FibroPool FH255 review
The small heat pump this site keeps reaching for, reviewed properly. It publishes a COP that most of the category will not, and a warranty term that none of the category will.
Quick picks
The FH255 against the small heat pumps this site ranks beside it, and the cover that decides whether any of them works.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The one being reviewed FibroPool FH255 55,000 BTU Pool Heat Pump 55,000 BTU, rated COP 5.92, titanium exchanger, and a stated Limited Lifetime warranty. | A smaller pool where a full-size heat pump is more machine than the water needs | |
| 2 |  Cheaper, and much slower TURBRO Manatee M18 18,000 BTU Above-Ground Pool Heat Pump 18,000 BTU on a standard 110V plug. A third of the heat, no electrician, 2-year cover. | An above-ground pool up to about 6,000 gallons, with no 240V circuit available | |
| 3 |  The inverter alternative TURBRO Beluga B33V 33,000 BTU Inverter Pool Heat Pump 33,000 BTU with a 5-year compressor term. Quieter at part load, and its COP claim is not usable. | An above-ground pool of 6,000 to 10,000 gallons with a 240V supply | |
| 4 |  What to buy if your pool is bigger Hayward HeatPro Pool Heat Pump 140,000 BTU. If the FH255 sizing table says your pool is too big, this is the class you need. | Lowest running cost per degree when you want real temperature control | |
| 5 |  Buy this first, without exception Sun2Solar 1600 Series Ultimate Blue Solar Cover 55,000 BTU/hr cannot outrun an uncovered pool's overnight loss. With a cover it does not have to. | An inground pool you cover most nights, every season |
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
Why this unit gets a review
The FH255 shows up on more pages of this site than almost any other product: it is the small-pool answer in our heat pump roundup, the top pick in heat pumps for above-ground pools, and the comparison point whenever a 140,000 BTU machine is too much heater. It has never had a page of its own.
It also does two things almost nothing else in its class does: it publishes a coefficient of performance, and it publishes a warranty term that is genuinely unusual.
What is published
- 55,000 BTU/hr output, for pools up to 10,000 gallons. Heat pumps rate by heat delivered, so this is directly comparable with other heat pumps and not with a gas heater’s input rating.
- A rated COP of 5.92. FibroPool words this as 5.92 times the heat for every dollar of electricity.
- A titanium heat exchanger, stated as suitable for saltwater and treated systems.
- An enamel-coated steel cabinet, 40 x 14 x 24 in.
- 240V supply and a digital touch control panel.
- Pool sizes named by the manufacturer: above-ground up to 21 ft round or 15 x 30 ft oval, inground up to 10,000 gallons.
The warranty, which is the headline
| Heat pump | Output | Published warranty |
|---|---|---|
| FibroPool FH255 | 55,000 BTU/hr | Limited Lifetime |
| TURBRO Beluga B33V | 33,000 BTU/hr | 2-year unit / 5-year compressor |
| TURBRO Beluga B160V | 143,450 BTU/hr | 2-year unit / 5-year compressor |
| TURBRO Manatee M18 | 18,000 BTU/hr | 2-year full machine |
| Dr. Infrared DR-1100HP | 110,000 BTU/hr | 3-year limited component |
| Hayward HeatPro | 140,000 BTU/hr | Not published on the retail listing |
| Raypak 8450 | 140,000 BTU/hr | Not published on the retail listing |
| AquaCal SuperQuiet SQ160R | 128,000 BTU/hr | Retail pages disagree on the term |
'Limited Lifetime' is doing a lot of work in that phrase and the listing does not define what it covers, what 'lifetime' means, or whether it transfers. We are reporting what is stated, not endorsing it — but nothing else in the class states anything close.
That is the honest treatment: it is a remarkable claim, it is published by the manufacturer, and the terms behind it are not on the listing. If the warranty is a significant part of why you are buying, read FibroPool’s own warranty document before you do.
The COP, and what it is worth
5.92 is above the 5.0 this site assumes for heat pumps generally, which means on the pool sizes FibroPool names, the running cost lands below our category figure.
| US average residential electricity: 18.34 cents/kWh | EIA, June 2026 |
| At COP 5.92: about $9.08 per million BTU delivered | |
| At our assumed COP 5.0: about $10.75 per million BTU | |
| Against propane at about $35.66, and natural gas at about $28.36 |
The conditions FibroPool rated 5.92 under are not published, and a heat pump's COP falls as the air cools. Read it as a warm-weather best case rather than a season average — the same caveat we apply to every COP on this site.
Of the heat pumps ranked here, only FibroPool (5.92) and AquaCal (5.7) publish a COP from an established brand at all, and only AquaCal states the air temperature it was measured at. Our inverter heat pump comparison covers the one import brand that publishes enough inputs to check its own claim.
The honest limit: it is not much heat
This is the part a brand review usually skips, and on this unit it is the most important section.
| Pool | Energy needed | Hours at 55,000 BTU/hr |
|---|---|---|
| 7,000 gal above-ground | 583,100 BTU | About 11 |
| 10,000 gal — the maker's stated limit | 833,000 BTU | About 15 |
| 15,000 gal | 1,249,500 BTU | About 23 |
| 20,000 gal | 1,666,000 BTU | About 30 |
Gallons x 8.33 x 10°F, divided by output, ignoring the heat the pool loses while heating — so real figures are longer. The bottom two rows are pools FibroPool does not claim the unit suits, and they are there to show what happens if you buy it for one anyway.
On a pool larger than FibroPool names, this heat pump will run continuously and never quite arrive. That is not a defect; it is the wrong machine. Use the BTU calculator on your actual gallons before ordering.
What is not published
No decibel figure. No minimum operating air temperature, which matters because a heat pump’s output falls exactly when the shoulder season arrives. No water flow window on the retail listing, though every heat pump has one. And no definition of what the Limited Lifetime warranty actually covers.
Who should buy it
- Anyone with a pool of 10,000 gallons or less who wants a thermostat rather than a solar mat.
- Salt pool owners at this size — the titanium exchanger is stated as suitable, and our page on heaters for saltwater pools explains why that matters more than anything else on the spec sheet.
- Anyone who weights warranty heavily. Nothing else in this class publishes a comparable term.
Who should not
- Anyone with a pool over about 12,000 gallons. See the hours table. The full-size heat pump roundup is the right page.
- Anyone without a 240V circuit near the pool, unless they are budgeting for an electrician. The plug-in alternative is in heat pumps for above-ground pools.
- Anyone heating on demand for weekends. Fifteen hours for a ten-degree lift is the heat-pump bargain, not a flaw — but if you want warm water this afternoon, gas is the honest answer.
What we could not assess
The conditions behind the 5.92, and the COP it reaches at 55°F air. Compressor and control-board life, which is the whole question on any heat pump at this price. What the Limited Lifetime warranty covers in practice and whether it transfers with the pool. And how loud it is at the distance your deck actually sits from it.
Every pick, in detail
What each one publishes, what is good and bad about it, and — the section this category usually omits — what we could not judge without owning one.
FibroPool FH255 55,000 BTU Pool Heat Pump
The heat pump worth looking at when a full-size one is more machine than the pool needs. FibroPool publishes 55,000 BTU/hr of output and a rated COP of 5.92, which is above the 5.0 we assume for heat pumps generally — so on the pool sizes the manufacturer actually names, the running cost lands below the category figure. The catch is the other side of the same number: 55,000 BTU/hr is not much heat, and on a pool larger than FibroPool lists it will run all day and never catch up.
Best for A smaller pool where a full-size heat pump is more machine than the water needs
| Rated output | 55,000 BTU/hrPublished as OUTPUT, which is the heat-pump convention. It is not comparable with a gas heater's input rating. | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Pool sizes the manufacturer names | Above-ground up to 21 ft round or 15 x 30 ft oval; inground up to 10,000 gallons | Manufacturer |
| Supply | 240 V | Manufacturer |
| Rated COP | 5.92FibroPool words this as 5.92 times the heat for every dollar of electricity. The conditions it was rated under are not published, and a heat pump's COP falls as the air cools, so read it as a best case rather than a season average. | Manufacturer |
| Cost per million BTU delivered | About $9.08 at the published COPUS average residential electricity at 18.34 cents/kWh (EIA, June 2026) divided by the published COP of 5.92. At the more conservative COP of 5.0 we use across the site it comes out at about $10.75. | Our arithmetic |
- A published COP of 5.92, above the 5.0 we assume for the category
- All electric — no gas line, no flue, no combustion air to arrange
- Sized and priced for pools that a full-size heat pump is wasted on
- 55,000 BTU/hr is modest: about 30 hours to lift 20,000 gallons ten degrees
- Wants a dedicated 240 V circuit, which is an electrician's visit if you do not have one
- Like every heat pump, it fades as the air cools — the shoulder season you bought it for
- The COP this unit reaches at your air temperature and humidity
- Compressor and control-board life, which decides whether a cheaper heat pump is a bargain
- How loud it is at the distance your deck actually sits from it
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
TURBRO Manatee M18 18,000 BTU Above-Ground Pool Heat Pump
The plug-in heat pump, and the honest version of that category. It runs on a normal 110-120V GFCI outlet, carries a titanium exchanger, and TURBRO states a COP of 5.5 — in the same range the established brands publish rather than the impossible numbers import listings often print. It is also the only listing we read that tells you the truth about speed: TURBRO's own note says reaching your target temperature 'may take a few days rather than immediate results'. Believe that note.
Best for An above-ground pool up to about 6,000 gallons, with no 240V circuit available
| Rated output | 18,000 BTU/hrHeat pumps rate by output. 18,000 BTU/hr is about an eighth of a full-size unit. | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Stated COP | 5.5No test condition is published with it. Read it as a warm-air best case, as with every COP in this category. | Manufacturer |
| Supply | 110-120V, GFCI plug, IPX4The whole point of the unit. No electrician, no dedicated 240V circuit. | Manufacturer |
| Heat exchanger | Titanium | Manufacturer |
| Pool size the maker names | Up to 6,000 gallons — round pools to 16 ft, rectangular to 12 x 20 ft | Manufacturer |
| Operating range | Heats to 59-104°F in ambient air from 41-109.4°F; also cools | Manufacturer |
| Warranty | 2-year full machine | Manufacturer |
| Time to lift 6,000 gallons ten degrees | About 28 hours of run time6,000 x 8.33 x 10 = 499,800 BTU, divided by 18,000 BTU/hr. Ignores the heat the pool loses while heating, so the real figure is longer — which is what TURBRO's 'a few days' note is telling you. | Our arithmetic |
- Plugs into a standard outlet — no electrician, which can be the larger cost on a small pool
- Titanium exchanger at this price, so a salt pool is not ruled out
- The listing states the slow heat-up rather than hiding it
- 18,000 BTU/hr means days, not hours, to reach temperature from cold
- Almost useless without a cover — it cannot outrun overnight evaporation loss
- TURBRO is an import brand with no long service record we could check
- Compressor life, which is the whole question on a budget heat pump
- The COP it actually reaches at 60°F air
- Parts and warranty support in three years' time
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
TURBRO Beluga B33V 33,000 BTU Inverter Pool Heat Pump
The step up: 33,000 BTU/hr, a DC inverter compressor, WiFi, and a 5-year compressor warranty against the 2 years on the machine. It is the most capable above-ground heat pump we found at anything like this money. It is also where the COP claim gets silly — the listing says 'up to 15.8', which is a part-load inverter figure and not comparable with the 5.0 to 5.9 the US brands publish at full load. Buy it for the 33,000 BTU and the warranty, not for the 15.8.
Best for An above-ground pool of 6,000 to 10,000 gallons with a 240V supply
| Rated output | 33,000 BTU/hr | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Claimed COP | Up to 15.8, cited to AHRI Standard 1160 (I-P)An inverter's COP rises steeply as it throttles down, so an 'up to' figure describes the machine loafing, not the machine heating your pool from cold. The full-load number is what matters and TURBRO does not publish it. Treat 15.8 as incomparable with the 5.0-5.9 the established brands quote. | Manufacturer |
| Heat exchanger | Titanium | Manufacturer |
| Compressor | Full DC inverter | Manufacturer |
| Pool size the maker names | Up to 10,000 gallons — round to 20 ft, rectangular to 12 x 24 ftTURBRO explicitly says it is not recommended for inflatable pools, because of low water pressure. | Manufacturer |
| Operating range | 46-104°F water, in 5-109°F air | Manufacturer |
| Control | WiFi app and programmable timer | Manufacturer |
| Warranty | 2-year full machine, 5-year compressorThe compressor term is the meaningful one, and 5 years is competitive with the established brands. | Manufacturer |
- 33,000 BTU/hr is enough to actually hold temperature on a 10,000-gallon pool
- 5-year compressor warranty, which is the part that fails
- Inverter control means it modulates instead of cycling on and off
- The 'up to 15.8' COP claim is not comparable with any figure on this site
- Needs 240V, which removes the plug-in advantage of the smaller model
- Not recommended by TURBRO for inflatable pools
- Full-load COP, which the maker does not publish
- Inverter board reliability outdoors over several seasons
- How the WiFi control behaves if the app is discontinued
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
Hayward HeatPro Pool Heat Pump
If you are heating a pool with electricity, this is the shape of machine to do it with. A heat pump moves heat instead of making it, and at the assumptions we publish it delivers a million BTU into the water for about a fifth of what an electric resistance heater costs to deliver the same. It is slower than gas and it fades as the air gets colder, which is exactly when you want it — that trade is the whole decision.
Best for Lowest running cost per degree when you want real temperature control
| Type | Air-source heat pumpThe manufacturer publishes no retrievable specification sheet; figure is as listed at retail. | Retail listing |
|---|---|---|
| Rating convention | Rated by BTU/hr OUTPUTThis is the trap in the category. Gas heaters are rated by fuel INPUT, heat pumps by heat OUTPUT. A 140,000 BTU heat pump and a 140,000 BTU gas heater do not deliver the same heat. | Published standard |
| Cost per million BTU delivered | About $10.75 at our published assumptionsUS average residential electricity at 18.34 cents/kWh (EIA, June 2026) and an assumed COP of 5.0. Both are substitutable on our running-cost calculator. | Our arithmetic |
- Cheapest running cost per delivered BTU of any controllable heater
- No gas line, no combustion, no flue
- Holds a set temperature rather than depending on the weather
- Slow — expect most of a day to move a full-size pool ten degrees
- Efficiency falls with air temperature, so it is weakest in the shoulder season
- High purchase price against a gas heater of comparable output
- The COP this specific unit achieves at your conditions
- Compressor and control-board longevity
- Noise at the distance your deck actually sits from it
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
Sun2Solar 1600 Series Ultimate Blue Solar Cover
The cover to buy if you intend to keep using it in five years. 16 mil is the thickest tier the category sells, and thickness on a solar cover buys durability rather than heat — Bob Vila measured every cover in its hands-on group at the same 4 to 5 degrees, from 12-mil clear to 16-mil blue. Pay the extra for the one that survives being dragged over the coping twice a day, not for a temperature difference that did not show up in the only published one-hour test in this category.
Best for An inground pool you cover most nights, every season
| Price shown for | 24 ft roundThis product is sold in several sizes on one listing. The live price and photograph on this page are the ones Amazon returns for this variant; other sizes are priced separately. | Retail listing |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 16 milThe manufacturer publishes no retrievable specification sheet; figure is as listed at retail. | Retail listing |
| Color | Blue | Retail listing |
| Stated lifespan | 5 to 10 years for the 16-mil tierSwim University's published figure for 16-mil covers generally, not a Sun2Solar warranty statement. | Retail listing |
| Bubble side | Bubbles face the waterCategory-wide instruction, not brand-specific. The bubbles are the insulating layer and they have to touch the water. | Published standard |
4 to 5 degrees F in one hour
Claimed by Bob Vila, measured across all covers in their group. Conditions: One hour under 2pm sun on 89 to 92 degree F days. Source
Their figure was the same for every cover they put on the water. Read our reconciliation of what a one-hour reading actually measures before you plan around this number.
- Thickest tier sold, which is where the durability difference actually is
- Blue absorbs more of the incoming energy at the surface than clear does
- Cuts oversize to your pool shape with household scissors
- Heavy and awkward at 16 mil — a large inground cover is genuinely a two-person job without a reel
- Costs meaningfully more than the 12-mil version for no measured heating advantage
- Whether the seams hold up over five seasons of daily handling
- How the bubble layer survives repeated dragging over rough coping
- Whether the stated lifespan tier holds for this specific product line
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
Questions people actually ask
What size pool is the FibroPool FH255 good for?
Does the FibroPool FH255 have a lifetime warranty?
Is the FibroPool FH255 good for a saltwater pool?
What is the FibroPool FH255's COP?
FibroPool FH255 or a TURBRO inverter?
- Average retail price of electricity to US residential customers: 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026U.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- US residential natural gas price: $24.09 per thousand cubic feet, June 2026U.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- US residential propane price: $2.674 per gallon, week ending 30 March 2026U.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- Energy content conversion factors: 3,412 BTU per kWh, 1,036 BTU per cubic foot of natural gas, 91,452 BTU per gallon of propaneU.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- U.S. Department of Energy pool-energy figures (evaporation share, BTU per pound evaporated, cover savings, recommended temperatures, wind effect)Recreonics, reproducing and attributing the U.S. Department of Energy · read 2026-09-02
- Pool heater roundup: the 8.33 BTU per gallon per °F figure, attributed on the page to Alicia Toedter of Leslie'sBob Vila · read 2026-09-02
- FibroPool FH255 listing: 55,000 BTU output for pools to 10,000 gallons, titanium heat exchanger stated as suitable for saltwater, enamel-coated steel cabinet, digital touch controls, 40 x 14 x 24 in, and a stated Limited Lifetime warrantyFibroPool, as listed at retail · read 2026-09-27
- Retail specification page for the AquaCal 160R: COP of 5.7 at the AHRI standard rating of 80°F air / 80°F water / 80% humidity, 128,000 BTU, ThermoLink titanium exchanger, 30/70 GPM, 208-230V single phase at 43.3 minimum circuit ampacity, PoolSync WiFiPoolHeatPumps.com, reproducing AquaCal specifications · read 2026-09-19
- TURBRO Beluga B33V listing: 33,000 BTU full DC inverter, titanium heat exchanger, WiFi, rated for pools to 10,000 gallons, 2-year machine / 5-year compressor warranty, claimed 'COP rating up to 15.8 (AHRI Standard 1160(I-P))', and explicitly not recommended for inflatable poolsTURBRO, as listed at retail · read 2026-09-20
#ad Where a retailer’s listing is cited above as the source of a published specification, that link is an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you. Independent sources and manufacturer documentation are never wrapped and earn nothing. How this site is funded.
Every URL above was fetched and returned content on the date shown. Where a figure is ours rather than somebody else’s, the arithmetic is on the page and on the methodology page. If you find an error in it, we would genuinely like to know.
Read next
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Full-size and small heat pumps ranked on published output, exchanger material and what the manufacturer will actually say about efficiency. With the sizing math for your pool.
Heat pumps for above-ground pools
18,000 to 55,000 BTU heat pumps for above-ground pools, including 110V plug-in units. Ranked on published output and warranty, with the hours-to-temperature arithmetic.
Inverter pool heat pumps
What an inverter actually changes, why 'COP up to 15' is not a number you can use, and the one maker that publishes enough to let you check its own claim.
Pool heaters for saltwater pools
Salt corrodes the one part of a heater you cannot replace cheaply. Titanium against cupro-nickel against copper, and the heaters that state which they use.
Hayward HeatPro review
The full-size heat pump this site uses as its benchmark. Titanium exchanger, explicit saltwater compatibility, no published COP, and two live listings with different part numbers.