Your pool heat pump is essential if you want to enjoy your swimming pool even during the cooler months. Heat pumps work by transferring heat from the outside ambient air into the water.
A heat pump is a great way to heat a swimming pool. If you use it together with other pool heating solutions, you can come up with the perfect pool heating system that best works for you.
Since a pool heat pump uses less energy compared with other traditional heating methods, it is also an energy-efficient way to heat a swimming pool.If you want to make the most of your pool heat pump, here are five ways to make your heat pump more efficient.
1. Use a solar pool cover
Improving your swimming pool’s ability to retain heat is a key element in making your heat pump more efficient. One way to do this is by using a solar pool cover/blanket when the swimming pool is not in use. It’s easy to keep your swimming pool when your pool heater is running, but once it is turned off, your pool water’s temperature can quickly drop depending on the weather condition. This is when a solar pool cover can help improve your pool heating system.
A solar pool cover can help reduce heat loss by acting as a barrier between the pool water and the air. It captures solar energy and uses the heat from sunlight to raise your pool’s water temperature. Since you will be mainly utilising solar energy, this will help you in reducing your heating costs, making it a more efficient and economical way to keep your swimming pool warm.
2. Use a solar pool heater together with your heat pump
A pool heating system works best when utilising different heating solutions. While a solar pool heater and heat pump can be used separately to heat your pool, they are more efficient when used together.
Since a solar pool heater mainly utilises solar energy, you can use it during the day when sunlight is widely available making it perfect for the summer season. On the other hand, a heat pump is perfect during cloudy and colder days. Another bonus is that heat pumps are cheaper to operate than pool heaters. Since you can alternate using a pool heater and heat pump to heat your swimming pool, you will be able to save on your energy bill.
3. Ensure regular pool maintenance
Keeping your filters and baskets clean is essential in improving your heat pump’s efficiency. You should clean your filter every other week to ensure that your pool water is properly circulated.
The skimmer basket and pump basket should also be cleaned on a weekly basis.
When your pool equipment is well maintained and free from debris, water is able to smoothly move through the pool system which will help in the pool heating process. The smoother the water moves through the pool system, the better your heat distribution will be.
4. Adjust your water temperature
You should adjust your pool’s temperature depending on how it is being used. If your swimming pool is being used for active swimming, set the temperature from 26° to 28°C. When your swimming pool is not in use, lower the temperature to 0.6°C. If your swimming pool is on standby, you can bring down the temperature to 25°C. Adjusting your swimming pool’s temperature accordingly will allow you to save 10% to 30% in your monthly heating costs.
5. Operate your pool pump at a low speed when you turn off your heater
When you turn off your pool heater, your swimming pool is bound to have some heat loss. Since your pool water is no longer circulating, it will begin to cool down. To keep your swimming pool at a consistent temperature, you should allow your heat pump to run when you turn off your heater.
Even if you operate your pool pump at a low speed, you will still be able to keep your pool water circulating which will prevent it from cooling down quickly. Since you can manage your pool temperature more effectively, you will make your heat pump more efficient in terms of energy consumption and costs.
A good tip to follow is to run your pool heat pump during non-peak hours at night when it’s cheaper to operate. With this step, you will not have to reheat your swimming pool in the morning since it was kept at a warm temperature overnight.
Conclusion
There are many ways for you to come up with a pool heating system that best suits your needs. One element that you should focus on is improving your pool’s ability to generate and retain heat which you can accomplish with the help of a heat pump. Check out the tips we mentioned above and see these can help you improve your heat pump’s efficiency so that you can enjoy your swimming pool any time you want.