Stretch Out Summer

STRETCH OUT SUMMER

Extend the swimming season with A HEAT PUMP

Reduced running costs, excellent efficiency gains, minimal maintenance, and long life span – what’s not to love about a heat pump?! Not only do they provide a great return on investment in a much shorter period of time but heat pumps also extend your swimming season without breaking the bank.

The popularity of heat pumps has risen significantly over recent years. While this has a lot to do with their high energy-efficiency ratings, it’s also due to the numerous practical, convenient, and environmentally friendly benefits that ownership and installation can bring.

Heat pumps work like a reverse cycle air conditioner by extracting ambient heat from the atmosphere, which is then transferred to the pool water. A highly efficient, low cost option, heat pumps come in a number of different sizes ranging from 2kW to 200kW output. And compared with gas heaters, heat pumps can save you up to 80 per cent over LPG and 50 per cent over natural gas.

Depending on the time of year, three to seven times the heat energy can be absorbed from air, compared to the actual power consumed. It means the new generation heat pump pool heater is very efficient and the heating costs are much lower than with gas pool heaters. And the great thing about heat pump systems is that they are not weather dependent and can be operated throughout the year.

Heat pumps are cheaper to run compared to gas heaters and they don’t require gas connection or supply. If a single-phase heat pump is being installed, they are cheaper and quicker to install. Heat pumps are also being purchased as an alternative to solar pool heating as they can still heat a pool on a cloudy day by relying on ambient heat instead of sunlight. Therefore they can guarantee a heated pool better than solar heating.

As heat pump technology has improved, the operating costs have dropped dramatically. This has also
led to higher levels of efficiency. The energy efficiency of heat pumps is measured by the coefficient of performance (COP) and ranges from 3.0 to 7.0, with seven being the maximum. This measurement refers to the relation of electrical energy input and the amount of heat output.

To give a simple comparison, a common electric immersion heater (such as in a kettle) is around 90% efficient, so would have a COP close to one, whilst heat pumps can be rated with a COP of five, which means an efficiency of 500%. This is because heat pumps don’t actually create heat (like an immersion heater does), they simply move it from one place to another.

Electroheat

Electroheat heat pumps are designed with energy efficiency and sustainability top of mind. They’re also incredibly easy to use and maintenance.

Key features include:

• Smart, temperature management and self-diagnosis system
• LED control panels featuring a continuous digital pool temperature display
• Weather proof cabinet: The heat pump’s cabinet is constructed of heavy-duty UV-resistant ABS body panels that are highly resistant to rust, corrosion and deterioration
• Auto defrost control that reduces frost on the evaporator
• Auto pressure switch that shuts down the system in the event of no water flow
• High/low pressure refrigerant and auto reset that shuts down the system in the event of high/low refrigerant pressure
• Compressor protection via a time delay that allows the refrigerant to equalise before the compressor starts/restarts

In addition, the Electroheat MKIV incorporates dual coil titanium heat exchanger technology, which provides greater surface area for increased heat transfer performance. So whether you own a two-person spa, a swim spa, plunge pool or a family pool, this heat pump is an ideal heating solution.

To check what solution would suit your pool and your requirements, just contact your local Swimart store or click here for a range of solutions.

Swimart’s Pool Heating Tips

• Use a pool cover, high hedge or retaining wall to prevent strong winds from causing warm water to evaporate from the pool surface
• Install a pool cover or blanket to reduce water evaporation by 95% and save heating costs by up to 80%
• Reconsider including a water feature into your pool design, as fountains, wet edges and sheer descents waterfalls are known to reduce the temperature of pool water
• Trim trees that overhang the pool to allow more natural sunlight to heat the pool. This will also prevent leaves from clogging your filter and potentially damaging the pool’s interior