So we have PV Solar on our house and we do not use all the electricity we produce. We have about 600-700kWh left over every month. We are building a 36K pool and we are planning on putting in a variable speed pump but want to know the best way to heat the pool. We live in Southern California (Temecula, 92592) and we want to be able to swim from Feb-Oct or Nov. I like the Temp around 86 degrees. Can you tell me if an electric heat pump is the best option, and if so, what is a good brand and size for my pool. It will be 8.5ft deep to 3.5ft deep. We are not sure if we are putting a cover on it or not. Please let me know what your thoughts are on this. We are wanting a SWG system on it. ANY advice you can share with me would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Is a heat pump the best option?
- Thread starter Angnjam
- Start date
Heat pumps cost more to purchase than gas or lp heaters. According to the literature heat pumps are much more energy efficient, so combined with the solar power benefits you receive now I'd say a heat pump would be your best choice. Keep in mind that heat pumps do require a certain level of ambient temperature to turn on and they have a lower BTU rating than gas heaters. I personally like Rheem/Raypak heaters and heat pumps. I would go with the largest BTU heat pump that they sell (which would probably make sense at 36k gallon is bigger than average)
Some questions to answer first to help determine how effective a heat pump will be.
Do you plan on covering the pool at night?
Is the pool exposed to full sunlight or do you have any tree cover?
Is the pool going to be heated constantly or are you only wanting to heat to swim on say a weekend/holiday?
Looks like your temps dip down into the mid to upper 40's this time of year and the average high is upper 70's to low 80's. Correct?
Do you plan on covering the pool at night?
Is the pool exposed to full sunlight or do you have any tree cover?
Is the pool going to be heated constantly or are you only wanting to heat to swim on say a weekend/holiday?
Looks like your temps dip down into the mid to upper 40's this time of year and the average high is upper 70's to low 80's. Correct?
I would say that a heat pump would work for you. Recommend an auto cover for the pool. Leave the heat pump running to maintain temperatures daily.
You should have no issues with using a heat pump to keep your pool at 86, during the months you're looking to maintain it. However, with a solar cover, you can get away with one unit. If no cover is used, you will need two units.
The AquaCal T135 or SQ175 units will run about 12.5 hrs/day to maintain 86 degrees, with a solar blanket
Two units will run about 16 hrs/day to maintain this temp without a blanket.
The AquaCal T135 or SQ175 units will run about 12.5 hrs/day to maintain 86 degrees, with a solar blanket
Two units will run about 16 hrs/day to maintain this temp without a blanket.
ps0303 said:
We don't plan on covering it. And it has full sun, except the late afternoons in the spring and fall it will get light shade.
We'd like to maintain the heat. And you are correct on the temps.
Wondering if 1 unit will be enough. I really don't want to have to cover it because I don't like the looks of the reels and I'm just not sure realistically how often we'd cover it anyway. I'd love an auto cover, but they are $8-10k!
Poolsean said:
Is AquaCal the best brand for a larger sized heat pump then? I want one that will hold up and heat it as quickly as possible (for a heat pump). I read AquaCal's warranty and they have a 7 year warranty in Florida but only a 2 year warranty in California. Seriously, why is that? Does anyone know?
Can someone tell me how many kWh I'd be using to maintain this temp?
What is the most bang for your buck auto cover that doesn't give up quality?swimcmp said:
Do you mind me asking how many kWh you use to keep your pool heated each year? And what temp do you keep it at? Thanks.bobodaclown said:
If you still have room for solar tubular panels, that would be the most economical way to provide heat from your pool, especially in SOCAL. Supplement with a heat pump if necessary. You already are making good use of the free energy and it would be great if you could capture some more. 
I've got an old model (it's over 10 years) Heat Siphon 100K BTU Heat Pump Pool Heater. We don't use it that much, about about a month or so in the spring. We heat it to about 82 degrees. We don't have a cover.
Auqamatic or Coverstar are good covers. The Pentair ultratemp line has 10 year warranty.
The longer warranty in Florida is because we do all the warranty service with our own Factory Service Team. Outside of Florida, warranty is performed by HVAC Authorized Service Contractors.
You also have an option to use a Liquid Blanket, which is a liquid solution that's added every other day to form a vapor barrier to help keep heat in. It's better than no blanket, but not as good as a solar blanket. With the Liquid blanket, you'll still need 2 units, but it will run about 13-14 hrs, under the coolest time periods, to maintain temps.
Each heat pump will be 6.4 kw/hr
You also have an option to use a Liquid Blanket, which is a liquid solution that's added every other day to form a vapor barrier to help keep heat in. It's better than no blanket, but not as good as a solar blanket. With the Liquid blanket, you'll still need 2 units, but it will run about 13-14 hrs, under the coolest time periods, to maintain temps.
Each heat pump will be 6.4 kw/hr
You should really just use a solar blanket. Without one heating the pool is basically just like taking your wallet out and seeing how far you can throw off an over pass.
I realize that a solar blanket is ideal (other than an auto-cover, which we'd love, but the cost is hard to swallow), I just don't know how realistic it is that we would be diligent at putting it on each night! Plus, I just don't like the looks of the reels out on the pool deck and the put on and fold up the blankets is kind of a pain I've read. I'm not sure how many kWh we'd use with something like the AquaCal SQ175 if we ran it 24 hours a day for 4 months out of the year. Can anyone help me with those figures? I think we could alot about 500 kWh/month with our PV solar. Would that be enough for zip 92592? Or can someone tell me where to find that information? I'm having a hard time finding numbers for kWh for that game, let alone a calculator to help me figure it.
Is your pool a rectangle? If so they have an electric solar cover reel to make things easier
Can we put electric solar reel underground like an automatic cover? I haven't ever seen this anywhere, but I don't know why it couldn't happen.X-PertPool said:
Is there an electric solar reel that is better quality than others? BTW, thank you so much for all the help and input you are all giving me.
I've only seen one in person. I don't remember the name off the top of my head. I supposed it could be put underground as long as the cover wasn't getting too much drag. Maybe a roller on the edge of contact to make things smoother?
electric solar cover reel
This one is not electric but more aesthetically pleasing than a standard solar cover reel.
This one is not electric but more aesthetically pleasing than a standard solar cover reel.