Can a pool heat pump be reverse cycled to act as a chiller. It gets very hot here in the summer and we will probably only have sun from about 10a to 4p . Also our pool will only be 3.5 to 5 feet deep and also have a 6" deep sunshelf. I don't know what to expect with the water temps but just wondered if the heat pumps could be reversed to chill the water? I don't know what model numbers I will be getting but the builder uses Hayward.
Heat pump
- Thread starter klanel
- Start date
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Some can, but I think they need a “chiller” mode, so if that’s what you’re after, make sure that it includes that mode. If you are primarily interested in cooling, you may want to consider an evaporative chiller, which costs much less to operate than a heat pump with a chiller mode. A heat pump will be more like running an AC unit in terms of cost, while an evaporative chiller will be more like a fan. I can’t speak to how well a heat pump works for cooling.
I went through the research process a little over 5 years ago and decided on the Glacier chiller, as I already had a gas heater. It’s the best thing we’ve done for our pool. Our water temps were in the middle-90s by July and no one wanted to get in the pool. Now, I can keep water temps in the low 80s all summer long. As I write this, my water temp is 70° because we’ve had a cool front move through with very low humidity. That’s cooler than most people want, but it goes to show how effective the evaporative chiller can be. I’m in the Dallas area and the humidity usually keeps water temp from dropping that low. I probably should have shut the chiller off, but there’s a certain level of satisfaction of seeing how low I can get the water temp.
One other note regarding heat pumps - from what I recall, they don’t work well as a heater when air temps are in the 50s or lower. I was considered replacement of our gas heater and going with a combo heat pump/chiller, but this plus the operating cost were factors against that route.
I went through the research process a little over 5 years ago and decided on the Glacier chiller, as I already had a gas heater. It’s the best thing we’ve done for our pool. Our water temps were in the middle-90s by July and no one wanted to get in the pool. Now, I can keep water temps in the low 80s all summer long. As I write this, my water temp is 70° because we’ve had a cool front move through with very low humidity. That’s cooler than most people want, but it goes to show how effective the evaporative chiller can be. I’m in the Dallas area and the humidity usually keeps water temp from dropping that low. I probably should have shut the chiller off, but there’s a certain level of satisfaction of seeing how low I can get the water temp.
One other note regarding heat pumps - from what I recall, they don’t work well as a heater when air temps are in the 50s or lower. I was considered replacement of our gas heater and going with a combo heat pump/chiller, but this plus the operating cost were factors against that route.
I've been told that heat pumps are more efficient than gas heaters but if in a chiller mode they are less efficient, seems like you benefit one way and lose the other as far as energy consumption. For me, I live in a rural area with no natural gas and don't want a propane tank so that's my reason for getting a heat pump. I was never thinking about cooling the water and just heating it mostly in the spa but potentially the whole pool if I am willing to pay for it.
Since my pool isn't completed, I don't know what to expect from the water temps. We will not get full day sun but because it's only 5' at it's deepest I expect it will warm more than if deeper and also the tanning shelf I would think would make the water warmer. But I'll look into it before I get to that point. Thanks,
Since my pool isn't completed, I don't know what to expect from the water temps. We will not get full day sun but because it's only 5' at it's deepest I expect it will warm more than if deeper and also the tanning shelf I would think would make the water warmer. But I'll look into it before I get to that point. Thanks,
- May 3, 2014
- 58,366
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,474
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60