Best time (cost-wise) to chill pool?

[bobpamt]

I am wanting to keep my pool temperature at 78-80 or so. I have a reverse cycle Aquacal heat pump and would like to know if it more cost-effective, to cool the water at night down to 75, turn OFF the cooling when I get up in the AM and let it warm up some as the day goes on, rather then leaving a temperature setpoint on all the time? I also want to shutdown the pool pump for a number of hours during which time I cannot have the heat pump on (or maybe I can and the FLO condition will keep it off?).

Any strategies for how to most efficiently cool (and heat) pool water?

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello Bobpamt, and welcome to TFP! I see you haven't received a reply yet on your post to chill pool water. I just wanted to let you know we haven't forgotten about you. This reply should get your posting updated back to the top of the queue where hopefully someone experienced with your specific question can provide some constructive answers. Thanks for checking-in with TFP, and have a great day.

 

[NeedMoreSun]

I freeze if below 80 and like it 83-85, but being in the middle of my first Florida Summer I'll likely be looking for chilling options soon. Pool is already at 86 and rising, so by next month I may not want to get in it, lol.

I still need to decide what heating and cooling options I want, or a combo by next Spring at the latest so I'll be watching for definitive answers as well.

However, my home is also heated and cooled with a heat pump. If correct, the AC service company told be it's most "efficient" when the temperature difference is greatest, although for a house it just doesn't make sense because that's also when it's needed the least. As long as it doesn't re-heat beyond where you want it during the day I'd think running it at night when the air is cooler would pull it down faster anyway. Sounds like a Jason_Lion question though so I hope he wanders by

 

[cowboycasey]

I would cool at night and let the sun heat during the day, cooling at night will work faster and cost less in electricity... Try starting heat pump at 2 am and go to 6 am, see how far a drop you get...

You could also use a fountain to drop the water temp, you would have to drop your TA because the fountain will raise PH...

 

[bobpamt]

I am from New England and like cooler water. Two specific questions:

1) If I leave Aquacal on to cool set at 78, will it turn OFF with no consequence when pool pump is off, i.e., when it displays FLO error? If so that would seem like an elegant way to manage the time the Aquacal can run and use electricity.

2) When the unit is cooling does it matter what the outside air temperature is as the unit is extracting heat from the pool water and exhausting it to the air?

As think more about it if I let water warm all day to low 80s and try to bring it down overnight to 75 that is a lot of work. Perhaps it is better to set it to 78 during the day, maybe 9 AM to 7 PM, and turn it off overnight as here in KY night time temperatures rarely if ever exceed 75. Initially I though because during the night air temps are lower the Aquacal would work less overnight to cool water, less heat rejection.

- - - Updated - - -

I would cool at night and let the sun heat during the day, cooling at night will work faster and cost less in electricity... Try starting heat pump at 2 am and go to 6 am, see how far a drop you get...

You could also use a fountain to drop the water temp, you would have to drop your TA because the fountain will raise PH...

We will be adding a 3 foot wide fountain soon, Atlantic Water colorfalls the kind that drops a thin sheet of water into pool. That will likely be on during the day and require the pool pump to be on, which the Aquacal unit also requires.

 

[cowboycasey]

you will have to try both ways and see what works better the temp will drop faster at night because the outside temp is lower, the higher the outside temp the harder and longer it will have to work to keep the temp down...