Will a 61,000 BTU heat pump extend the swim season in Seattle for a 15,000 gallon AGP?

[TerranGuy]

Quick question,

The pool will be a 24' round above ground pool. It's a ThePoolFactory Aurora (all resin). It'll be buried half way down 2'3" and backfilled with soil. I'm also adding wall foam. The pool will also have a solar cover at all times it isn't in use. It gets sun about 95 percent of day. My budget is $2,000-$3,000 for the heat pump, but my real constraint is space. I'm installing the heat pump under a deck, and unfortunately that limits me to a horizontally venting heat pump. I'm very close to buying a Raypak Crosswind 65-I. (Raypak – - Crosswind 30-I, 40-I, 50-I, 65-I)

The Raypak calculator says that with an average water depth of 5' (there will be a 6' maximum deep end) - I should be okay to open pool in April or May, and close in October. But what do you say from experience? I'm hoping to run my pump for only 8-12 hours a day. My equipment is a Circupool SmartFlo Variable Speed Pool Pump, a CircuuPool CJ-2750 Cartridge Filter, and a CircuPool RJ-30 Plus Salt Chlorine Generator.

Also, do I just use a partially open diverter to allow the pump to run at a higher GPM than the heat pump allows for?

Thanks everyone!

 

[ajw22]

.I'm installing the heat pump under a deck, and unfortunately that limits me to a horizontally venting heat pump. I'm very close to buying a Raypak Crosswind 65-I. (Raypak – - Crosswind 30-I, 40-I, 50-I, 65-I)

Page 7 of the manual says...

This unit requires a minimum of 12" (305 mm) of clearance from walls, shrubbery, equipment, etc. around the entire perimeter of the heater. This allows for ample air intake. Ample clearance around the air outlet is required to prevent recirculation of air. We recommend not placing the unit underneath eaves, decks, or porches, as this causes recirculation of discharged air, thereby reducing the efficiency of the heater, or even stopping it.

The 61K BTU HP for your 16,000 gallon pool will give you at best 1/2 degree per hour of heat.

I think the HP will be marginal for your pool where you want to place it.

 

[TerranGuy]

Thank you so much for the response! The picture doesn't do a great justice to the size under the deck, but the heat pump will have 2'+ of clearance on all sides/top as well as 11' in the horizontal exhaust discharge direction. What size pump do you think would be best? They have a 2 HP unit.

If I'm planning to keep the pool at temperature for the entire season, should I be worried about the 1/2 degree per hour at best heat rate?

 

[ajw22]

Thank you so much for the response! The picture doesn't do a great justice to the size under the deck, but the heat pump will have 2'+ of clearance on all sides/top as well as 11' in the horizontal exhaust discharge direction.

The sentence I highlighted in red is not about clearance it is about airflow around the HP. Being under the deck and boxed in on three sides there is little airflow to prevent the HP from recirculating its discharged air.

It is not an optimum location and will likely effect the efficiency and performance of the HP.

What size pump do you think would be best? They have a 2 HP unit.

If I'm planning to keep the pool at temperature for the entire season, should I be worried about the 1/2 degree per hour at best heat rate?

The more BTU's the better.

 

[TerranGuy]

Thanks! So would this 2 HP pump work better? CircuPool SmartFlo® Variable Speed Swimming Pool Pump | 2.0 THP

 

[ajw22]

Thanks! So would this 2 HP pump work better? CircuPool SmartFlo® Variable Speed Swimming Pool Pump | 2.0 THP

I was talking about the Heat Pump and you are asking about the pool pump.

The VS pool pump sounds fine.

 

[TerranGuy]

Oh I am so sorry I was confused by the term HP, you meant heat pump. *face palm* My fault for trying to post while I'm at work.