GulfStream Pool Heaters
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.
GulfStream is the closest thing to a hometown heat pump on this site. The units are built by G&F Manufacturing on Interstate Court in North Fort Myers, about two hours south of Sarasota on I-75, and several of our customers choose the brand specifically because it is made in Florida. In practice that also shortens the parts chain: a board or a fan motor does not have to cross the country to reach a Gulf Coast equipment pad.
The brand is now part of Pentair Pool. The old gulfstreamheatpump.com now redirects to Pentair's site, and Pentair states that GulfStream heat pumps are sold and supported through Pentair and normal distribution channels, with warranty, service and technical support managed by Pentair. The spec sheet, sell sheet, installation manual and owner's manual all live on pentair.com, and each SKU has its own Pentair product page. If you bought a GulfStream before the transition, your paperwork may still point at the old site and phone numbers.
The product line itself is narrow and deliberate: one platform, five models. Every HE Series unit uses a titanium heat exchanger with a 2-inch full-flow water path, a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet that cannot rust, a scroll compressor and a 20 square foot wrap-around evaporator coil. The RA models heat only; the TA models add a reversing valve so they can chill the pool as well. Published efficiency is a COP of 6.0 at the industry 80/80/80 test point — 6.1 on the smallest unit — and Pentair states every model meets or exceeds a COP of 4.0 at the AHRI low (50/63/80) test point.
For Florida specifically, two things stand out. The titanium exchanger and non-metallic cabinet suit salt pools and coastal air better than anything with copper in the water path or steel in the shell, and the heat/cool TA models answer a problem northern pool owners do not have — an unscreened pool that gets uncomfortably warm in July and August. The trade-off is connectivity: GulfStream publishes no app or Wi-Fi control, and its manual states the heat pump cannot be joined to an automation system over RS-485. Automation is dry-contact only.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- North Fort Myers, Florida (manufactured by G&F Manufacturing; brand owned by Pentair)
- Model pages here
- 5
- Lines
- HE Series RA (heat only), HE Series TA (heat and cool)
What GulfStream builds
HE Series RA (heat only)
Electric heat pumpHE110-RA, HE125-RA and HE150-RA: 110,000, 118,000 and 138,000 BTU/hr at the 80/80/80 test point, COP 6.1 / 6.0 / 6.0, titanium heat exchanger and ABS cabinet. Heating only — the chiller components have to be ordered with the unit, so an RA cannot be converted later.
HE Series TA (heat and cool)
Electric heat pumpHE125-TA and HE150-TA: 115,000 and 135,000 BTU/hr at 80/80/80, COP 6.0, same titanium exchanger and cabinet plus a reversing valve. They heat the pool in winter and chill it in late summer; cooling is for the pool only, never a spa, and heat/cool models are the only ones offered with reverse-cycle (hot gas) defrost.
GulfStream models we have researched
Every figure below is verified against the manufacturer's own documents, with the sources listed on each model page.
| Model | Type | BTU rating | Heat / cool |
|---|---|---|---|
| GulfStream HE110-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat PumpHE110-RA | Electric heat pump | 110,000 BTU/hr heat output | Heat Only |
| GulfStream HE125-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat PumpHE125-RA | Electric heat pump | 118,000 BTU/hr heat output | Heat Only |
| GulfStream HE125-TA Heat/Cool Pool Heat PumpHE125-TA | Electric heat pump | 115,000 BTU/hr heat output | Heat + Cool |
| GulfStream HE150-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat PumpHE150-RA | Electric heat pump | 138,000 BTU/hr heat output | Heat Only |
| GulfStream HE150-TA Heat/Cool Pool Heat PumpHE150-TA | Electric heat pump | 135,000 BTU/hr heat output | Heat + Cool |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
GulfStream · GulfStream HE Series
GulfStream HE110-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat Pump
Model HE110-RA
- 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.
GulfStream · GulfStream HE Series
GulfStream HE125-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat Pump
Model HE125-RA
- Heating capacity
- 118,000 BTU/hr
- Efficiency (COP)
- COP 6.0
- Heat exchanger
- Titanium
- Warranty
- 7-Year Parts / 2-Year Labor
- Wi-Fi / automation
- Automation Compatible (Relay)
The middle of the GulfStream line: a typical Gulf Coast residential pool that gets swum in most of the year and does not need the water chilled.
GulfStream · GulfStream HE Series
GulfStream HE125-TA Heat/Cool Pool Heat Pump
Model HE125-TA
- Heating capacity
- 115,000 BTU/hr
- Efficiency (COP)
- COP 6.0
- Heat exchanger
- Titanium
- Warranty
- 7-Year Parts / 2-Year Labor
- Wi-Fi / automation
- Automation Compatible (Relay)
A mid-size Florida pool whose owner wants warm water in February and the option to take the edge off it in August, without stepping up to the largest unit in the line.
GulfStream · GulfStream HE Series
GulfStream HE150-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat Pump
Model HE150-RA
- Heating capacity
- 138,000 BTU/hr
- Efficiency (COP)
- COP 6.0
- Heat exchanger
- Titanium
- Warranty
- 7-Year Parts / 2-Year Labor
- Wi-Fi / automation
- Automation Compatible (Relay)
A large or exposed Gulf Coast pool that needs the most heating capacity in the GulfStream line and has no use for chilling.
GulfStream · GulfStream HE Series
GulfStream HE150-TA Heat/Cool Pool Heat Pump
Model HE150-TA
- Heating capacity
- 135,000 BTU/hr
- Efficiency (COP)
- COP 6.0
- Heat exchanger
- Titanium
- Warranty
- 7-Year Parts / 2-Year Labor
- Wi-Fi / automation
- Automation Compatible (Relay)
A Gulf Coast pool that gets used most of the year and an owner who also wants the option to take the edge off the water in late summer.
GulfStream models side by side
| Specification | GulfStream HE110-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat PumpHE110-RA | GulfStream HE125-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat PumpHE125-RA | GulfStream HE125-TA Heat/Cool Pool Heat PumpHE125-TA | GulfStream HE150-RA Heat-Only Pool Heat PumpHE150-RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 110,000 BTU/hr | 118,000 BTU/hr | 115,000 BTU/hr | 138,000 BTU/hr |
| Fuel / power | Electric | Electric | Electric | Electric |
| Heat or heat + cool | Heat Only | Heat Only | Heat + Cool | Heat Only |
| Heat exchanger | Titanium, 2-inch full-flow, in a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet that cannot rust | Titanium, 2-inch full-flow, in a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet that cannot rust | Titanium, 2-inch full-flow, in a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet that cannot rust | Titanium, 2-inch full-flow, in a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet that cannot rust |
| Efficiency (COP) | COP 6.1 at 80°F air / 80°F water / 80% relative humidity (AHRI) | COP 6.0 at 80°F air / 80°F water / 80% relative humidity (AHRI) | COP 6.0 at 80°F air / 80°F water / 80% relative humidity (AHRI) | COP 6.0 at 80°F air / 80°F water / 80% relative humidity (AHRI) |
| Warranty | Parts: 7 years · Labor: 2 years | Parts: 7 years · Labor: 2 years | Parts: 7 years · Labor: 2 years | Parts: 7 years · Labor: 2 years |
| Controls & automation | Digital LCD controller with plain-language status and fault messages, separate pool and spa setpoints and keypad lockout; automation through dry-contact remote thermostat terminals only. | Digital LCD controller with plain-language status and fault messages, separate pool and spa setpoints and keypad lockout; automation through dry-contact remote thermostat terminals only. | Digital LCD controller with pool heat, pool cool and pool heat/cool modes, plain-language fault messages and keypad lockout; automation and chiller control through dry-contact relays only. | Digital LCD controller with plain-language status and fault messages, separate pool and spa setpoints and keypad lockout; automation through dry-contact remote thermostat terminals only. |
| Relative price | $$ — Mid-range | $$ — Mid-range | $$$ — Upper mid-range | $$ — Mid-range |
| MPH Equipment ScoreHow we rate heaters | 4.5 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column. Every row is derived from the same fields on each product, so the comparison is like for like. Showing the first 4 of 5 models — a side-by-side table stops being readable past that. Every other model has its own page in the list above.
What we like
- Titanium heat exchanger and a UV-stabilized ABS cabinet are standard on every model, not an upgrade. That is the right specification for salt pools, salt air and barrier-island lots, because there is no copper in the water path and no steel shell to rust.
- The published warranty is 7 years parts and 2 years labor, and GulfStream's sell sheet adds that there are no trip charges during the labor period. There is no separate heat-exchanger term: the titanium exchanger sits under the 7-year parts warranty.
- Heat and cool is available in the same line and at a modest premium, which matters in Florida more than almost anywhere else — an unscreened pool that hits the low 90s in August is a real complaint, not a marketing invention.
- Built in North Fort Myers, two hours from Sarasota. Regional manufacturing usually means shorter parts waits, and it is the reason some of our customers ask for the brand by name.
- Efficiency is at the strong end of the category: COP 6.0 at 80/80/80 (6.1 on the HE110-RA), and the spec sheet states every model meets or exceeds COP 4.0 at the AHRI low (50/63/80) test point. Pentair rates the line at the AHRI 80/80/80 point; it does not publish an AHRI Standard 1160 certification statement for GulfStream, so we do not make one.
- The onboard control is genuinely useful — an LCD that reports status and faults in plain language rather than numeric codes, with separate pool and spa setpoints, a spa timer and a keypad lockout.
What to know before buying
- Automation is dry-contact only. The manual states the heat pump cannot be connected to automation systems over RS-485, and Pentair publishes no app or Wi-Fi control for the brand, even though the SKU pages say the units are "compatible with major automation systems". A controller can switch it on and off and hand it a setpoint; it will not appear on your phone as a networked device.
- The warranty terms are contradicted inside Pentair's own documentation. The GulfStream sell sheet, product page and SKU pages all say 7 years parts and 2 years labor, while Pentair's cross-brand warranty table lists "GulfStream Heat Pump" at 2 years and "GulfStream Heat Pump (Parts)" at 3 years. Get the applicable terms in writing before you buy, and register the unit.
- Warranty service has to go through an authorized service center — the manual says non-authorized service may not be covered — which is straightforward on the Gulf Coast and worth checking before you buy anywhere else.
- It is not a cold-climate heat pump. Every model enters a defrost cycle below 48°F ambient and the manual states it will not operate below 35°F. In Sarasota that costs you a handful of nights a year; in a colder market it would be a real limitation.
- The line is narrow. Five models on one platform, all single-phase, with no inverter-driven or variable-speed option, so there is nothing to step up to if you want the quieter part-load operation an inverter heat pump offers.
GulfStream compared
GulfStream installations
Real jobs from our installation library. A model number appears only where it was readable on the unit.
GulfStream questions
Is GulfStream still in business now that Pentair owns it?
Yes. Pentair states that GulfStream heat pumps are sold and supported through Pentair and normal distribution channels, with warranty, service and technical support managed by Pentair. The old gulfstreamheatpump.com address now redirects to Pentair's GulfStream page, where the spec sheet, sell sheet and manuals live, and each model still has its own product page.
What is the difference between an RA and a TA model?
RA models heat only. TA models add a reversing valve so the unit can chill the pool as well as heat it — pool only, never a spa. The chiller components have to be ordered with the unit, so a heat-only RA cannot be converted to a TA later. TA models also give up a little heating capacity: the HE150-RA is rated 138,000 BTU/hr against 135,000 for the HE150-TA.
Are GulfStream heat pumps good for salt water pools?
This is where they are strongest. The heat exchanger is titanium and the cabinet is UV-stabilized ABS, so there is no copper in the water path and no steel to rust in coastal air. The one rule that still applies is plumbing order: the salt cell or chlorinator has to sit downstream of the heat pump, with a check valve between them, which is what the manual asks for.
What warranty do GulfStream heat pumps carry?
Pentair publishes 7 years parts and 2 years labor for the GulfStream line, with no trip charges during the labor period and no separate heat-exchanger term — the titanium exchanger sits under the parts warranty. Pentair's cross-brand warranty table lists shorter GulfStream terms, which we could not reconcile, so confirm the terms that apply to your unit in writing. Warranty work must be performed by an authorized service center, and Pentair's warranty page — which lists GulfStream in its in-ground equipment section — states that the full term depends on buying from a brick-and-mortar retailer, pool builder or pool service company with paid professional installation; an internet purchase gets one year parts only, with no labor.
Do you install and service GulfStream in the Sarasota area?
Yes. We install and service GulfStream heat pumps across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte & Pinellas County, Florida, including heat-and-cool models. If you already own one and it is throwing a fault, the LCD reports the problem in plain language — tell us what it says when you call and we will usually know what to bring.
GulfStream on the Gulf Coast
GulfStream heat pumps show up regularly on our own job sites — two of the installs in our gallery are GulfStream units, one of them a heat-and-cool model — and we install and service them throughout Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte & Pinellas County, Florida. We are not claiming authorized-dealer status for any manufacturer on this site; what we can tell you is how these units behave on a Gulf Coast equipment pad. The comparison content on this page is written for pool owners anywhere; the installation offer is local.
Thinking about GulfStream? Ask us first.
We install and service pool heating in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte & Pinellas County, Florida. If you are outside that area, the comparison above is still yours to use — ask your local contractor the same questions.
Licensed & insured · Florida Certified Pool/Spa Contractor #CPC1460367 · Mon-Sat, 8am-6pm
Last verified September 17, 2026
Specifications and warranty terms are taken from the manufacturer documents below. Manufacturers revise these without notice, so confirm the current terms before you buy. If you spot something out of date, email us and we will fix it.
Sources
- Pentair — GulfStream Heat Pumps product page (model table, features, warranty statement)
- Pentair — "GulfStream is Now Part of Pentair Pool" brand landing page
- GulfStream Heat Pumps — HE Series spec sheet (capacity, COP, amps, breaker, flow, dimensions)
- GulfStream Heat Pumps — sell sheet (7 year parts / 2 year labor, no trip charges)
- GulfStream Heat Pumps — Installation and User Guide (clearances, flow, defrost, automation, water chemistry)
- GulfStream Heat Pumps — Installation Manual (G&F Manufacturing, North Fort Myers, Florida)
- Pentair — pool product warranty information (cross-brand table listing GulfStream)
Ratings on this site are the editorial opinion of Affordable Solar & Pool Heating, LLC, trading as Modern Pool Heating. How we rate heaters. Corrections: modernpoolheating@icloud.com.
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