Heaters, Chillers
& Electrical
The right heater turns your Cowboy Pool into a year-round oasis — warm in January, icy-cool in August. Here's how to pick your unit, what electrical it needs, and who can help get it wired.
Which Heater Is Right for You?
Four ways to dial in your water temperature — from plug-in simple to gas-fired fast. Running costs are roughly $1–$4/day depending on unit, weather, and target temperature.
TempTamer
Heater/chiller that runs on 110v. May not need an electrical upgrade — but it does need a dedicated outlet. Draws ~8.3 amps. Control it from your phone with the Smart Life app.
- Best on 6' and 8' pools. Not recommended for 10' pools — nearly twice the water, so figure on about half the speed
- 1-year manufacturer warranty
Crosswind 50-I
Powerful heat-pump heater/chiller with app control. Two to three times the speed of the TempTamer, and efficient enough to run spring through fall on any size pool.
- Requires 240v wiring (electrician)
- Like every heat pump, it gets drained and shut down below freezing
- 3-year manufacturer warranty — the longest in our lineup
Raypak 11kW
Matches the Crosswind's heating speed in mild weather at a lower price — and unlike a heat pump, its electric element doesn't slow down when the air turns cold. The pick for warm water in real winter.
- Requires 240v wiring (electrician)
- Keeps nearly full output down to freezing and below
MasterTemp (Natural Gas / Propane)
Gas-fired speed — an 8' pool goes from cold to hot-tub-warm in 1–2 hours. The choice for spontaneous soakers.
- Requires a plumber to connect the gas line
- Needs its own dedicated 120v/15A outlet
Speeds above assume an 8' pool. A 6' heats close to twice as fast, a 10' about half as fast — try the numbers for your own setup below.
Will it heat it?
Will it chill it?
Set your conditions and see roughly how fast each unit moves your water — up or down — how far it can get, and what it costs to hold there.
The night shift
Chillers do their best work after dark. No sun to fight and cooler air to dump heat into means most of your temperature drop happens between midnight and sunrise. Run it overnight, coast through the afternoon.
Your cover sunbathes
In direct sun the inflatable cover soaks up heat all afternoon and passes it straight down into the water — worth about 6°F on a Texas August day. In full shade it barely warms the pool at all. Wonderful in October. Working against you in July.
Shade beats a bigger unit
An umbrella, pergola, shade sail or tree gets you to temperature faster and costs less to run. We tested a TempTamer on a 10 ft pool in 98°F weather: shaded, it held and kept gaining ground. Shade the water — never the equipment, which needs open air on all sides.
Estimates, not promises. These come from a heat-transfer model, not a meter on your pool. Real results swing with wind, humidity, how much sun you actually get, water level, and how often the pool is uncovered and in use. Heating output and efficiency for the Crosswind come from Raypak's published AHRI 1160 ratings; chilling capacity is estimated from those figures, since Raypak does not publish a cooling rating. Figures assume light wind, about 60% humidity (typical for Central Texas — the Gulf Coast runs humid, so pools there sit a few degrees warmer and chill a little slower), and $0.16/kWh. Sun is counted as a 24-hour average; at three in the afternoon it's roughly three times stronger, which is when a chiller struggles most and shade earns its keep. Every 1,000 feet of elevation adds roughly 3–4% to the sun's strength and costs a heat pump about the same.
Cover assumption. When you ask for warmer water we assume the cover is on; when you ask for cooler we assume you take it off during the day. That's the right call in both directions and it's where much of the difference comes from. Heat pumps must be drained and shut down at or below 32°F.
What Electrical Does Each Unit Need?
Every Cowboy Pool needs one thing regardless of heater: a standard outdoor 110v 15A GFCI outlet for the filter pump. Here's what each heater adds on top.
TempTamer (110v)
Needs a dedicated 110–120v 15A outlet on its own breaker, within 15–20 feet of the pump. Draws ~8.3 amps. You may not need an electrical upgrade if you already have an outlet that meets the load — but it does have to be dedicated, not shared with anything else. If you aren't sure what your outlet is on, have an electrician confirm before you buy.
Crosswind 50-I & Raypak 11kW (240v)
These require professional wiring: a 240v junction box within 6 feet of the pump location, run from your panel by a licensed electrician. Expect quotes to start around $1,000 and increase with trench distance and wire gauge — and have your electrician confirm your panel has capacity before you buy.
Sequencing: your electrician can come before or after pool install day. If before, they'll rough in the junction box and return to make the final heater connection once it's placed.
MasterTemp Gas Heaters (NG / Propane)
A dedicated 120v/15A outlet within 3 feet of the unit (no extension cords — ever), plus a licensed plumber to connect the gas line.
📍 Placement Rules
- Heater sits within 10 feet of the filter pump.
- Heat pumps (TempTamer, Crosswind) need a level 18" × 36" pad with at least 1 foot of clearance on all sides for airflow.
- Never under a deck — heat pumps breathe, and the Crosswind especially cannot be enclosed. Shade over the water is great; shade structures built tight around the unit are not.
| Properties | Raypak ELS 0011 11kW | TempTamer 110v (not recommended for 10' pools) | Raypak / Rheem Crosswind 50-I |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Rate (8' pool) | 5–8° per hour | 2–3° per hour | 5–8° per hour |
| Heats / Chills | Heat only | Both (50–104°F) | Both |
| Cold-weather output | Holds nearly full output below freezing | Drops off below 50°F Drain unit below 32°F | 44,750 BTU at 80°F air · 21,000 at 50°F Drain unit below 32°F |
| Efficiency (COP) | 1.0 (resistance) | — | 6.1 at 80°F air · 4.2 at 50°F |
| Voltage | 240 V | 115 V – 60Hz | 208–230 V · 1-Ph · 60 Hz |
| Power Draw | 11 kW | 0.95 kW | 1.28 kW |
| Heating Output | 11 kW | 5 kW | 13.1 kW (44,750 BTU) |
| Amp Draw (nominal) | 46 A | 8.3 A | 16 A minimum circuit |
| Breaker | 60 A · Double pole | 15 A · Single pole · dedicated outlet required | 20 A · Double pole (max) |
| Water Flow | Min 15 GPM | — | 21.9–30.6 GPM |
| Wire Gauge | AWG 6 | AWG 10–12 | AWG 6 panel-to-subpanel · consult electrician |
| Notes | Sub panel + fused disconnect recommended. | Dedicated 15A 110–120v GFCI outlet required — may not need an electrical upgrade if you already have one. Smart Life app WiFi control. | Sub panel + fused disconnect recommended. R-410A refrigerant. Smart Life app WiFi control. |
Crosswind figures are Raypak's published AHRI 1160 ratings. On the 240v units, a sub panel with a fused disconnect is recommended — have your electrician determine the correct breaker and ground-fault protection for your installation and local code.
Trusted Electricians & Plumbers
These pros know Cowboy Pools setups inside and out — tell them what heater you're wiring for and they'll take it from there.
Austin
- Electrician: Albert · 512-766-3828
- Plumber (gas lines): Ryan Waits · 512-965-4524
Houston
- Electrician: Aaron Siedel · 832-660-1933
- Electrician: John Wagner · 281-706-0966 · WyeElectricLLC.com
Outside Austin or Houston? Any licensed electrician can work from the spec table above — and we're happy to talk directly with your pro at howdy@cowboypools.com.
Pick Your Heater
Warranty coverage: TempTamer carries 1 year, Crosswind 3 years — full details on our warranty page. Questions about your setup? We'll help you choose.
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