Heater Questions

[Cody87]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, have a few heater related questions. I'll try to provide as much data as possible. In a nutshell I'm wondering how large of a heater I need for my pool. Electric is my only option. And I'm limited to the standard 120V/15A outlet (unless that is NOT going to work at ALL) My pool is one of those blue ring type pools, forgot the brand. It's above ground, round, 16 feet in diameter x 4.5 feet deep. I live just outside Edmonton Alberta in Canada. The average temperature in June is 16°C with an average daily high of 21°C, July is 18°C / 23°C high, August is 17°C / 22° high. We often get heatwaves around 30°C if that helps. I'd like to heat my pool to whatever normal pool water temperature would be, say what an outdoor public pool would have. I've read that a 100-200BTU heater would work for my 7700 gallon pool. When I look up electric heaters they are listed in KW, I do not know how to convert KW to BTU. So anyway, how large of a heater will I need, and is it possible to heat this pool with a standard electrical outlet or am I looking at something bigger?


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Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[DarrelB]

You require 220v for any electric pool heater. Propane is another option too in a situation that you cannot get natural gas. I have looked into this too, and I am still using solar for now. I have 4 panels totalling 20' x 8' and they heat my 16' pool fine. Cost me about $500 total for everything including extra hoses, etc. Costs nothing to run, so..............
BTW, I am in Manitoba so weather is comparable.
Solar Swimming Pool Heaters. Discount Prices North West Wholesale
These are the ones I use, I just have them on a platform on the ground that I made from used pallets.........Enersol Solar Pool Heating

 

[danpik]

to get an output of 200000 BTU from an electric resistance heater, you will need about 60KW (60000 watts) This equates to roughly 250 amps @ 240 volts. You should seroiusly look into using propane or natural gas if it is available. Other than that, a heat pump will e your best bet.

 

[JamesW]

The best you could do with 120 volts and 15 amps is about 1,500 watts, which is equivalent to 5,118 btu per hour. To maintain the pool at about 8 C above normal water temperature, you would need a minimum of about 38,000 btu per hour uncovered or about 28,000 btu per hour covered.

Those are minimums for maintenance. Those sizes will not heat quickly. Ideally, you would want closer to 100,000 btu per hour for faster heating and maintenance during colder weather.

 

[Cody87]

You require 220v for any electric pool heater. Propane is another option too in a situation that you cannot get natural gas. I have looked into this too, and I am still using solar for now. I have 4 panels totalling 20' x 8' and they heat my 16' pool fine. Cost me about $500 total for everything including extra hoses, etc. Costs nothing to run, so..............
BTW, I am in Manitoba so weather is comparable.
Solar Swimming Pool Heaters. Discount Prices North West Wholesale
These are the ones I use, I just have them on a platform on the ground that I made from used pallets.........Enersol Solar Pool Heating

Thanks, I've always wondered if those actually work. Pretty dependant on Sunday shine though hey?


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[Cody87]

to get an output of 200000 BTU from an electric resistance heater, you will need about 60KW (60000 watts) This equates to roughly 250 amps @ 240 volts. You should seroiusly look into using propane or natural gas if it is available. Other than that, a heat pump will e your best bet.

I could do propane, I have a massive bottle I got from my brother. I take it propane pool heaters are measured in BTU? Also, what's the difference between an electric heater and a heat pump?


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[Cody87]

The best you could do with 120 volts and 15 amps is about 1,500 watts, which is equivalent to 5,118 btu per hour. To maintain the pool at about 8 C above normal water temperature, you would need a minimum of about 38,000 btu per hour uncovered or about 28,000 btu per hour covered.

Those are minimums for maintenance. Those sizes will not heat quickly. Ideally, you would want closer to 100,000 btu per hour for faster heating and maintenance during colder weather.

How long are we talking here to heat using 28000 btu vs 100000 btu?


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[Cody87]

P.S. Sorry about the signature, I'm using the tapatalk app and it's primarily audio forums I use haha.


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[danpik]

How long are we talking here to heat using 28000 btu vs 100000 btu?

Simple physics... A BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a measure of work. In simple laymans terms, a BTU will raise the temperature of 1 lb of water 1 deg (at a constant pressure). Time has nothing to do with the formula so far. when heaters are rated, they are rated in BTU/hr. This is the amount of work they can do in 1 hours time. for instance, a 100,000 BTU heater will convert 100,000 BTU's of energy into heat in one hour time. Most pool heaters are roughly 80% efficient so the output of the 100,000 BTU heater will be 80,000 BTU's. Now, we know the weight of the water in your pool (you said 7700 gallons) is roughly 64,000lbs and we know that it takes 1 BTU to raise 1lb of water 1 deg. So, with that, under ideal conditions, it would take 64,000 BTU's of heater output to raise the water 1 deg in 1 hour. With climatic conditions as they are (uncontrollable) That would be hard to realize. It is recommended to shoot for at least a 2 deg temp rise/hr which would put your heater requirement in the 130,000 BTU output range. Figuring the 80% factor into it, you will need around 165,000 BTU heater.

I did some quick figuring on your 16' x 54" pool and at 54" of water depth you only have about 6700 gallons (~56,000 LBS) At 48" of water, 6000 gallons (49,900 lbs) a 100,000-150,000 BTU heater will get you into the 2 deg/hr range

 

[DarrelB]

Yup, but they work. In all of the options it is the cheapest to make/purchase and use. Costs nothing to run really.
However if cost is not dead zone, then a heat pump is the way to go I would think.

Thanks, I've always wondered if those actually work. Pretty dependant on Sunday shine though hey?


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[Cody87]

Thanks so much for all the information. I think I might go the route of the rooftop solar heating option. Electric is out of the question because I'm unable to run a new line out to the pool for the amount of current it would need. And I think I'd be flying through propane bottles if I went that route also.


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

 

[jeffchap]

If you're not using a solar cover on your pool, they help tremendously too. And they are quite inexpensive.

 

[LFrankow]

What I have learned so far running various pools to the south of you in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Solar cover is first best for the $ improvement, retention.
I use a combo system both solar and a heat exchanger on my HWT.
heat exchanger is nice for start of season and end of season, I mostly use it at night to retain heat in the pool.
With solar I have gotten my smaller pools to 92 F during hot spells.
At present my home made solar panel is 5 feet x 16 feet with 600 feet of 3/4' tubing in it. It used to get me 16 foot ring pool to 84 np at all, then I upgraded to a 24 foot frame, so I will be adding more sq ft of solar collector this year. Reading in the forums here the consensus is sq ft of surface area of pool = surface area of collector.

 

[Cody87]

Are these things any good? I could use two or three of them I necessary.

 

[pooldv]

You would get much more bang for your buck with an 8 mil clear solar cover. I expect you lose more heat overnight than you would gain from that solar heater. A solar cover would hold the heat in overnight. Solar heating is all about square footage exposed to the sun and that just isn't big enough.

 

[DarrelB]

No one that have seen has had good success with them, not enough surface area to heat properly.

Are these things any good? I could use two or three of them I necessary.

 

[Cody87]

I currently have a pool cover that looks like bubble wrap, is that a solar cover?

 

[DarrelB]

Yes, the best ones are the clear ones though, they let a lot more sun in to heat the water. But the blue ones work too.

I currently have a pool cover that looks like bubble wrap, is that a solar cover?

 

[Cody87]

Should the flat side be down or up?

 

[Cody87]

What I have learned so far running various pools to the south of you in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Solar cover is first best for the $ improvement, retention.
I use a combo system both solar and a heat exchanger on my HWT.
heat exchanger is nice for start of season and end of season, I mostly use it at night to retain heat in the pool.
With solar I have gotten my smaller pools to 92 F during hot spells.
At present my home made solar panel is 5 feet x 16 feet with 600 feet of 3/4' tubing in it. It used to get me 16 foot ring pool to 84 np at all, then I upgraded to a 24 foot frame, so I will be adding more sq ft of solar collector this year. Reading in the forums here the consensus is sq ft of surface area of pool = surface area of collector.

How much did it cost you to build that yourself?