Three weather windows make a heater valuable in North Texas: March, April, October.
North Texas brings its own variables: oak pollen for six weeks, calcium-rich source water, sub-freezing nights every winter, and summers that crank chemistry usage. The advice below is calibrated for those realities, not a generic national pool blog.
The four heater options
- Natural gas: fastest heat-up, $1.50–$3/hr to run, $3,000 install
- Heat pump: efficient but slow, $0.50–$1/hr, $4,500 install
- Solar: cheap to run, $5,000 install, ~10° lift
- Electric resistance: rare, expensive
Most DFW owners get the best ROI from a gas heater used selectively — extending swim season by 8 weeks per year.