Heating pool using waste heat from A/C?

[JimK]

Anyone have any thoughts, experience, comments on using a product like this to heat their IG pool?

http://www.hotspotenergy.com/pool-heater/

[CarlD]

Jim,
It basically replaces your outside air-cooled AC unit with a water-cooled one that uses the pool's water for the cooling. It is supposed to work really well but has me wondering:
What do you do when your pool is 95 degrees and you don't want it any warmer? Does the AC cease to work in the house? This unit seems to augment your current AC units, making them more efficient. If it actually works, and TOH really recommends them, then the only issue is cost and what you actually save on electricity.

At least one statement in the ad is misleading. Since you have to run your pump whether you use solar or the AC to heat your pool, you won't save electricity costs on running the pump. It will be the same.

[JimK]

Jim,
It basically replaces your outside air-cooled AC unit with a water-cooled one that uses the pool's water for the cooling. It is supposed to work really well but has me wondering:
What do you do when your pool is 95 degrees and you don't want it any warmer? Does the AC cease to work in the house? This unit seems to augment your current AC units, making them more efficient. If it actually works, and TOH really recommends them, then the only issue is cost and what you actually save on electricity.

At least one statement in the ad is misleading. Since you have to run your pump whether you use solar or the AC to heat your pool, you won't save electricity costs on running the pump. It will be the same.

Thanks for the response.

My understanding is that it doesn't replace the outside AC unit, but diverts the hot refrigerant gas line to the pool exchanger only when called for and just let's the AC unit work normally when the pool doesn't need heat.

One of my concerns is if it introduces any metals to the pool like a conventional pool heater can. Having dealt with metals before, I do NOT want to deal with that again.

I'm also wondering if it will void the warranty on my AC unit.

I sent them an email asking about cost; I suspect it will be quite expensive.

[JimK]

Just received a reply to my inquiry.

For my system (4 ton AC unit) it would be about $1800 for the unit and about $1000 for installation (~2800 total).