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Is It Too Cold To Use My Swimming Pool Heat Pump?
Is it Too Cold To Use My Swimming Pool Heat Pump?One of the main advantages of purchasing a heat pump for your pool is that it allows you to extend your swimming pool season, and to enjoy your pool even in the winter months. This is especially helpful if you live in an area where temperatures drop dramatically during the winter. But just how cold is too cold to run your heat pump before it can no longer heat your pool, or worse, gets damaged?In this article, we will answer that question, and provide you with some information to help you get the most out of your unit.Heat Pumps A “heat-only” swimming pool heat pumpdesigned to only heat the water and not cool itcan work effectively down to the mid to lower 40s. However, the ambient temperature greatly affects the ability of air-source heat pumps to produce heat. The colder the air, the less heat your heat pump will be able to produce. You can extend the lower temperature limit for your heat-only swimming pool heat pump by winterizing it when the temperatures drop.Reversible Units Some units, like the AquaCal ICEBREAKER, are “reversible” and provide heating or cooling. Reversible units can also operate when the outside temperature is down to the mid to lower 20s, although that does not necessary mean it can heat the pool to 80° on a 20° day. As a rule of thumb, the highest water temperature rise you can get from an air-source heat pump under ideal conditions is 30°. For example, if the outside temperature is in the 40s, you can expect the pool to warm up only to the 70s.Commercial Heat Pumps Not many heat pumps can handle the demand of heating commercial swimming pools. Yes, you can install a number of residential heat pumps to create enough BTUs to heat any size pool, and you can use heat-only or reversible heat pumps. There is, however, a reversible unit on the market that has the ability to create almost a half a million BTUs with just one heat pump: The Great Big Bopper (GBB). To read more about the GBB, please click here.The are also geothermal heat pumps that are produced for commercial applications. For more information on geothermal heat pumps pool heaters, click here.Conclusion These options will help you enjoy your swimming pool even in the colder months. Of course, knowing the limitations of your unit, as indicated by the manufacturer, is the most important step in helping it run efficiently and without being damaged.Regardless of the when Old Man Winter decides to visit, you can extend your swim season beyond…well…swim season!I
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