There are some misconceptions about the cost, efficiency and operation of swimming pool heat pumps, which need to be debunked.
Misconceptions include things like the belief that swimming pool heat pumps cannot warm the pool water to a temperature hotter than the air temperature on the day, that it will take weeks to warm the pool, that they are nowhere near as efficient as some people claim them to be, or that all heat pumps are as good as each other
Many such misconceptions are based on a bygone generation of heat pumps that were just nothing like the better quality swimming pool heat pumps available today from quality manufacturers. It’s a bit like comparing the dial up internet of yesteryear with modern high speed internet.
Heat pumps used to be very expensive, which often meant it took years to recover the purchase price from the saving made each year on fuel costs, meaning it wasn’t always worth considering unless you were a true eco warrior! However, as a result technological improvements making them so efficient, more manufacturers have entered the market, investing in the development of better and better models, which has increased the volume of sales creating more competition which has driven down prices.
A few years ago the only units available were bulky units costing around £3,000-£4,000, with fairly low outputs of 8-12kw. Now we see new generation units available at £1,000-£4,000, with outputs of 10-30kw.
Trying to use an old, inefficient 7kw heat pump to heat a 30 foot pool often led to disappointment as the water temperature rarely reached a comfortable swimming temperature because there was just not enough heat input from the unit to overcome the heat losses from the pool- hence the reason people still think heat pumps don’t work. Also, it took a lifetime to heat up at the beginning of the season- often a month or so! Today, we would a 15kw unit to a pool that size or
even a 20kw heat pump and it will heat the pool in 2-5 days to 28-30 degrees, (a typical gas boiler would still take 2 days). It will then hold it at that temperature all summer and even into the autumn. They require no gas or oil services to operate, as they are all electric. Because of the technology they use, they will heat the pool water to a temperature considerably in excess of the daily air temperature (typically 28 degrees) even in low daily temperatures. There are even heat pumps available that will heat a pool all year! (see page ‘How a heat pump works’ )
Modern heat pumps are probably the most efficient to heat a pool and can save 40-50% of the seasons cost of heating a pool, covering its capital and installation costs within just a few seasons. We can help you select the right model for your application. Please call for assistance.
