New Pool, New to TFP and a $1000 power bill!

[Newdude]

Don’t forget that similar to running the ACs, the heat pump will generally push you into the higher tier for pricing that many of us have. At that point, *all* of your electric costs more from that point on, not just the heat pump, although in the tail end of the pool season, most of it is the heat pump.

I had $600 for September and $800 for Oct. On a 2 month billing cycle I had no clue until the bill came. I ordered a solar cover immediately and it cut the bill in half for season 2 down to $400 and $300 as it warmed up.

 

[NCMike]

I am in NC and have a separate power meter for my pool house and pool equipment. I have a lot of equipment including a heat pump that operates by thermostat from my aqualink system. I have kept the water at 90 degrees since May and my power bill for everything pool related is usually in the $300 dollar range. This includes 2 refrigerators and an ice maker in the outdoor kitchen. I do have a darker bottom pool which I think helps heat it up some. I did also run the chiller for a few weeks at the end of july and first of august. You definitely have something wrong with your setup. Looking back at my power bills over the last 12 months, it increased by about $200 in May which is when the pool was heated as needed to stay at 90 degrees. I would think you being south of me, you wouldn't need to run your heat pump as much, especially to keep it at 85.

 

[Homebrewale]

I don't have a chiller. I just have a heat pump. My total electric bill has not exceeded $400 and that includes all my electrical usage including two AC systems.

 

[sktn77a]

I realize this may not be much help but we keep our pool at 80 during the summer and it averages between $100 and $200 a month (depending on weather). Natural gas Heater.

 

[JamesW]

What are the settings for the heating and cooling setpoints?

I have two heat pumps and I sometimes set one to heat and one to cool and let them battle it out just for fun, but that gets really expensive.

Everyone sits around and places bets on on or the other.

Sometimes I put the two heat pumps on cool and the gas heater on heat, but it's not really a fair fight.

 

[revitup]

Forgot, Pump runs 12 on 12 off Medium Setting
I've set Heat Pump for Heat, Cool, and Auto .... Results the same!!

It runs the entire 12 hours? No matter the outside temp? It never reaches set point?

 

[jmastron]

I may have missed it -- how exactly was it isolated to the heat pump using all of the excess power, vs the pool pump(s) or other equipment?

Does a setting of "85" really mean that it's churning in heat mode anytime the water temp goes below 85, and then churning in cool mode anytime it's above 85? That sounds extremely wasteful and unnecessary. Around here in the peak of summer when we have hot days but cool dry nights, my pool naturally varies about ~4 degrees over the course of the day with the cover off, ~2 with it on. I can't imagine trying to alternate heating and cooling to keep it exactly pinpointed vs bracketing that range -- but I don't have either a heater or cooler, so I guess it's a moot point!

I'd isolate further by checking the electric meter and trying a day in each of these:
- With the heat pump completely off (no heat, no cool), just the pool pump running
- With the pool pump off
- Set to heat only
- Set to cool only

That would tell us what specifically is using all that energy. When we moved in here, the first few electric bills were $500+. I quickly realized that the main pool pump (3/4 HP) didn't need to run for 12+ hours a day, the Polaris pressure cleaner booster (also 3/4 HP) didn't need to run for 4+ hours a day, and the 1950s-70s house AC system was extremely inefficient. A new AC system and a variable speed pool pump later and those bills got MUCH lower.

 

[RickM21]

In my pool (set to 88 with a heat pump), my pump runs 16 hours and the heat pump is “on” when the pump is on. But it only takes 4 hours to reach the set point and if the sun is shining it never runs again until the sun goes down. And the pool temp will drift up (which is fine with me).
If you have a chiller, you heat op would be fighting the sun and running all day. That is wasted money. No need for the chiller. Let the temp rise and it will lesson the amount of time the heat pump has to run when the sun goes down.
And do not run it all night.

 

[panic_button]

I'm wondering why you didn't notice that the HP was running continuously, I could see 1 or 2 days, but 2 months... In 2 months were you ever in the pool? If so, you would have felt the temperature difference coming from the returns and started asking why.

 

[willygee]

One of these would diagnose your problem.

 

[TexEdmond]

a variable speed pool pump

OP said they have a 2.7HP Haywood pump running 12 on, 12 off at "medium" speed. I wonder if they already have a TriStar VSP and just need to turn the RPMs down? Not accounting for the entire bill, but it'll sure make a difference.

 

[Newdude]

Not accounting for the entire bill, but it'll sure make a difference

Oh yeah !!! The wattage used went up considerably with each 100 RPMs. 110 w… 170w…..240w…..380……520w…..800w.

 

[koffey]

Forgot, Pump runs 12 on 12 off Medium Setting
I've set Heat Pump for Heat, Cool, and Auto .... Results the same!!

So your pump(s) is/are running 24hrs.

 

[TexEdmond]

So your pump(s) is/are running 24hrs.

I read that as the pump running 12 hours on "medium" rpm, 12 hours turned off. Time alone will tell.

 

[setsailsoon]

So, depending on your settings if the unit is running and heating or cooling 24 hrs per day you would incur ~$620/Mo in electric for the pool alone. So the problem may be the settings on your unit.