Swimming Pool Heaters Explained

Posted by sprsunheatpump on April 8th, 2021

Swimming Pool Heat Pumps: One of the largest expenses in owning a pool is heating it. Whether you are adding a pool to an existing structure or starting your first, heating your pool can be expensive. In addition to heating the pool itself, many swimming pool services include swimming pool heat pumps to help lower your costs. Swimming Pool Heating: What Is It?

A swimming pool heater combines two main components - a compressor that compresses water and a heat exchanger that circulate the warmed water back to the pool. The swimming pool heat pumps use energy from the sun and electrical power to heat water-this transfer of heat occurs through an evaporator-condenser assembly. The compressor and condensers consolidate the heat into low pressure hot air and pass it over an evaporator-condenser coil where the cooled water is transferred to a chilled collector. Water from the pool passes through an internal filter to a pump to circulate it back to the pool water temperature.

The operation of a swimming pool heat pumps is highly dependent on the manufacturer and the model. Pool equipment manufacturers typically offer two different classifications of compressors - negative and positive pressure or PSR. A positive pressure swimming pool heater is one that utilizes a high BTU output, or British Thermal Units, to operate. This type of compressor pumps a higher amount of water through the compressor to produce more heat, which makes a noticeable difference in the operating costs. PSR or "percentage of efficiency" swimming pool heat pumps are less efficient than positive pressure models but still produce good amounts of heat for your pool. They are most often used in smaller pools with less capacity.

The operation of swimming pool heat pumps is also dependent on the type of heat exchanger used. There are four types of heat exchangers available for pool use; dynamic, balanced, linear, and variable. Dynamic exchangers are used to exchange heat with the outside environment. This system is most commonly found in heated spas and hot tubs. A linear exchanger is the most popular, as it requires no pump intervention. In a dynamic swimming pool heat pumps, a constant pump force is required to maintain the correct indoor temperature.

Air Conditioning - An air conditioning system not only cools the pool water, but also removes any existing humidity and reduces the evaporation rate of surrounding air. The most common type of air conditioning is a refrigerant, also known as a "conditioner" or "enzyme." A refrigerator will contain a liquid refrigerant, such as ammonia, along with a vapor compression unit and a condensing unit. Air is drawn into the condensing unit where it condenses water into a gas. This gas is then blown into the living space through an evaporator coil, creating a cooling effect.

swimming pool heat pumps water heaters - The majority of heat pumps utilize an electrical motor to operate; therefore, the need for a pool heater is minimal. Swimming pool heat pumps do not require electricity to run; therefore, they can be powered by a solar panel or a fuel cell. Some solar-powered pool heat pumps have the ability to also heat the pool water. Fuel cells can create clean, renewable energy to power a swimming pool heater.