The Small Pool Revolution
Austin’s backyard landscape is changing, with over 1,500 new stock tank pools installed each year. Cocktail pools, plunge pools, and galvanized stock tanks are converting backyards into private sanctuaries—but these small pools come with a problem: they get too hot in the punishing Texas summer (95°F+ water temperatures) and too cold in those absolutely ideal spring and fall evenings when you’d like to take a dip.
Meet the Raypak Crosswind 50-I and 65-I. Our new high-end stock tank pool heater and cocktail pool heater are designed specifically for pools of 10,000 gallons or less. Innovative inverter technology, a non-corrosive spiral-titanium heat exchanger, and the ability to heat and cool your water make the Crosswind the first small pool heater to deliver year-round, perfectly balanced temperatures you crave.
Why Traditional Heating Fails Small Pools
Let’s be honest: most heating systems were never designed for a stock tank pool.
Gas heaters are massive for a 700-gallon stock tank. Expensive to hook up to natural gas or propane lines, they cycle on and off so quickly to maintain such a small volume of water, you’re just burning through fuel and money. They’re a sledgehammer when you need a scalpel.
Small electric resistance heaters? They’re so slow it would take days to heat up a body of even modest size, and not only do they cost as much to run as a small air conditioner, they’re useless for your over-warm-water problems. And believe us, that’s a very real problem around here from June through September.
The verdict: Small pools demand a smart, energy-efficient system built for precision temperature control, not brute force. They need equipment that can respond to your needs year-round, whether that’s warming up March evenings or cooling down July afternoons. And with components like the Crosswind’s spiral titanium heat exchanger, you need equipment built to last, resisting corrosion even in challenging water conditions like salt systems or slightly acidic water.
Crosswind Exclusives: Designed Specifically for the New Style Small Pool
The Inescapable “Heat and Chill” Factor
This one thing sets the Crosswind apart from nearly all of the other pool heaters out there right now, both the 50-I and the 65-I are hybrid units, they will heat AND chill your pool.
This is not a “nice to have” in Texas, it is a must-have. By the middle of the summer, an un-shaded stock tank pool is easily going to hit 90 degrees or higher, and suddenly what started out as your dream oasis ends up feeling more like a hot tub. The standard heat pump is only going to heat, so when the water gets too hot, there is nothing you can do except wait for it to cool down (outside of dumping in buckets and buckets of cold water, which is expensive and wasteful).
Cool mode on the Crosswind actually pulls the heat out of your water, lowering the temperature so you can enjoy a cool 78-82°F pool even in the middle of the Texas summer. It turns your investment into something that actually provides year-round value instead of being limited to the short windows of spring and fall. It is what separates a luxury for 2 months of the year from a truly all season backyard oasis.
The Advantages of an Inverter Unit
At first startup, the Crosswind is going to be running at 100% capacity. This full-speed heat production allows the Crosswind to quickly get your pool to your desired temperature. As it approaches your setpoint, it will automatically switch to “maintenance” mode, running at a significantly lower capacity to maintain your set temperature. This “smart” operation delivers super-high Coefficient of Performance (COP) ratings, with the 50-I achieving a COP of 5.8. In other words, for every 1 unit of electricity it consumes, the Crosswind provides 5.8 units of heat output, which equates to considerably lower operating costs than both standard heat pumps and, especially, electric resistance heaters.
Advantage #1: 50% or more savings in energy consumption
At startup, the Crosswind runs at full capacity for rapid heating. Once your target temperature is reached, it automatically shifts into maintenance mode, running at reduced capacity to hold that perfect temperature. This intelligent operation delivers impressive Coefficient of Performance (COP) ratings—the 50-I achieves a COP of 5.8, meaning you get 5.8 units of heating for every unit of electricity consumed. That translates directly to lower utility bills compared to both traditional heat pumps and especially electric resistance heaters.
Advantage #2: Ultra-quiet operation
In addition to providing better performance, traditional heat pumps constantly run at full speed, generating much more noise from the compressor and the fan motor. Since the inverter compressor can vary its speed, so can the fan motor. On the Crosswind, the inverter compressor is matched with a very low-speed fan motor for accurate whisper-quiet operation in your backyard. You want to hear the laughter of the kids splashing, not the sound of a big industrial fan. This matters even more when you are talking about a stock tank pool, which is often located a lot closer to your deck or patio than a traditional in ground pool.
Advantage #3: Easy to use digital controls
The Crosswind has an intuitive digital control interface, with controls and diagnostics that are easy to read and navigate. No bells or whistles or complex programming necessary, just user-friendly controls that make it a breeze to set and maintain your desired water temperature, whether you are an early tech adopter or just want something that reliably works when you need it to.
The small horizontal discharge also allows for more flexible installation options, with the ability to fit into tighter areas while also directing airflow away from lounging areas.
Sizing for the Small Pool Market: 50-I vs. 65-I
Sizing Matters: Be sure to choose a pool heater large enough to maintain pool temperatures efficiently in your climate, but not so large that it overheats the pool or wastes energy. 6 BTUs per gallon of pool water is our standard recommendation for proper heating capacity.
Raypak Crosswind 50-I (42,500 BTU @ 80/63/80)
Perfect Match for: Up to about 7,000 gallons
The Crosswind 50-I is ideal for your typical stock tank (600-800 gallons) or cocktail pool. At 42,500 BTUs of heating capacity under normal operating conditions, the 50-I will heat your stock tank as fast as a hot tub—i.e., heating you can see, not just wait for. On the COP side, this means that you’re getting close to 6 units of heat for every unit of electricity you put in, or one of the highest efficiencies available in a small pool heater.
Key Specs:
- Heating Capacity: 42,500 BTU (at 80°F air, 63°F water)
- COP: 5.8
- Electrical Input: 1.28 kW
- Water Flow: 21.9-30.6 GPM
- Minimum Circuit: 16 Amps
- Dimensions: 39″ W x 25.87″ H x 23.22″ D
- Weight: 132 lbs
- Connections: 1-1/2″ PVC unions (standard pool plumbing)
The Crosswind 50-I is smaller than most freezers at the grocery store, but it has a big footprint when it comes to performance. We’ve installed these right next to above-ground pools before, and it still leaves plenty of room for the furniture, toys, and grills you want in your backyard.
Raypak Crosswind 65-I (57,650 BTU @ 80/63/80)
Perfect Match for: 7,000-10,000 gallons (give or take, using our 6 BTU/gallon rule of thumb)
The 65-I is our “room to grow” model, with 57,650 BTUs – over 35% more heating capacity than the 50-I. If your pool is large for its category (e.g. extra-wide cocktail pool), or if you just want the best possible heat-up times, the 65-I is a good choice.
Key Specs:
- Heating Capacity: 57,650 BTU (at 80°F air, 63°F water)
- COP: 5.3
- Electrical Input: 1.55 kW
- Water Flow: 28.5-37.5 GPM
- Minimum Circuit: 20 Amps
- Dimensions: 39″ W x 25.87″ H x 23.22″ D
- Weight: 157 lbs
- Connections: 1-1/2″ PVC unions (standard pool plumbing)
The 65-I is surprisingly efficient even when cranked up to its absolute max. For the average small pool, this means even shorter heat-up times and less likelihood of overshooting your comfort zone. At 10,000 gallons and beyond, this is one of the most efficient ways to heat your pool on a day-to-day basis.
NOTE: Both Crosswind models feature standard 1-1/2” PVC union connections, so they work with almost any small pool plumbing system you already have in place. That means easy DIY installation or one less thing to worry about if you’re hiring a pool company.
So which one is right for you? If you have less than 7,000 gallons and meet the minimum water flow (most small pool systems do), the 50-I is an incredible value. If you have more than 7,000 gallons and would like to grow your pool in the future, or if you just can’t get enough heat, the 65-I is worth the small increase in price.
The Smart Choice for the Austin Pool Market
Designed specifically with the Austin small-pool market in mind, the Raypak Crosswind 50-I and 65-I features year-round capability, whisper quiet and efficient operation, and energy savings you can actually see on your utility bill. Dual heat-and-chill capable, the Crosswind turns your stock tank or cocktail pool into an actual four season backyard oasis.
Ready for year-round enjoyment of your pool? Call Aqua Clear Pool Care today to see which Crosswind is the best option for your particular pool.
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