When to turn on heat pump for season?

[miles267]

Am in AR. We've finally reached daytime high of 70s to low 80s 4-6 days out of the week. Night time temps are in low 60s. Turned heat pump on Easter morning and was able to get pool up from 72 to 78 in a few hours which wasn't bad for swimming. Though would've certainly preferred 80 water temp. Turned the HP off later that evening. Do not have any cover, solar or otherwise.

Just curious -- at what point do most people turn on or schedule their heat pumps for the season? This is our first season with a new pool.

Appreciate hearing experience of others. Thanks.


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[pooldv]

I turned my heat pump on when night time temps were aboit 60 and day time temps were starting to hit 80. A day in a 85-88 degree pool when it is sunny and 80 outside is great!

 

[miles267]

OK. That helps. Seems we've finally reached that point here. Did you schedule the heat pump to run for a spec number of hrs per day? Our kids would literally swim an hour a day if the water was warmer and they could. And they'd live in the pool on weekends provided it's warm and sunny.

Currently our pump runs from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm with SWCG. The heat pump is off.


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[pooldv]

Only an hour? Hmm, we were in the pool 3 or 4 hours Thursday, 6ish hours Friday, 8ish hours Saturday and 6ish hours Sunday. Maybe we're weird. :-D

My pump runs from 8a to 10p and my heat pump runs 10a to 8p. If it isn't up to 85 by end of day Friday due to rain or whatever then I run it all night so it is good to go Saturday. Thermostat is set for 87.

 

[cjpwalker]

It's up to you and your wallet. Doesn't hurt them to run... I was a little eager (pool is still new...) and opened a couple of weeks too early. Heat pump has been running for a couple of weeks. I shut it off when overnight lows approached 40 as its capacity drops off dramatically and defrost is an issue...

 

[miles267]

Good to know! I've not yet seen an electric bill. Don't have any concept of cost just yet [emoji15]


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[Chemnut]

Running a heat pump when ambient temps are cooler drops their efficiency big time. Best bang for your hard earned dollars is set it to run during the day time and shut it off manually in those cold days.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

.... and cover the pool at night!!

Yip's two cents

 

[pooldv]

The heat pump will probably use about 6 kWh. So, if your electricity cost 10c/kWh then it will cost 60c/hr to run.

 

[miles267]

Am now considering a solar cover. Currently we have no cover. Is this something I could order more economically online, cut myself to the shape of an irregular pool? Have read Amazon reviews by people who added and observed no difference in pool temp. Appears not all SCs are created equal.

Or is it easier said than done...avoid hassle and leave to pool store?


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[pooldv]

It is not difficult to cut it. I used a sharp pair of scissors and basically walked around the pool a few times trimming it until it fit just inside the pool, flat on the water. Any cheap 8 mil, clear solar cover is fine. I think I got mine at Sunplay, or Inyo Pools probably has them.

Solar covers absolutely reduce overnight heat loss. And daytime heat loss on days when my pool is 85+ and it is in the 70s outside.

 

[Chemnut]

A trick I use is this, lay it over the pool, place water buckets around the edge, pull the cover tight as you can so it's not resting on the water. The buckets will hold it in place. Take a marker and trace around the coping. You want to leave about an inch overlap because there will be shrinkage once it's on the pool. Now you can pull it off the pool and cut with a razor knife. The tighter it fits the less the wind will affect it.

 

[miles267]

Appreciate the advice. Was looking at solarcover.com. There are so many options. Blue, space age, clear, etc. Various different mil thickness. Any recommendations on best option?


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[pooldv]

Mine is 8mil clear. Thinnest is lightest and easiest to handle and works fine. Clear or blue is fine. We might try blue next to see if it is less ugly.

 

[Pool Tool]

I would not recommend the space age, mine seemed stiffer than most - less pliable. It was a bear to roll up without wanting to go on the reel any way but straight. All others I've owned were much more forgiving and rolled up easily with one hand guiding it.

It was reely annoying.

 

[miles267]

Is the reel a no-brainer? I hadn't originally planned to get one.


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[pooldv]

I cut mine in half to make it easier to handle. I'm OK with no reel so far, my pool is 18x41.

 

[Rollercoastr]

Mine is 8mil clear. Thinnest is lightest and easiest to handle and works fine. Clear or blue is fine. We might try blue next to see if it is less ugly.

If blue is less ugly? I was hoping clear would look better. Do you have a pic of your clear cover?

My blue cover is an eyesore. It's effective, but I hate looking at it. With CH at 400, it's covered in white splotches. I was hoping I could get a cover that would let me see more water and less calcium and plastic...

 

[borjis]

Appreciate the advice. Was looking at solarcover.com. There are so many options. Blue, space age, clear, etc. Various different mil thickness. Any recommendations on best option?

An 8-mil clear or blue should work well...any thicker or fancy won't last any longer than a cheaper 8-mil.

Blue covers protect chlorine better, clear covers might heat the water a little more.

I'd suggest looking on ebay, a lot of the companies that sell covers on their website
have them listed for a lot less on ebay and usually include free shipping.

I believe they do that to move inventory.

I got my current cover this way and saved $ 30

 

[pooldv]

LOL!! Clear is not clear, at all. There are a couple of pics toward the end of my pool thread, link in sig. Post #257