2026 California Pool Heating Energy Code

On January 1, 2026, California's 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6) took effect. Under Section 110.4(c), a new pool heating installation generally must use a qualifying primary heat source: a properly sized heat pump, solar heating, solar plus heat pump, a system that gets at least 60% of its annual heating energy from on-site renewable or recovered energy, or an alternative approved by the California Energy Commission. A gas heater can still be installed as a supplemental heater. Richard Lusk Landscape and Design designs every new heated pool to meet these requirements.

No. It is not a blanket ban. Since January 1, 2026, a new pool heating installation must use a qualifying primary heat source, such as a heat pump or solar, but a gas heater is still allowed as a supplemental heater behind that primary system. Replacing an existing gas heater on a pool that already has heating is generally exempt from the new heating-source requirement. We explain exactly how the rule applies to your project.

Yes, as a supplemental heater. Under California's 2025 Energy Code, effective January 1, 2026, a new heated pool needs a qualifying primary heating system, such as a properly sized heat pump or solar heating. A gas heater can be added behind it, and many homeowners use one for fast spa heating. When a heat pump has a supplemental heater, the code requires controls that keep the gas heater off whenever the heat pump alone can meet the heating load.

Section 110.4(c) of the 2025 California Energy Code provides five compliance paths: 1) solar thermal, with collector area of at least 60% of the pool and spa surface area for a single-family home; 2) a heat pump sized according to Reference Joint Appendix JA16.3, with an optional supplemental heater of any energy source; 3) a system that gets at least 60% of its annual heating energy from on-site renewable or recovered energy; 4) solar plus heat pump together, without an additional supplemental heater; or 5) an alternative the California Energy Commission's Executive Director determines uses no more energy. We recommend the path that best fits your property and how you swim.

For a single-family home, the solar compliance path requires a collector area of at least 60% of the pool and spa water surface area (65% for multifamily and nonresidential buildings). For example, a pool with 600 square feet of water surface would need at least 360 square feet of solar collectors. A separate exception applies to pools heated exclusively by solar with no backup heater. We evaluate your roof area and sun exposure to see whether solar is practical.

Not unless you are doing work that triggers it. The code is not a mandate to remove an existing gas heater or retrofit a pool that has no work proposed. What matters is whether you are installing heating for the first time or altering a pool that already has heating. Adding a heater to an existing unheated pool must comply with the new heating-source requirement; replacing a heater on an already heated pool is generally exempt.

Generally, no. Section 110.4(c) of California's 2025 Energy Code exempts alterations to pools and spas that already have heating systems or equipment, so replacing an existing gas heater is generally exempt from the new heat pump or solar requirement. That exception covers only the heating-source rule; other equipment and installation requirements, such as the ban on continuously burning pilot lights, still apply. We document your existing heating before recommending a replacement.

Not as the only heat source. Under California's 2025 Energy Code, effective January 1, 2026, an existing unheated pool getting its first heater must comply with the new heating-source requirement, so the primary heater must be a qualifying system such as a properly sized heat pump or solar. Being an existing pool does not by itself create an exemption. A gas heater can be added as a supplemental heater with the required controls.

It depends on whether the pool already has heating. The code's trigger is not simply calling a project a "remodel" or "major renovation." If your pool already has heating equipment, the existing-heating exception to Section 110.4(c) may apply. If the pool has never been heated and you are adding heat, the new heating-source requirement applies. During our evaluation, we document your existing equipment so your remodel is planned and priced correctly.

The code edition generally depends on when the permit application is submitted. Applications submitted before January 1, 2026 are generally evaluated under the prior energy standards; applications filed on or after that date fall under the 2025 Energy Code, including the new pool heating requirements. We confirm the applicable code with the responsible building department for your project.

Section 110.4(d) of California's 2025 Energy Code requires controls that prevent the supplemental heater from operating when the heat pump alone can meet the heating load. The heat pump's cut-on and cut-off temperatures must also be set higher than the supplemental heater's corresponding settings. Simply installing both units without the required control sequence is not enough. We set up the controls so your system complies and runs efficiently.

Usually, yes. The code includes limited spa-specific exceptions: systems used exclusively for permanent spas in existing buildings with gas available, and systems used exclusively for permanent spas where there is inadequate Solar Access Roof Area as defined by the code. Portable electric spas that comply with California's appliance efficiency regulations are also excepted. An integrated pool and spa system is not automatically treated as a spa-only application. We determine how your spa is classified during design.

Yes, for heated outdoor pools and spas. Outdoor pools and spas with electric or gas heating must have a cover, and the California Energy Commission's guidance says the cover must be fitted and installed at final inspection. Unheated pools and solar-only pools do not have this energy-code cover requirement. Covers also reduce evaporation, heat loss and debris. We include the required cover in our scope for every heated pool.

California's Energy Code requires new pool systems to be ready for future solar heating, by providing at least 18 inches of horizontal or vertical pipe between the filter and the heater, dedicated suction and return lines, or built-in connections for future solar heating. The rule does not require every pool to actually install solar collectors. We plumb every new pool equipment system to meet this requirement.

No. Under California's Energy Code, installed natural gas pool and spa heaters cannot have continuously burning pilot lights. Modern gas heaters use electronic ignition, which saves gas and meets the requirement. Every gas heater we install uses electronic ignition.

Two sets of rules matter. Title 24 requires suitable circulation timing and controls. Separately, California’s Title 20 Flexible Demand Appliance Standards apply to covered new pool controls manufactured on or after September 29, 2025, including connectivity and scheduling capabilities. Not every control product falls within that scope, and the rules do not require every existing homeowner to replace a working controller. We check the specific equipment and explain the owner’s controls and applicable consent choices at handover.

References: California Energy Commission: pool controls ↗

Pool heating equipment must meet the testing standards that apply to its fuel or technology. For heat pumps, that means testing under AHRI 1160 plus a listed safety standard. Heat pumps used as the primary heating system must also be sized according to the code's Reference Joint Appendix JA16.3. We specify listed, properly sized equipment and provide sizing documentation for the permit.

A heat pump can be a good choice when it is sized for the local climate, desired water temperature, cover use and swimming schedule. Performance changes with air temperature, so coastal Orange County, Los Angeles hillsides and La Quinta need property-specific evaluation. Heat pumps generally suit sustained heating; an allowed supplemental heater can address loads the heat pump cannot meet under the required control sequence. We compare equipment ratings and your actual use before choosing capacity.

For a new heated pool, a proposal now needs to include a qualifying primary heating system with its sizing documentation, the required cover, solar-ready plumbing, compliant pump controls and, if a gas heater is included, the required supplemental-heater controls, not just a conventional gas heater. For a remodel, the existing heating equipment must be documented first. Richard Lusk Landscape and Design includes a code-compliant equipment package in every new pool proposal.

Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations is the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, often called the Energy Code. It is updated on a regular cycle by the California Energy Commission. The 2025 edition took effect on January 1, 2026, and includes the current requirements for pool and spa heating, covers, piping and controls. Building departments enforce it through plan review and inspection.

We select the compliance path that suits your property, size the heat pump or solar system to code, provide the sizing documentation for the permit, include the required cover and solar-ready plumbing, and program the controls so any supplemental gas heater runs only when needed. For remodels, we document existing heating equipment before deciding whether the new requirement applies. We confirm the compliance path and any local requirements with the responsible building department before finalizing the equipment schedule.