How are heat pumps and pool heaters better than other methods of heating pools?
If you want an energy-efficient way to heat your swimming pool and enjoy swimming for as much of the year as possible then a pool heat pump pool heater is the best way to do it.
A heat pump uses a small amount of electricity to operate. Instead of heating with an electric heating element they collect heat from the outside air. Even when it is 50 degrees outside there is enough heat in the air to put in the pool even though it feels cold to us. In other words, you are just really moving existing heat around from the air to your water, this heat is removed from the air, concentrated with your compressor, and then transferred to the water.
Because of their high efficiency, heat pumps have a low cost of operation. Typically, for every 20 cents of electric input, you receive $1.00 worth of heat.
Apart from being less expensive to run than other forms of heating, heat pumps offer other benefits like: heat pumps don't pollute the pool area with fumes, they are designed for trouble free operation with display codes that can help the homeowner easily troubleshoot their unit before calling for service and are made out of materials that can not be hurt by pool or spa chemicals. heat pumps also produce low density heat which is safe for children and the elderly, unlike having a fire in your back yard or a 500 pound propane tank next to your home. They are unmatched for convenience and ease of use. Learn More about different heating methods
Heat pumps use electricity to capture heat and move it from one place to another. They don't generate heat.
As the pool pump circulates the swimming pool's water, the water drawn from the pool passes through a filter and the heat pump pool water heater. The heat pump heater has a fan that draws in the outside air and directs it over the evaporator coil. Liquid refrigerant within the evaporator coil absorbs the heat from the outside air and becomes a gas. The warm gas in the coil then passes through the compressor. The compressor increases the heat, creating a very hot gas that then passes through the condenser. The condenser transfers the heat from the hot gas to the cooler pool water circulating through the heater. The heated water then returns to the pool. The hot gas, as it flows through the condenser coil, returns to liquid form and back to the evaporator, where the whole process begins again.
Learn More about how pool heat pumps work
Electric pool heaters and electric pool heat pumps both run with electricity.
The difference is that a pool heat pump will not generate heat from a heating element (like an electric heater) but will harvest the heat from the air and transfer this heat to your pool water. A small amount of electricity is used to run the compressor and other components. This system is the most cost effective way of heating up your pool. It costs 4 or 5 times less than a gas heater or a simple electric element heater. (Looks like the element on an electric stove)Heat pump pool heaters cost more than gas pool heaters, but they typically have much lower annual operating costs because of their higher efficiencies. With proper maintenance, heat pump pool heaters typically last longer than gas pool heaters. Therefore, you'll save more money in the long run.
With proper installation and maintenance, heat pump pool heaters can last 10 or more years. Electric element heaters are also known as tank-less heaters. They cost up to 5 or 6 times more to run than a heat pump but are usually less expensive to buy initially and are convenient for spas because they don't take up much space and can be put indoors. They cost too much to run to heat a pool though. Some people use them or gas heaters for indoor pools in cold weather states in the winter and a heat pump in the warmer months to get the most savings.
Heat pumps operate differently by using electricity to capture heat and move it from one place to another and do not generate heat like a gas or propane heater.
Gas and Propane pool heaters will use more energy than pool heat pumps because they are required to create heat, rather than transfer it. However, if you live in a location with colder climates, a heat pump would need to use more energy since it needs to draw in heat from the outside air. Heat pumps may be ideal for those who use their pool in warmer weather and do not live in a location with cooler climate.
Learn More by comparing pool heat pumps vs pool heaters.
