Heat Pump VS Solar for Central Florida

[FloridaKash]

Details:
15,000 Gallon In Ground - Gunite/Concrete
South Exposure
Screened
Partial Shade
Spill Over Spa
Ray-Pak 11KW Spa Heater (Electric)
Cartridge Filter
1 Pump for Pool
1 Pump for Spa

Bought this house in August. The pool was much cooler in August than I thought it would be, I contribute this to it being screened and the fact my pool is never in full soon. It always has shade somewhere due to trees. I would like to swim in my pool during the winter and am up in the air over a heat pump.

Can I remove the RayPak and use a heat pump to heat my spa if I wanted to? Currently I have to turn on the Ray-Pak 3 - 4 hours before I want to hot tub which is fine. I'd be willing to bypass the heat going into the pool and only allow it go to the spa for nights/days I wanted to "hot tub". Will a Heat Pump bring the temp up to 95+? If so, I could remove my Spa-Pak and use the wiring/circuit from this for the heat pump? Would a heat pump bring the spa up to temp pretty fast (assuming pool is kept at 82 in the winter)?

Also, how long would it for a heat pump to heat up the pool from its current unheated state? a day or two? Current temp is 70. I will be using a solar cover.

Thanks!

 

[Bama Rambler]

The best scenario for you would be solar and heat pump. You could use the solar to heat the pool and the HP to heat the spa, supplementing the solar when needed.

Since the pool is screened and shaded you could locate the solar panels for optimum efficiency and that would keep your pool warm most of the year.

 

[FloridaKash]

Thanks for the response. I do not want to purchase both a Heat Pump and a Solar system. I think I am going to go with a Heat Pump. Although the pool is cool during the summer it is still completely usable. I am going to put in an Aqua-Cal SQ155. Seems to be a quality unit.

Does anyone have experience with this model line of heater?

 

[racket]

Thanks for the response. I do not want to purchase both a Heat Pump and a Solar system. I think I am going to go with a Heat Pump. Although the pool is cool during the summer it is still completely usable. I am going to put in an Aqua-Cal SQ155. Seems to be a quality unit.

Does anyone have experience with this model line of heater?

They are one of the best, if not the best heat pumps made.

 

[FloridaKash]

Thanks for the response. I do not want to purchase both a Heat Pump and a Solar system. I think I am going to go with a Heat Pump. Although the pool is cool during the summer it is still completely usable. I am going to put in an Aqua-Cal SQ155. Seems to be a quality unit.

Does anyone have experience with this model line of heater?

They are one of the best, if not the best heat pumps made.

Thanks. That's good to know. I have sent pictures to the pool company which is selling the unit used and hoping to have them install it. I just might have a warm pool by Monday!

 

[FloridaKash]

Another update - Had this thing installed shorlty after my last post from last year. Absolutely love the heat pump. I don;t keep my pool heated all winter. I only heat it up when the kids are out of school ie; (week of Thanksgiving & Xmas Vacation) and to extend my swim season a bit in the fall and to get the pool up to temp in the spring. Definitely makes swim season much longer.

Not only is this heater nice for heating the pool but is awesome for the spa. We had a spa-pak that took a couple hours to heat up the spa when we wanted to use it. This new heater gets that spa up to temp in about 30 minutes.

The heating costs aren't too bad for the pool either. I am very please with the heat pump.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Another update - Had this thing installed shorlty after my last post from last year. Absolutely love the heat pump. I don;t keep my pool heated all winter. I only heat it up when the kids are out of school ie; (week of Thanksgiving & Xmas Vacation) and to extend my swim season a bit in the fall and to get the pool up to temp in the spring. Definitely makes swim season much longer.

Not only is this heater nice for heating the pool but is awesome for the spa. We had a spa-pak that took a couple hours to heat up the spa when we wanted to use it. This new heater gets that spa up to temp in about 30 minutes.

The heating costs aren't too bad for the pool either. I am very please with the heat pump.

Great update! How much do you think a week of warth is costing you? Do you know your Kw/h costs?

 

[FloridaKash]

Great update! How much do you think a week of warth is costing you? Do you know your Kw/h costs?[/quote]

Of course, air temp makes a different. But getting my pool up to 88 - 90 degrees when the highs were in the low 70's and lows in the mid 50's it was about $50 - $70 a week. I believe we are at 9 or 10 cents kw/h.

 

[Brentr]

If you use a solar cover you will find that you can retain a lot of heat and keep your electric cost down