Electric pool heaters for in-ground swimming pools are a great choice for people who enjoy swimming even during cloudy weather. These swimming pool heaters are also popular with pool owners who want to use solar energy to heat their pool but who cannot accommodate a solar heater on their property. Although the unit cost of heat pump heaters for in-ground pools tends to be higher than that of gas pool heaters, falling somewhere in the range of $1600 to $4600, their cost of operation is very low. Also, heat pumps will generally have a lifespan of between five and 10 years, although they may require periodic service to maintain the internal electrical parts.

Solar swimming pool heaters make up the third main category of in-ground pool heaters available on today's market. These in-ground swimming pool heaters are powered by the sun, using its heat to raise the temperature of the pool water as it circulates through the unit. Accordingly, although solar pool heaters for in-ground swimming pools can have a system kit cost in the range of $300 to $4800, they have no cost of operation. Also, as solar energy is a green and renewable energy source, these pool heaters provide an environmentally friendly heating option.

While these heaters should only operate during daylight hours for the best results, they usually come with a timer that makes this very convenient. Although having a heater of the proper size for your particular swimming pool is important for any type of heater, it's particularly critical with respect to getting good performance out of a solar heater. However, when you have a solar heating system that is a good match for your in-ground pool, you will be able to enjoy a very effective yet very low maintenance form of pool heating. Moreover, solar heaters for in-ground pools are an excellent investment as they will generally last for 10 to 20 years.