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Compare Pool Heaters: Gas, Heat Pumps & Top Brands

Verified specs, warranty terms and an honest rating on the major heat pump and gas heater lines. Written by a licensed Florida pool contractor, for pool owners anywhere.

What matters most to you?

Pick the one that sounds like you and we will narrow the comparison below to match. Every spec, warranty term and score stays underneath for the full research.

Want the reasoning behind each answer? Help me choose a pool heater

Compare every heater we have researched

Specifications and manufacturer warranty information reviewed for the 2026 model year. Each heater page carries the date it was last checked and links to the manufacturer documents behind it.

Showing 9 of 31 heaters

  • Hayward · Universal H-Series

    Hayward Universal H-Series H250FDN Gas Pool Heater

    Model H250FDN

    Heat OnlyFast heatMid-range
    BTU input
    250,000 BTU/hr
    Thermal efficiency
    84%
    Heat exchanger
    Cupro-nickel
    Warranty
    3-Year Parts / 1-Year Labor
    Wi-Fi / automation
    App Control via AutomationAutomation Compatible (Relay)

    An average-sized Florida pool, or a pool with a small spa, where you want gas-speed heat without paying for 400,000 BTU you will never use.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.6/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • AquaCal · HeatWave SuperQuiet

    AquaCal HeatWave SuperQuiet Pool Heat Pumps

    Model SQ140R

    Heat + CoolUpper mid-range
    Heating capacity
    114,000 BTU/hr
    Efficiency (COP)
    COP 5.7
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    3-Year Parts & LaborLimited Lifetime Heat Exchanger
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Wi-Fi Built InAutomation Compatible (Relay)

    A Gulf Coast owner who wants a heat pump from a Florida manufacturer with a real service organization behind it, built-in Wi-Fi out of the box, and the option to cool the pool in late summer.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.5/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • Built Right · XW Series

    Built Right XW Series Pool Heat Pumps

    Model BR135XW

    Heat OnlyMid-range
    Heating capacity
    135,000 BTU/hr
    Efficiency (COP)
    COP 6.0
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    5-Year Parts & Labor
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Automation Compatible (Relay)

    A Sarasota, Charlotte or Manatee County pool owner who wants five years of parts and on-site labor on one warranty term from a factory an hour down the road, and does not need app control.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.5/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • GulfStream · GulfStream HE Series

    GulfStream HE110-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat Pump

    Model HE110-RA

    Heat OnlyMid-range
    Heating capacity
    110,000 BTU/hr
    Efficiency (COP)
    COP 6.1
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    7-Year Parts / 2-Year Labor
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Automation Compatible (Relay)

    A small to mid-size Gulf Coast pool where the electrical service is tight and the owner wants the most heat per kilowatt-hour rather than the most BTU.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.5/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • Pentair · ETi

    Pentair ETi 400 High-Efficiency Gas Pool Heater

    Model ETi 400

    Heat OnlyFast heatPremium
    BTU input
    400,000 BTU/hr
    Thermal efficiency
    96%
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    3-Year Parts & Labor
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Automation Compatible (Relay)

    A high-use pool or pool-and-spa where the fuel bill is the deciding factor, and an owner willing to pay premium money up front and manage a condensing heater's condensate.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.5/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • Moov · Moov Inverter

    Moov Inverter Pool Heat Pumps

    Model MI900

    Heat OnlyMid-range
    Heating capacity
    82,000 BTU/hr
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    5-Year Parts / 3-Year Labor10-Year Heat Exchanger
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Wi-Fi Built In

    An owner who wants inverter-style part-load efficiency and low noise on a Florida pool, and who is comfortable buying a newer brand with a smaller installed base than the big pro-channel names.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.3/5How we rate heaters
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  • Raypak · Crosswind V

    Raypak Crosswind V 8550 Heat/Chill Pool Heat Pump

    Model TWPH-8550EHC08

    Heat + CoolUpper mid-range
    Heating capacity
    137,000 BTU/hr
    Efficiency (COP)
    COP 5.8
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    7-Year Parts / 2-Year Labor10-Year Heat Exchanger
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Wi-Fi Built In

    A Gulf Coast pool that gets used most of the year, where the owner wants heat in winter, the option to chill in August, and a warranty of seven years parts, two years labor and ten years on the titanium tube.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.3/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • Thermeau · Signature and Prestige

    Thermeau Signature & Prestige Pool Heat Pumps

    Model TH125

    Heat + CoolUpper mid-range
    Heating capacity
    121,000 BTU/hr
    Efficiency (COP)
    COP 5.5
    Heat exchanger
    Titanium
    Warranty
    5-Year Parts & Labor10-Year Heat Exchanger
    Wi-Fi / automation
    Onboard controls only

    An owner who wants published, model-by-model performance data and a long warranty, and who has confirmed there is a Thermeau service dealer near the pool.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.3/5How we rate heaters
    View details

  • Jandy · JXiQ

    Jandy JXiQ400NK Smart Gas Pool & Spa Heater

    Model JXIQ400NK

    Heat OnlyFast heatPremium
    BTU input
    399,000 BTU/hr
    Thermal efficiency
    84%
    Heat exchanger
    Copper
    Warranty
    1-Year Parts5-Year Heat Exchanger
    Wi-Fi / automation
    App Control via AutomationAutomation Compatible

    A pool and spa owner who wants the heater itself to tell them, and their service company, what is going on — and who is already committed to a Jandy AquaLink system.

    MPH Equipment Score — 4.0/5How we rate heaters
    View details

Compare pool heaters side by side

Not every pool heater is built the same. Compare gas heaters and electric heat pumps by BTU rating, heat and cool capability, heat-exchanger material, warranty, smart controls, price tier and what owners actually report. Whether you want fast spa heat, lower-cost everyday pool heating or a heater that chills the water for a Florida August, start with one of these three.

Gas heater

Natural gas or propane. The most heat per hour of anything on this site, and the only sensible answer for a spa you want hot tonight.

Compare gas heaters

Electric heat pump

Moves heat out of warm Florida air instead of burning fuel. One of the lowest-cost powered methods for maintaining pool temperature throughout the swimming season, and the heat/cool models chill it in August.

Compare heat pumps

Help me choose

Six things pool owners tell us and what each one points to: fast spa heat, running cost, heat and cool, salt pools, occasional use and warranty.

Work out what fits

Need help sizing the right heater? Modern Pool Heating can match the heater to your pool size, plumbing, fuel source and how you actually use the pool.

Most pool heater comparisons are written by people who have never opened one of these cabinets. We install and repair them for a living in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte & Pinellas County, so the pages here start from manufacturer documents and then say what actually happens to this equipment in the Florida sun and salt.

Every spec on this site is verified against the manufacturer’s own product page, spec sheet or warranty document, and every page carries the date we last checked it and links to the sources. If a figure is not published, we leave the row empty rather than filling it in.

Each heater also carries one number — our own rating, on a formula we publish. It is separate from any star average you find on a retailer site, and we never blend the two. How we rate heaters.

Start here

Every brand we compare

Each brand hub carries its own overview, model list, strengths and the things we would want a customer to know before buying. A brand appears here once we have finished researching it.

Hayward

One of the largest pool equipment manufacturers in North America.

Hayward builds a full line of pool equipment, and its two heating families are the ones Florida pool owners meet most often: Universal H-Series gas heaters, which include a cupro-nickel heat exchanger on every model rather than as a paid upgrade, and HeatPro electric heat pumps with a titanium condenser and a 10-year titanium tube warranty. Hayward equipment is stocked and serviced almost everywhere in this state, which matters more on a Saturday in February than any spec sheet does.

6 models compared

GulfStream

Florida-built pool heat pumps, now a Pentair brand.

GulfStream builds electric pool heat pumps in North Fort Myers, Florida. The current HE Series comes in five sizes from 110,000 to 138,000 BTU/hr, in heat-only (RA) and reverse-cycle heat/cool (TA) versions, all with a titanium heat exchanger in a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet. GulfStream is now part of Pentair Pool, which handles product information, warranty and service, and the published coverage is 7 years parts and 2 years labor.

5 models compared

Pentair

A major pool equipment manufacturer with the deepest automation ecosystem in the category.

Pentair builds three separate heating families: MasterTemp conventional gas heaters at 84% thermal efficiency, the same heaters in a cupro-nickel HD version at 82%, and the ETi high-efficiency line whose direct-fire titanium exchanger reaches 96%. On the electric side, UltraTemp heat pumps use a 100% titanium exchanger with a 10-year compressor and lifetime exchanger warranty. GulfStream is now a Pentair brand too. Almost everything is TradeGrade, which is Pentair's professional-channel line, and the warranty depends on that channel.

6 models compared

Jandy

Compact gas heaters and heat/chill heat pumps, built around the iAquaLink ecosystem.

Jandy is the pool equipment brand of Zodiac Pool Systems, a Fluidra company. Its heating line is short and deliberate: JXi gas heaters at 200,000, 260,000 and 399,000 BTU/hr, the instrumented JXiQ version of the same heater, and the VersaTemp JRT heat/chill heat pumps from 103,000 to 160,000 BTU/hr. The heaters are the most compact in their output class, they connect to Jandy AquaLink automation over RS-485 rather than through a relay, and the published warranty is one year on JXi gas heaters with no labor coverage, and two years on heat pumps.

6 models compared

Raypak

A 1947 heater manufacturer, part of Rheem since 1985, publishing a seven-year parts warranty on Crosswind V heat pumps.

Raypak has built pool and spa heaters since 1947 and has been part of the Rheem family of brands since 1985, out of a manufacturing plant in Oxnard, California. Its current residential line is the AVIA gas heater — copper, or NiTek nickel alloy on HD models — and the Crosswind V heat pump. Two things set Raypak apart on paper: free Wi-Fi control built into the heater rather than sold as an accessory, and the published warranties — three years parts and labor on AVIA gas heaters, and two years labor, seven years parts and ten years on the titanium tube on Crosswind V heat pumps.

4 models compared

AquaCal

A Florida heat-pump specialist, building in St. Petersburg since 1981.

AquaCal AutoPilot, Inc. builds electric pool heat pumps in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has done since 1981. The residential range is led by HeatWave SuperQuiet (SQ140R, SQ160R and SQ200R), with the TropiCal line below it and TropiCool chillers alongside. Every unit uses the patented ThermoLink pure titanium heat exchanger and ships PoolSync Wi-Fi built in. The current national warranty is 3 years parts and labor, years 4-5 limited parts, and a limited lifetime term on the titanium tubing.

1 model compared

Moov

Inverter pool heat pumps with a 3-year labor, 10-year exchanger warranty.

Moov Pool Products builds inverter-driven electric pool heat pumps, plus pumps, salt systems, filters and robots, from a head office in Quebec City. Its two heat pump lines — Moov Inverter (MI500 through MI1400, 45,500 to 134,000 BTU/hr) and TurboSilence — use variable-speed compressors and titanium heat exchangers, and carry the same published warranty across the line: 3 years labor, 5 years parts and 10 years on the heat exchanger. The trade-off is a smaller installed base and service network than the big pro-channel brands.

1 model compared

Built Right

Florida-made pool heat pumps with five years of parts and labor.

Built Right Pool Heaters manufactures electric pool heat pumps in Punta Gorda, Florida, about an hour south of Sarasota. The current XW Series is short and focused: BR115XW, BR135XW and a heat-and-cool BR135XW H/C, from 117,000 to 135,000 BTU/hr, all with titanium heat exchangers in corrosion-free polymer cabinets. The warranty is the headline — five years of parts and on-site labor — and the company says most Florida service work is handled by its own factory technicians.

1 model compared

Thermeau

Two residential heat pump lines, published data for every model.

Thermeau Industries builds electric pool heat pumps in two residential lines: Signature (S65 to S140B, heating only, 2 years labor and 7 years parts) and Prestige (TH65 to TH140B, with a cooling mode on every model but the TH140B, 5 years labor and parts). Both span 64,000 to 133,000 BTU/hr, use a twisted titanium tube exchanger with 10-year corrosion protection, and publish full performance data at three test conditions. The U.S. office is in Apopka, Florida; the factory is Canadian.

1 model compared
Brand index

Featured comparisons

One table, identical rows, and a straight answer in the first paragraph.

Pentair MasterTemp 400 vs Hayward H400FDN

Pentair MasterTemp 400, Hayward H400FDN and the cupro-nickel MasterTemp 400HD compared on efficiency, heat exchanger, warranty, flow and automation.

Read the comparison

Hayward vs Pentair Gas Pool Heaters: Universal H-Series vs MasterTemp

Hayward Universal H-Series and Pentair MasterTemp compared at 250,000 and 400,000 BTU on heat exchanger, efficiency, warranty channel, automation and price.

Read the comparison

GulfStream HE Series vs Hayward HeatPro Pool Heat Pumps

GulfStream HE Series and Hayward HeatPro MCHX pool heat pumps compared on BTU, COP, titanium exchangers, warranty, heat and cool, controls and price tier.

Read the comparison

Jandy JXi400N vs Pentair MasterTemp 400 NG

Jandy JXi400N and Pentair MasterTemp 400 compared on BTU input, 84% efficiency, copper and cupro-nickel exchangers, warranty, automation and price tier.

Read the comparison

Raypak vs Hayward Gas Pool Heaters: AVIA vs Universal H-Series

Raypak AVIA and AVIA HD NiTek against Hayward's Universal H-Series on heat exchanger material, 84% efficiency, warranty labor terms, flow and app control.

Read the comparison

Jandy vs Pentair Gas Pool Heaters

Jandy JXi and Pentair MasterTemp and ETi gas pool heaters compared on BTU, thermal efficiency, heat exchanger material, warranty, automation and price tier.

Read the comparison

Work out what you need first

The questions that decide a heater purchase, answered without a sales pitch.

Solar vs Heat Pump vs Gas Pool Heating

Which pool heater is right for a Florida pool? How solar, electric heat pumps and gas heaters compare on operating cost, heat-up speed and best use case.

Read the guide

How to Size a Pool Heat Pump

How to size a pool heat pump: surface area, temperature rise, the DOE formula, screen enclosures and why capacity at 50°F air sets the size in Florida.

Read the guide

Copper, Cupro-Nickel and Titanium Pool Heat Exchangers

What a pool heater's heat exchanger is made of, why it matters on salt pools and coastal lots, which brands use which, and why chemistry decides its life.

Read the guide

Natural Gas vs Propane Pool Heaters

Natural gas and propane pool heaters compared on availability, running cost, tank requirements, conversion kits and what to check before you buy in Florida.

Read the guide

Heat and Cool Pool Heat Pumps in Florida

Reverse-cycle pool heat pumps that also chill the water: how pool cooling works, which lines offer it, what it costs, and when a Florida pool needs it.

Read the guide

What It Costs to Heat a Pool in Florida

What pool heating costs in Florida, worked from EIA electricity, gas and propane prices: cost per million BTU by fuel and example monthly ranges.

Read the guide

Should You Repair or Replace Your Pool Heater?

When to repair a pool heater and when to replace it: age, exchanger corrosion, repeat failures, parts, warranty status, efficiency gains and safety.

Read the guide

Hayward Pool Heater Error Codes Explained

What every Hayward Universal H-Series and HeatPro fault code means, which ones you can safely clear, and when to call a licensed pool heater technician.

Read the guide

Pentair MasterTemp: Common Problems and Maintenance

Common Pentair MasterTemp faults — service lights, ERR codes, low flow, condensation and sooting: what causes them, what to check, and when to call a tech.

Read the guide

Sarasota Pool Heater Installation: Two Projects, Up Close

Two real Sarasota pool heating projects: a Hayward gas heater plumbed into an equipment pad, and pool equipment elevated on Siesta Key, and what they show.

Read the guide
Ask Henry: pool heating advice from a Florida pool contractorStraight answers to the questions we hear at the equipment pad: what size, what it costs to run, how long it lasts, and why a heater stops heating.

We install what we write about

Affordable Solar & Pool Heating, LLC is a licensed Florida pool contractor working Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte & Pinellas County. The research on this site is for pool owners anywhere; the installation offer is local.

Pool heat pump installationSizing, electrical, pad work and startup across the Gulf Coast.
Gas pool heater installationNatural gas and propane, including gas line sizing and venting.
Solar pool heatingThe lowest operating cost of anything on this site, if your roof suits it.
Pool heater repairDiagnostics and repair on the brands we compare here.
Pool heater installation & repair in Sarasota, FLReal projects, local considerations and a quote form with the city already filled in.

Not sure which of these is right for your pool?

Send us the pool size, whether you have a spa, and how you use it. We will tell you what fits — including when the right answer is the heater you already own.

Call Modern Pool HeatingRequest a Pool Heating QuoteAsk Which Heater Fits My PoolCompare Pool Heating Options

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Mon-Sat, 8am-6pm · Licensed & insured · Florida Certified Pool/Spa Contractor CPC1460367