I need a pool heater!

[MarkC]

I Have a heat pump and love it(I live in PA). With that said it's pretty useless at 50 degree air temps.

[CarlD]

I Have a heat pump and love it(I live in PA). With that said it's pretty useless at 50 degree air temps.

Took me 20 times the space to say the same thing!

[ChuckD]

(Even tho my pool's frozen over right now, I still check in. Come on Springtime!)

I think an important distinction needs to made as to what the source of the heat energy is for the heat pump. Clearly we're talking about using the outside air here. We bought our house with an air-source heat pump (Carrier) and an attractive pellet stove. We thought, 'how quaint, it'll be nice to look at on winter days'. Now we know it's essential to heating the house. As said, when the source of the heat energy drops toward, and below, freezing, efficiency goes out the window.

That said, heat pumps can be a very efficient way to heat if one uses sub-frostline ground temps as the source.
There's lots of info on the internets about 'geothermal' energy (50 to 55 degrees) to feed a heatpump and it's something I'm very seriously looking at.

So, more to the point, I wonder if the same idea doesn't exist for heating a pool as well?

Chuck

[CarlD]

(Even tho my pool's frozen over right now, I still check in. Come on Springtime!)

I think an important distinction needs to made as to what the source of the heat energy is for the heat pump. Clearly we're talking about using the outside air here. We bought our house with an air-source heat pump (Carrier) and an attractive pellet stove. We thought, 'how quaint, it'll be nice to look at on winter days'. Now we know it's essential to heating the house. As said, when the source of the heat energy drops toward, and below, freezing, efficiency goes out the window.

That said, heat pumps can be a very efficient way to heat if one uses sub-frostline ground temps as the source.
There's lots of info on the internets about 'geothermal' energy (50 to 55 degrees) to feed a heatpump and it's something I'm very seriously looking at.

So, more to the point, I wonder if the same idea doesn't exist for heating a pool as well?

Chuck

I know that there is a constant temp of, I believe, 58 deg F underground, like 3 to 5 feet, depending on location.

But I've NEVER heard of a heat pump that used THAT as the source of heat! Wow--that's a great idea, if it can be made to work--a sufficiently large heatpump would work no matter HOW cold it got.

[ChuckD]

CarlD, you of all people! I woulda thought you'd be all over this.
Start your journey here:
http://www.geoexchange.org

[CarlD]

CarlD, you of all people! I woulda thought you'd be all over this.
Start your journey here:
http://www.geoexchange.org

I hang my head in shame for my ignorance!

[Poolsean]

hmmmm, geothermal heat pumps.

http://www.symbiontservice.com/geo-thermal/index.html

Aqua Cal manufactures these.

[fcfrey]

I know that there is a constant temp of, I believe, 58 deg F underground, like 3 to 5 feet, depending on location.

But I've NEVER heard of a heat pump that used THAT as the source of heat! Wow--that's a great idea, if it can be made to work--a sufficiently large heatpump would work no matter HOW cold it got.

I'm in Central PA and I installed a Geothermal Heat pump for my home back in 1992. BELIEVE THIS!! It paid for itself in 4 years compared to the baseboard electric I had been using. There are Geothermal heat pumps for pool applications. If you are even thinking of a heater in PA I would recommend you look at Geothermal. The size is still determined by surface area and the temperature differential at which you intend to use it.

One other thing I have to mention is whether you asked yourself this question. "Am I going to use the pool when the air temperature is low?"

My wife and I don't go near the pool unless the air temp is above 75 - 80degrees even if the water is the same or higher. Maybe I'm chicken but it's cold out there when your all wet!! Any heater is expensive if you don't swim when the air is cool.

[Poolsean]

MOST heat pumps quit below 60 degrees. Because of that there is an option of "heat and cool" in which it will reverse the flow of freon to defrost the ice that forms on the side of the heat pump to stop it from working. Some do this automatically and some require a manual switch. Aqua Cal has this built into the Heat N Cool models and will work down to 23 degrees (albeit at a lower efficiency).