Pool heater advice needed.

[Morpheus797]

So we need to install a heater in our in door, in ground pool. Our home is totally electric with a heat pump for hvac of the house. Pool is 15000 gals with 1.5 hp pump. So.eone suggested using a heat exchanger off the heat pump to help reclaim the wasted heat and install a variable speed pump to help reduce electricity cost. I like the idea of going more green, but one concern is will it heat the pool in the cooler months the we are not cooling the house?
The other recommendation was a 18 kwh, 220 heater for this size of pool.
Any thoughts on either of these or differant ideas?
Thank you in advance.
Morpheus797

 

[Bperry]

So we need to install a heater in our in door, in ground pool. Our home is totally electric with a heat pump for hvac of the house. Pool is 15000 gals with 1.5 hp pump. So.eone suggested using a heat exchanger off the heat pump to help reclaim the wasted heat and install a variable speed pump to help reduce electricity cost. I like the idea of going more green, but one concern is will it heat the pool in the cooler months the we are not cooling the house?
The other recommendation was a 18 kwh, 220 heater for this size of pool.
Any thoughts on either of these or differant ideas?
Thank you in advance.
Morpheus797

Can’t help you with the heat exchanger but the variable speed pump will definitely help reduce running costs assuming you run it at lower speed.

 

[ajw22]

So.eone suggested using a heat exchanger off the heat pump to help reclaim the wasted heat and install a variable speed pump to help reduce electricity cost.

A heat pump has no wasted heat. It has wasted cooling.

An air conditioning system has no wasted cooling. It has wasted heat.

The Hotspot FPH system uses waste heat from an AC system to heat a pool...

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www.troublefreepool.com

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The other recommendation was a 18 kwh, 220 heater for this size of pool.

That will heat your 15,000 gallon pool less then 1/2 degree an hour.

Get a 120K - 140K BTU swimming pool heat pump.

 

[swamprat69]

It seems as if a swimming pool heat pump might have a hard time heating the pool during the cooler months. Amarillo is at an elevation of approximately 3600 ft. in norhtern TX and the mean temperature is below 50 degrees F from November through March and also below 80 degrees F for the rest of the year. Last February (2021) Amarillo recorded an overnight temperature of -11 degrees F ! These temperatures would greatly reduce the output of the heat pump during the cooler months. The one good thing you have is that it is an indoor pool and not directly in contact with these outdoor temperatures or wind. Is there any type of humidity control for the pool room? Would have hated to see the pool heating bill for an electric resistance pool heater last year when the electricity supply system went down the tubes.

 

[Morpheus797]

It seems as if a swimming pool heat pump might have a hard time heating the pool during the cooler months. Amarillo is at an elevation of approximately 3600 ft. in norhtern TX and the mean temperature is below 50 degrees F from November through March and also below 80 degrees F for the rest of the year. Last February (2021) Amarillo recorded an overnight temperature of -11 degrees F ! These temperatures would greatly reduce the output of the heat pump during the cooler months. The one good thing you have is that it is an indoor pool and not directly in contact with these outdoor temperatures or wind. Is there any type of humidity control for the pool room? Would have hated to see the pool heating bill for an electric resistance pool heater last year when the electricity supply system went down the tubes.

Swamprat69, Thank you for you insite. Currently with no heating, the pool is at 76 degs. No humidity control other than a window in the upper pitch of the roof. The pool seems to hold temp pretty good. The atrium has a reflective ceiling which also heats the atrium via sunlight. Last year when we got down to -9 for 3 days, the lowest the atrium got was 59 degs and warmed up the about 70 degs. Currently if the sun is out the atrium will get to between 75 and 85 degs which helps with the pool temp. My thinking is, once I get it to the temp we want, maintaining it shouldn't be to expensive. I hope.

 

[PoolGate]

BTUs are BTUs. Get a proper pool heater. Can you go gas?

 

[swamprat69]

The one problem with a heat pump heater is that it extracts heat from the outside air. The lower the outside air temperature, the lower the heat output from the heat pump. It will only put out its rated BTUs at 80 degrees outside air temperature and the output will drop off as outside air temperature drops.

 

[Morpheus797]

BTUs are BTUs. Get a proper pool heater. Can you go gas?

All electric home.