If you are lucky enough to own your own swimming pool you will understand the importance of your pool heating system.
Without a swimming pool heater your pool can remain too cold to use for most of the year. The water is simply too cold for comfort and nobody will want to go for a dip. Warm that water a little and your swimming pool is immediately popular. But choosing an economical and effective swimming pool heater can be quite a headache.
In recent years many pool owners have moved away from traditional pool heaters that use gas, oil or electricity and they’ve started to use efficient, effective and environmentally friendly heat-pumps.
Heat pumps work by transferring heat energy from a source (usually the ground, the air or water) to the swimming pool water. They are remarkably energy efficient and environmentally friendly as they consume much less energy than they produce as heat. For example, a typical swimming pool heat pump system will consume around 1kW of electrical energy to produce 5kW of heat energy. This may seem like magic, but you should remember that the system is deriving much of its heat energy from the air or ground.
One of the most important results for many swimming pool owners is the reduced fuel costs. While the initial outlay for a heat-pump based pool heating system may be more than an equivalent traditional system that uses oil, gas or electricity the running costs will be far less. This means that the heat pump is likely to pay for itself very quickly. The other benefits of heat pump use are your swimming pool will be usable for more of the year and your carbon footprint will be significantly reduced.
When purchasing a heat pump based system there are lots of things to consider. For example, the material used to make the heater element can influence the price of these units enormously (titanium lasts longer but costs more). If you are interested in finding out more it is recommended that you speak to a reputable swimming pool supplier who has experience with a range of swimming pool heat pump systems.
Tags: air to water, electrical energy, heatpumps, Pool heating, titanium