subject: Swimming Pool Heat Pumps - A Great Way To Heat Your Pool [print this page] Its a fact - most swimming pools are never at optimal swimming temperatures, and while much of the time the cold shock of the water can be an exciting part of the fun, its also great to have the option to warm things up a little. This is where swimming pool heat pumps come in - they're an opportunity to invest in your home while adding to the fun of family memories, as the kids will never want to leave the healthy fun of the water behind.
Now, to be clear - swimming pool heat pumps don't make their own heat. Rather, they use electricity to catch heat and shift it from one place to another. The swimming pools water is circulated through the pump, and as it does so the heat pumps fan draws in outside air, sucking it onto an evaporator coil, which holds a quantity of liquid refrigerant. This refrigerant substance becomes a warm gas when it absorbs the air, passing through a compressor and growing hotter as its squeezed more tightly in its container.
Passing then through a condenser, which transfers the gass heat to the cooler water coming from the other end of the heater device, the gas returns to liquid, and goes back to the evaporator to repeat the cycle. The water returns to the pool, dispersing through it and adding to the pools overall warmth.
Now what all this science winds up meaning to you is that while a swimming pool heat pump might cost a bit more to install when you initially buy it, its less likely to be affected by shifts in the weather or the absence of sunlight than solar-paneling solutions, and will be more energy efficient than the majority of heating pump systems out there - the simple fact is that, since they've been around for so much longer than other forms of inground pool heater technology, they've matured in their design and are now better thought out and put together.
Of course, the way that Ive described heat pumps for swimming pools above is a gross oversimplification designed to illustrate the details of the process for the layperson. The real-life complexity of a swimming pool heat pump means that you really don't want anyone but a fully qualified pool professional (yes, believe me, there are such things) working with them. Think about it - any device reliant on hot gas is simply not going to be safely adjusted by amateur hands. Ask your family and friends if they've needed to hire such a person in the past, and if there's anyone that they can recommend. Proper installation will optimize the functionality of the heat pump, and ultimately save you a good sum of money on your electric bills.
The second uppermost concern is whether, even if you can afford to front the initials costs of installation, you're really ready for the financial burden of such a heating system. You may need to regiment how long your swimming pool heat pump is on each day to ensure your children don't saddle you with a debt you cant pay at months end.
