Heat pumps are not new to the marketplace but the price of fossil fuels has made them appealing. Additionally, as technology has improved, their operating cost has fallen leading to higher levels of efficiency. What is efficiency? How do they operate? When should you invest in a single instead of a gas or solar system? What does it cost to run? These and various other questions are thought here so read on.

Should I Purchase A Heat Pump?

That is a more difficult question to answer. There are grounds for using heating pumps and there are reasons for choosing for solar or gas heater. The main question you want to ask is will you want to warm your pool water once the air temperature drops below the 45 to 50 degrees F mark? I forget it your best bet is most likely a gas heater. Will a solar pool heater expand your swimming season? A solar system might be best even though it could cost more to purchase initially if you have space. heat pumps in halifax

A heat pump will heat your pool water on demand so you don’t need to worry about overcast weather as you do use a solar system. Generally, you would place the water temperature and the heat pump will run as needed to keep to that temperature. They can be used to heat a pool if you wish to use the pool occasionally but gasoline grills are much better at this.

They’re easy to install requiring a few straightforward PVC pipes and also an electrical connection (employ a builder for that) and do not take up a lot of room.

You will find above floor electric pool heaters available in addition to in-ground models.

Performance

The efficacy which is talked about in regard to heat pumps can also be referred to as the Coefficient Of Performance or COP. This provides a connection between the amount of energy utilized to the quantity of energy produced. To compare apples with apples, a typical electrical immersion heater (like in a kettle) is approximately 90% effective so could have a COP near 1 but heat pumps can be rated with a COP of 5 which signifies an efficiency of 500%. That is because heat pump does not actually create heat (such as an immersion heater does) they simply move it from 1 place to another.

That is something the potential purchaser must be aware of since heat pumps have a drawback. Electric heat pumps take warmth from the air and move it in order the air temperature drops so does their efficacy. In fact, when the air temperature strikes around the 45 degrees F mark, they may even freeze and stop working!

When comparing different brands for efficacy it’s very important to be certain the COP is calculated under the very same requirements for each pump. Ready Refrigeration

How Can A Heat Pump Work?

When you have a refrigerator or a non-evaporative air conditioner you already have a heat pump. Actually, there is a car radiator a heat pump. In basic terms, you are using a gas or liquid to pick up the heat at one point then pumping it to a radiator (or heat exchanger) and discharging it. A fridge is transferring heat from inside the box and pumping into a radiator outside the box where it enters the air — which is why there is warmth around the outside of your fridge. Know more about heat pumps here

So a swimming pool heat pump may require heat from the surrounding air and transfer it through refrigerant gas along with a blower to a heat exchanger releasing heat into the pool water flowing around it. The gas travels on through piping back to where it started and picks up heat and so forth. This is also called a”closed loop” since the gasoline keeps on traveling around it.

What Is The Price Of A Heat Pump?

The initial cost will be somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000 depending largely on the heating capacity (measured in BTUs). Larger heating capacity will cause quicker heat-from-cold times but may add more to a power bill. The running cost is about half that of a gas pool heater. The cost can be reduced by about 60 to 80% if you use a pool cover. Pool covers not only help keep debris out but retain water by decreasing evaporation. Evaporation accounts for approximately 80% of pool heat loss installing a pool cover must be quite high on your list! Based on where you live you could expect your power bill to increase by roughly $700 to $2,000 per year.

Heat pumps do have a few moving and electrical components so it is a fantastic idea to have them serviced annually to acquire the best lifespan and efficiency from them. Your user guide will have a maintenance schedule that is recommended. 10 decades or longer, they should last. The appropriate balance of your pool chemicals is vital otherwise efficiency will fall and the harm could result.

In conclusion, do a little homework before you commit to one kind of pool heater over another. They can seem great on paper but a small thought about your particular needs and situation might help you make the right decision. Heat pumps have several advantages to consider.