the Hamptons
Pool heater installation and replacement in the Hamptons: gas, heat pump or solar
A gas pool heater costs $2,799–4,849 for the unit (250,000–400,000 BTU) plus $500–2,000 to install, and about $2,000 more if a gas line or meter has to be run; a heat-pump heater is $2,500–7,500 all-in (national 2026). Gas heats fast and costs $150–400 or more a month to run; a heat pump costs roughly $50–300 a month and lasts 15–20 years against 7–12 for gas, but needs air above about 45–50°F. Near the ocean or on a salt pool, specify a cupro-nickel heat exchanger; plain copper corrodes.
Last updated · Reviewed by Georgica Pool Co.
The three choices
Gas (natural gas or propane). Heats a cold pool in a day, works in any weather, costs the most to run. Unit prices for the sizes a Hamptons pool needs: 250,000–266,000 BTU units $2,799–3,299; 399,000–400,000 BTU units $3,656–4,849 (Pentair $3,509–4,499, Hayward $2,799–4,849, Raypak to $4,769). Installation adds $500–2,000, and if there is no gas at the pad, a new line or meter adds about $2,000 more; a gas-line run is $15–50+ per linear foot. Running cost is quoted nationally at $150–400+ a month of use, a ballpark rather than a Long Island number. Propane on Long Island: NYSERDA's statewide residential average was $3.086 a gallon in July 2026; a secondary aggregator claims $3.75. Natural gas reaches some South Fork streets and not others, and there is no reliable public map; the contractor's first question is what is on your road.
Heat pump. Pulls heat out of the air, so it costs $50–300 a month to run (about $0.75 an hour for a 100,000-BTU unit; $0.50–3 depending on electric rate and efficiency) and lasts 15–20 years, some claim 20–25. All-in $2,500–7,500 installed. The catch: it works down to about 45–50°F air temperature and heats slowly, so it holds a pool at temperature through the season rather than rescuing a cold one on Thursday night. Minimum efficiency is a COP of 4.0 under the AHRI standard; real units run 3–7 depending on air temperature and humidity.
Solar. $2,500–8,000 installed (about $4,500 average), 15–20 year life, near-zero running cost, and dependent on roof or ground space and sun. A supplement in the Hamptons more than a primary heater.
Sizing
The standard formula is surface area × desired temperature rise × 12. A 20×40 pool (800 square feet) with a 20°F rise wants 192,000 BTU per hour, so the commonly quoted fit is a 150,000–200,000 BTU gas unit in a moderate climate; owners who want a cold pool hot by the weekend buy 400,000 BTU. A heat pump is sized the same way but expected to run longer.
Salt air and salt pools
The heat exchanger is the heater. Copper exchangers corrode in salt water and in salt-laden air; cupro-nickel exchangers are the industry's coastal and salt-pool specification, and every trade source we found says the same thing. On the ocean side of any South Fork town, or on any salt-chlorinated pool, specify cupro-nickel and expect the gas heater to last toward the 7–12 year national range rather than beyond it.
Which one
A gas heater if the pool is used on weekends and must be warm on arrival, or if the house has natural gas. A heat pump if the pool is used through the week or the owner wants the lowest running cost and can wait for the water to come up. Both, on the larger houses: the heat pump carries the season and the gas heater rescues the cold weekend. A solar array if the roof faces the right way and the goal is to take the edge off May and September.
Rules
Pool heaters are mechanical equipment: in the Town of Southampton they sit at least 10 feet from every property line (8 feet in R-10 districts) with screening; in the Town of East Hampton, side and rear setbacks are doubled for pool equipment, and the noise code allows 65 dBA by day and 50 at night at the property line; in Sag Harbor Village, equipment must be housed in a closed, noise-screened structure. A gas heater needs a gas permit and a licensed installer; the electrical side, including bonding, needs a licensed electrician.
FAQ
Common questions
Should I convert my Hamptons pool to salt?
Probably, if you own the pool for the long run and fix the corrosion details. A conversion costs $500–3,500 (about $1,000 typical: a $600–2,000 generator plus $100–500 to install; no draining if the water is balanced). Ongoing chemicals drop to under $100 a year against $175–800 for chlorine, the water is softer, and there is no chlorine to store. The recurring cost is the cell: $200–1,800 depending on which of four sources you believe, every 3–6 years, roughly $200–360 a year. The catch is corrosion: copper heat exchangers, soft limestone or natural-cleft coping, and steel hardware near the water. On the South Fork that means a cupro-nickel heater exchanger and sealed bluestone or porcelain coping, and near the ocean the salt was already in the air anyway.
How does Georgica Pool Co. work, and what does it cost me?
It costs homeowners nothing. You tell us about the pool once, roughly sixty seconds: where it is, what kind it is if you know, what it needs, and when. We put you in touch with one licensed, insured pool company that works your town and does that kind of work, service company or builder as the job requires, and they call you within one business day to look at it and quote it directly. We are a Hamptons-only referral service, not a pool company, and we are named for the pond, not connected to any business or property that shares the name: one company, and nobody else gets your number. Participating companies pay us a referral fee.
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Resurfacing a tired gunite pool, replacing a liner, new coping and tile, a salt conversion or an automatic cover: 2026 costs (Long Island where they exist), finish lifespans, and the order the work happens in.
New Pool Construction
Building a pool on the South Fork in 2026: Long Island costs for gunite, vinyl and fiberglass, the 12–16 week build, the 4–6 month booking horizon, and the setback, barrier and water-table rules that shape the plan.
Book a pool specialist for heaters
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