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Exceptions to the NEW CA Title 24 Include:
- Any pools with permits issued in 2025
- Existing pools with Gas Heaters installed prior to Jan. 1, 2026*
- Permanent inground spas in existing buildings with gas availability
- Pools heated solely by solar systems
- Sites with inadequate solar access can use a heat pump on new construction
- Pools installed at some historic properties and some state facilities such as prisons
*Note: You are allowed to replace a gas heater with another gas heater even after Jan 1, 2026 on an existing pool
Product Solutions for the New Regulations
Heat Pump Sizing Requirements:
New Title 24 regulations requires that Heat Pumps be properly sized for the pool volume and usage. Here is an example of the formula:
For more information about the new standards, check out the California Energy Commission (CEC) website
Beginning in 2026, installers will be required to submit compliance documentation, including equipment specifications and energy calculations to verify that the system meets the new standards.
Thanks to their high efficiency, low operating costs, and flexible performance with advanced controls, Heat Pumps, such as Jandy VersaTemp Heat/Chill Pumps, are proving to be the best solution for pool heating—in California and beyond.
Whether working alone or within hybrid setups combined with low-NOx Gas Heaters or solar thermal systems, Heat Pumps are the future of pool heating.
For heated pools required to use a Pool Cover, systems such as Cover-Pools® Automatic Pool Covers are an obvious solution. Automatic Pool Covers not only provide peace of mind by preventing unwanted pool access, they are proven to retain heat and keep pools warm while greatly reducing evaporation*, lowering operating costs**, cutting chemical usage** and providing a wide range of additional benefits.
*2016 Cal Poly State University study, Effectiveness of Pool Covers to Reduce Evaporation from Swimming Pools.
**US Department of Energy, Swimming Pool Covers. https://www.energy.gov/energysave r/swimming-pool-covers
Beginning January 1, 2026, the updated CA Title 24 Energy Code will present significant changes for the heating of pools and spas in the state of California.
California's NEW Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards require top energy-efficient pool heating systems for new builds and major pool/spa upgrades. Traditional gas pool heaters are being phased out as a primary heat source but are still available to be used in conjunction with a Title 24 compliant heater as part of a hybrid heating system.
Jandy offers the resources, support, and product solutions you need to make compliance as easy as possible for your business and your customers.
The JXiQ Gas Heater can provide supplemental heat once the new Title 24 requirements are met for Heat Pumps or Solar Systems.
The JXiQ Gas Heater can replace pre-existing gas heaters as needed and is an easy drop-in replacement for older gas heaters that are ready to be replaced with a newer model—including many competitor brands—offering an array of desirable advanced features
With up to an 84% thermal efficiency rating and low-NOx design, Jandy JXiQ surpasses US Department of Energy (DOE) energy efficiency requirements and CA Title 24 requirements.
VersaFlo™
This innovative Integrated Bypass Technology automatically directs water through the heat exchanger only when heat is needed and bypasses when heat is not needed which saves energy by allowing the pool’s pump to run at a lower RPM.
Real-Time Diagnostics
Connect your Bluetooth-enabled device to get full, real-time diagnostic capabilities displayed in the Fluidra Pro App or view right on the unit with the large built-in digital display.
Automatic pool covers are the obvious choice to fulfill the mandate that all heated pools in California utilize a cover. Not only do they hold in heat and save energy, they help prevent water loss due to evaporation, reduce chemical usage, and add a crucial layer of safety by preventing unwanted access—and Cover-Pools invented them. Using cutting-edge technology, Cover-Pools offers a wide range of solutions to build custom covers for ANY type, size, or shape of new pools or existing pools, spas or pool/spa combos.
Your new California Heating Options Explained
Be Ready for 2026 Pool Heating with the VersaTemp Heat Pump
Dual Thermostats
Allows pool/spa combo to have two different temps—pool water just warm enough to swim in with a perfectly heated spa.
Smaller Footprint*
To accommodate more compact pool pad setups
Easy to Operate
Easy-access digital LCD controller enables touch-button operation and displays self-diagnostic notifications written in words that are easy to understand
Jandy VersaTemp Heat/Chill pumps provide energy-efficient and eco-friendly heating and cooling of pools and spas, drawing heat from the air to heat the water. VersaTemp features SoundShield™ Technology to operate with significantly less noise.
VersaTemp is available in a wide range of models:
103K BTUs
116K BTUs
130K BTUs
All VersaTemp models are listed on the CEC website as Title 24 Compliant and surpass the 4.0 COP minimum efficiency at low ambient conditions.
BUILDER RESOURCES
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
CA TITLE 24 COMPLIANCE Changes
Starting Jan. 1, 2026
WHAT'S CHANGING AND WHY
CRITICAL CHANGES TO CALIFORNIA'S POOL HEATING REGULATIONs
CA Title 24 compliance information
Jandy Has Solutions!
Primary pool heating must be a Heat Pump or Solar Thermal System
- Heat Pump – sized to the pool using CEC formula JA16.3 (see POOL BUILDER RESOURCES below for sizing formula)
- Solar Thermal System – sized at 60% of pool surface area (single-family) or 65% (multi-family or commercial)
New Gas Heater Restrictions
- Gas Heaters can no longer be the primary heat source for new pools or spas
- Gas Heaters are allowed as a supplemental heat source when paired with a heat pump or solar thermal system
Mandatory Pool Covers
- Title 24 continues to require that all outdoor heated pools and spas use a pool cover
- New rules apply to pool permits issued on or after Jan. 1, 2026
- CA Title 24 rules do not apply to pools with permits issued in 2025
BTU = Pool Surface Area × Heat Loss Coefficient × (Desired Temp – Avg Air Temp)
