Which is more energy/cost efficient to heat pool in the long run: a heat recovery system or a heat pump? Thanks very much.
Heat pump v heat recovery
- Thread starter Henry M
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Is a 15' X 30' pool. It is a heat exchanger I noticed on hotspotenergy.com. It is attached to AC compressor. The more I think about it, the more it seems not feasible as it only works when the AC is operating. In south Florida, we use AC in summer, when the water in the pool really doesn't need to be heated. We turn AC off during south Florida's version of winter, which is when makes sense to heat the pool water.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That is the FPH system. There are a bunch of threads discussing it. Some have had good experiences although it is a complex installation. See...
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
Hotspot FPH AC heat reclamation pool heater - a review!
This is my fourth season with the FPH and I have not had to have any technician touch my AC in all that time. Still works great. (but now I jinxed it for sure)
www.troublefreepool.com
Search results for query: fph
www.troublefreepool.com
Again, thanks for your help. I read the later posts, and most of the equipment, procedures, & specifications relative to each used terms with which I am completely unfamiliar . . . almost a foreign language. Given that, I think I will back off this for now. Many thanks.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If you want to heat your pool I would suggest you keep your Aquacal HP versus thinking that the FPH system would be better. You already have a big sunk cost in the Aquacal installation.
Good point! My wife just made the same one. Any suggestions regarding how to make it operate efficiently ? We use the pool more frequently after sunset, than during daylight hours. Our pool has a screen enclosure, but it gets direct sun for about 8 hours. The HP is not on a separate timer. I regulate its on/off cycle by controlling the flow , and do that by the settings on our variable speed motor. So I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks, again.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
First of all do you have tiered time of day electrical rates?
What is the temperature of your pool water without heating it?
What temperature would you like the pool to be when you go swimming?
Observe the temperature of the pool watre around sunset and then in the morning, how many degrees do you lose overnight?
What is the temperature of your pool water without heating it?
What temperature would you like the pool to be when you go swimming?
Observe the temperature of the pool watre around sunset and then in the morning, how many degrees do you lose overnight?
No tiered electrical rates. Without heating, the pool water reaches 83. Preferred temperature is 88. At sunset, pool water temperature is about 82. In the morning, pool water temperature is 79, so we lose 3 or 4 degrees during the night.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Your 110K heat pump will raise your 16,000 gallon pool by about 0.8 degrees an hour. So in a perfect world to recover the 4 degree heat rise you lose overnight to swim at 88 you need to run your HP about 5 hours before you want the water at 88.
Running your HP 24 hours a day an maintaining the pool at 88 is wasteful. You are blowing BTUs and energy into the cool night. Putting your HP on a timer or automation to start it in the morning and add a few degrees to the pool before you want to swim will probably cost you half or running it 24 hours a day to maintain 88.
What is the fully loaded cents per kwh you pay?
How much do you think running the Aquacal has been costing you?
Running your HP 24 hours a day an maintaining the pool at 88 is wasteful. You are blowing BTUs and energy into the cool night. Putting your HP on a timer or automation to start it in the morning and add a few degrees to the pool before you want to swim will probably cost you half or running it 24 hours a day to maintain 88.
What is the fully loaded cents per kwh you pay?
How much do you think running the Aquacal has been costing you?
Florida Power & Light charges residential customers 11.42/kWh. FPL claims off peak hours are from 9pm until 12 noon the next day. I can't find what the difference in rate is. In the past, running the Aquacal has raised our FPL bill about $25.00 more a month. We've not used it the past 9 months, or so. Turned it on today, so will know in about a month. It is set to run 8 hours beginning at 8am, when the sun first hits the pool. Water temp was 80 when I turned it on this morning, and reached 88 degrees by about 4pm. Am considering getting a floating blanet or cover to use overnight. Can the pool pump be running when the floating blanket is on ?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,486
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Pump can be on or off with a pool blanket on the water.
So it costs you less then $1 a day to swim in the pool temperature you enjoy. Seems like a worthwhile extravagance.
So it costs you less then $1 a day to swim in the pool temperature you enjoy. Seems like a worthwhile extravagance.
When put that way: I'm in total agreement. Can't thank you enough for taking the time to help me through this. Much appreciated. Stay well.
Super jealous, my pool is 62 right now and I'd like it to be 83 for my girls to enjoy swimming... We heat with natural gas. Sigh. Canada is COLD for so long in the year, our season is starting soon I hope. I'm trying to figure out how long I should be heating my pool... I keep a solar blanket on it too, and run the pump with it on. The only time I would pull it off (besides to swim) or even just a bit back - is when balancing.
