The Small Pool Revolution
Austin’s landscape is evolving, with more than 1,500 new stock tank pools installed annually. Courtyard decks in Westlake Hills and Lakeway, sun-drenched backyards in Round Rock, Cedar Park and Georgetown are all filling up with cocktail pools, plunge pools and galvanized stock tanks as Austinites seek to turn their Central Texas backyards into their own private oasis. But like most small backyard pools, they have one significant problem: they heat up way too fast in our intense Central Texas sun.We mean 40+ days straight over 100° where that uninsulated steel tank becomes your very own sous vide. And they cool down too much during those perfectly perfect spring and fall nights when you want to hop in.
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. Features like groundbreaking inverter technology, non-corrosive spiral-titanium heat exchanger and simultaneous heating and cooling of your water enable the Crosswind to be the first compact pool heater to provide you with even temperatures throughout the year.
Why Traditional Heating Fails Small Pools
Let’s be honest: most heating systems were never designed for a stock tank pool.
Gas heaters are huge when you need one to heat a 700 gallon stock tank. Hooking them up to natural gas or propane lines is costly, and they cycle so fast to heat such a small amount of water that you’re burning money not heat. They’re overkill if you ask me.
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 require intelligent, energy efficient technology that’s engineered to precisely control temperature, not just ramp up heat. Look for equipment that can meet your demands throughout the year that’s cooling down those July afternoons just as easily as warming up March evenings. And with pool equipment parts like the Crosswind’s spiral titanium heat exchanger, you want technology that’s built to stand the test of time resistant to corrosion and even harsher water conditions like salt or water with a slightly low pH.
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 Austin, it is a must-have. By mid-July, an unshaded steel tank in Central Texas easily hits 95°F+, turning your refreshing dip into hot bathwater. 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—and the old workaround of dumping in cold hose water? In a city navigating Stage 2 water restrictions, draining and refilling to cool down isn’t just wasteful—it’s off the table. Chilling your water mechanically keeps your pool ice-cold all summer without wasting a single gallon.
Cool mode literally extracts heat from your water. Cool mode allows you to experience those ideal, refreshing 68–78° F pool temperatures (aka Barton Springs magic) in your very own backyard pool year-round, even during the hottest days of Austin summer. Kick back with a cold Topo after a hike in Greenbelt or enjoy one at your poolside with friends at your backyard ACL concert party. Make your investment work for you year-round instead of only during the few months 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
On startup the Crosswind runs 100% until it reaches your desired temperature. After it hits that temperature it will automatically begin running in maintenance mode at a lower capacity to maintain your temperature set point. This technology allows the Crosswind to achieve very high COPs or Coefficient Of Performance. The 50-I achieves a COP rating of 5.8 translating to 5.8 units of heating for every 1 unit of electricity used. Austin summers are tough enough on your A/C, and Austin Energy’s tiered rate system will significantly increase your per-kwh cost if you use a lot of electricity in July and August. Inverter tech draws such a small amount of power that keeping a pool at 78° F won’t push you into the highest tiers. 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. It becomes even more important in Austin’s urban core neighborhoods – East Austin, 78704, Bouldin, Crestview, Hyde Park – where houses are often mere feet away from each other and lot sizes are restricted due to impervious cover ordinances. Trying to cram a cowboy pool into an East Austin backyard or squeezing a plunge pool behind an ADU in 78704? The low-volume inverter and sideways airflow won’t blast loud fan noise directly at your neighbor’s bedroom window.
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. No fancy programming. Easy to use controls. So whether you are an early adopter of technology or just want something that will work when you need it to work; it’s easy to set and keep your water at the perfect temperature.
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 repair 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
Since Winter Storm Uri came through, everyone in Central Texas realizes that when it comes to a sudden hard freeze, it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” One of the first things to fail during an unexpected freeze is exposed pool equipment when a surprise mid-November cold front sends nighttime temperatures plunging into the teens.
Thanks to the Crosswind’s spiral-titanium heat exchanger, freeze-related cracking is unlikely. But should freezing temperatures occur, the unit has automated antifreeze protection that automatically kicks on when needed to protect your investment from unpredictable Hill Country cold fronts. While you’re taking care of your indoor pipes, your Crosswind is already managing itself outside. If you’ve lived in Texas and gone through an ice storm, you know how valuable that kind of peace of mind is.
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