Year-round pool heating in Western Washington
Can you really swim year-round in Western Washington? Yes — but not by accident. Our summers are short and our water starts cold, so a pool here is only as usable as its heating system. The pools we build that get used in February all share the same recipe: a properly sized heater, an automatic cover, and plumbing designed for both from day one.
There are three ways to heat a pool here. Gas heaters deliver fast, on-demand heat and shrug off cold air — ideal for weekend swimmers and spas. Heat pumps move warmth from the air into the water far more efficiently, and they suit the mild Puget Sound climate, but they are happiest holding a steady temperature rather than heating from cold. Solar can trim running costs in summer, though around Seattle it is a supplement, not a primary system.
The automatic cover is the half of the system people underestimate. An uncovered pool loses most of its heat overnight through evaporation; a covered one holds it, which cuts heating bills dramatically and keeps rain and debris out through our long wet season. A cover is also the single best safety feature a family pool can have — which is why we design the cover vault into the shell rather than bolting one on later.
Designed together — heater sized to the pool volume, cover run by the automation, equipment pad placed for short plumbing runs — the system fades into the background: the pool simply sits at temperature whenever you want it. That is the difference between a pool you use eight weeks a year and one that earns its place through a Washington winter.
