POOL HEATING
Why do we have to pay for pool heating and why is it charged extra?
In the cooler months, our pool can be heated for comfort, or even a touch of luxury. However it is an optional extra and not part of the villa rental fees.
Many guests will be on days out for the majority of their holiday and therefore won't be making use of the pool and so may decide to not have the pool heated as they won't be benefiting from it on a daily basis.
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Gas pool heating
Our pool is heated by gas which is expensive in Florida. As home owners we will also pay sales and tourist taxes on pool heat which is a direct cost to us. We also have to factor in wear and tear/maintenance costs to the pool heater. We had a new model installed in 2018 which cost over $2500 and this is now considerably more!
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Gas pool heaters have an advantage over electric in that they will operate even in cold temperatures. Similar electric heat pumps will cut out when the temperature falls below 11C / 55F, not uncommon in winter, even in the sunshine state! Our heater will deliver warmth regardless of the air temperature but of course the lower the ambient temperature, the harder the heater has to work to reach operating temperature.
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Why is there no pool cover?
With a huge surface area, pools will lose heat in the air and it is harder to keep warm when the external air temperature is lower during the winter months. One of our regular pool treatments is a liquid pool blanket which reduces the heat loss (and saves the additional nightly task of pulling a pool cover over) but unfortunately doesn't stop the pool cooling a little overnight.
Other costs
Should something go wrong with the pool heating during our guests' stay, there will be a call-out fee by the engineer to attend site and ascertain the problem prior to fixing it. This is an additional cost which needs to be allowed for and factored into our costs.
For this reason we feel that guests would welcome the pool heating NOT to be included in their accommodation fees, especially if it was something they wouldn't choose to include themselves. You can of course request a quote for pool heat when you ask for your vacation price.
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