 to 9 pm at 21.3 cents per kWh. Off-peak power is 7.9 cents per kWh in summer and 6.8 cents from October through May. We schedule most pool heating between 9 am and 5 pm, then use a cover to limit heat loss through peak hours.
Can a hot tub heat pump work on Boulder County cold nights?
Cold-climate inverter models with reverse-cycle defrost are rated to run down to 23 F, 5 F, or, for some models, -4 F. They can heat a spa year-round. Standard models lose output below 50 F, and many stop at 40 F. We size for cold conditions and preheat the spa by 5 pm.
Why does propane matter for pool heater replacement?
Boulder County has 3.1% propane-heated homes, but several mountain communities have far higher shares. Allenspark has 54.4%, Gold Hill has 66.3%, Jamestown has 69.5%, and Glendale has 75%. At $2.50 per gallon of propane, a heat pump is 2 to 3 times cheaper to run than a propane pool heater.