Heater use

[Sendit6]

Hi All - trying to determine the best or most logical way to keep our water at 88, which is where the wife and kids like it.

400k btu Raypak natural gas.

1.
Keep set temp at 88, and when it drops 2 degrees below that the heater will cycle on to get back up to 88.
The sun should do most of the work though in keeping it at or above 88, so heater shouldn’t cycle on that much.

2.
Keeping set at 85, and let the sun bring it up to 88, and likely higher, and heater would hardly ever cycle on.

In other words, trying to figure out a system to keep the water where they like it around here, while cycling the heater as least as possible.

Pool is pretty much full sun all day.

Anyone do similar experiments or have a system in place?

 

[ajw22]

Heat on demand is the most efficient.

Your heater will heat your pool about 1 degree per hour.

Monitor the pool temperature versus swim times and turn on the heater before swim time to get the water to the desired temperature.

 

[Sendit6]

Point taken.

I think one of the “truths” of heater/heat pump use to keep water at a constant temperature is borne out by where the water wants to be, relative to the ambient temperature. Meaning, the hotter the air temperature of the day/night, the water will heat up/stay where it is/lose heat.

I’d rather not have to do much planning in the sense of turning off the heater or lowering the desired set temperature way down for the next week here in Pittsburgh as temps drop down into the low 60’s rather than keeping the solar cover on and letting the heater kick on every few hours or longer, however long it takes to dissipate 2 degrees below the set temperature, and thus being swim-ready.

And that’s because my kids whims to swim are illogical. It’ll be a 75 or 85 degree day and our yard is full sun all day, and they won’t want to swim. It last nite, when it was around 65 my son wanted to have some of his friends over to swim.

So the sun (and covering over night except when we don’t) will keep the water up around and over 88 which is where they want it around here, and when it drops 2 degrees below, either because it’s a colder day/night or whatever other reason, the heater will cycle on for at least an hour or two.

Instead of experimenting and theorems, I think it’s really just that simple. Maybe.