Heat pumps and House AC

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T

trivetman

Bronze Supporter
Jul 14, 2017
821
Jenkintown, PA
Pool Size
24000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Owning a pool is still new to me and I’ve been reading a lot about heaters lately remembering how chilly the water could be past year. I also dropped an absurd amount of money installing AC systems when I bought my house last year.

As I realize that a pool heat pump is basically just an AC run in reverse, and just about everybody heating their pool is also cooling the house, why haven’t I seen the technology out there that takes the house heat and transfers it to the pool water rather than open air and vice versa transfer the pool cold to the house. It would be way more efficient in terms of energy usage although somewhat challenging in terms of plumbing!

Is this idea in the market and I haven’t seen it? Any opinions? Anybody want to patent the idea and go after some venture capital?? I only want a small cut as the idea man :D
 
That’s actually great thinking. We dropped a bomb on ducted air when we bought our house. Mind you... when we cool our house, we wouldn’t need the pool heated as it would be warm enough. We don’t use the heating option much during winter as it’s rarely that cold where we are in Australia.
 
Your trying to heat water, not air. Water is dense so it takes much more energy to heat. It's like comparing gas mileage in a car versus a boat. It takes alot more energy to get a boat moving on water than it does to get a car moving on pavement, water resistance is much higher than air resistance.
 
igneous said:
Your trying to heat water, not air. Water is dense so it takes much more energy to heat. It's like comparing gas mileage in a car versus a boat. It takes alot more energy to get a boat moving on water than it does to get a car moving on pavement, water resistance is much higher than air resistance.
Click to expand...
Huh? Water is fantastic at absorbing heat specifically because of how much energy it takes to do it. I really have no idea what you are getting at with your comparison, I don't see anybody trying to claim that liquid water is less dense than air.

These systems exist. There is no denying that using water to cool an AC condenser instead of air works and is used all over. My aunt's AC is run through their pond rather than an air cooled condenser. The issue with these systems is their viability is limited to a specific climate where AC is required at the same time as pool heating. In the southern US pools really don't need heated during the summer, to the point where sometimes water needs cooled. Some heat pumps sold in those areas specifically can run in reverse and cool the water. In more northern climates the water needs heated well before and after the AC season, relegating this to a secondary heating option at best. This is a niche product to a specific climate and as I said I question the ROI. Not to say it isn't something worth investigating for the coolness factor, there is a value to that, but being able to have your AC run when you want and your pool heat pump running when you want and not tying them together has a value as well.
 
He's proposing to make use of the cold exhaust air coming out of a heat pump to cool his house. Heat pumps basically air condition the outside air. Super handy after long day in the sun doing yard work walk over to the running heat pump and lean over the air coming out of it. You will be cooled down and shivering in seconds and a shirt soaked in sweat will dry out really quick.

There are a lot of technical challenges to making use of this cold air for use in your home. Making this an expensive idea while still leaving you with the need for traditional A/C systems for your house when the pool heater is off.

All A/C systems are heat pumps but not all heat pumps are A/C systems.
 
You will need a air to water heat exchanger on top of your condenser, and your going to take a hit on efficiency. A water to gas heat exchanger next to your condenser does work, morve valveing and automation is needed, but has the effects of those listed above
 
Weve got a 5 ton geothermal heat pump for th house. I spent a lot of time a coup,le of years ago working with our geothermal people on tying in the heat pump desuperheater with the pool. We decided it was not worth the effort. Mostly because the AC is not running when the pool heat is needed most. Like right now. We are heating the house a bit and the pool a lot right now. So, there is no benefit to capturing excess heat from the house system running AC right now.

We have solar panels, solar cover and a small heat pump. It works great. I am in my pool right now. Water is 86. We swim from mid-march to the end of October.
 

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