It’s a fact - most swimming pools are never at optimal swimming temperatures, and while much of the time the cold shock of the water can be an exciting part of the fun, it’s also great to have the option to warm things up a little. This is where swimming pool heat pumps come in - they’re an opportunity to invest in your home while adding to the fun of family memories, as the kids will never want to leave the healthy fun of the water behind.

First off, though, let’s be clear that the proposition of heating an entire pool needn’t be as drastically power-consuming as it sounds. Heat pumps for swimming pools aren’t equipped with heating elements to make their own heat. Instead, as the swimming pool’s water gets dragged through the pump, the heat pump’s fan draws in surrounding air into a chamber with an evaporator coil, which is hollowed out to contain some kind of liquid refrigerant. When this refrigerant substance absorbs the warm air it becomes a much warmer gas, which is then channeled to pass through a compressor chamber. When the gas get compressed, the particles in it get closer together (remember high school physics?) and so the gas gets even hotter.

Passing then through a condenser, which transfers the gas’s heat to the cooler water coming from the other end of the heater device, the gas returns to liquid, and goes back to the evaporator to repeat the cycle. The water returns to the pool, dispersing through it and adding to the pool’s overall warmth.

What this means is that swimming pool heat pumps work better than other kinds of inground heaters for pools, like the kinds that require solar panels. This is because, while they might initially cost a bit more than other heating solutions, their cost is less when seen in the long term because they are less effected by things like weather changes and the absence of sunlight. They’re also likely to last a lot longer than such solutions, as they’ve been refined in their design over many years, while most other in ground pool heaters are in their technological infancy.

The biggest concern when installing swimming pool heat pumps is whether the job’s being done by a qualified professional - obviously any device involving gas and heat coils is not one you want poorly installed, especially if you have kids running around. Also, proper installation can optimize the functionality of the pump.

After this concern, you need to consider whether, regardless of the initial price of installation, you can afford to have a swimming pool heat pump running and eating up electricity. As efficiently as it may operate, if your kids are left unchecked running the heater they could well rack up phenomenal bills unless you establish some way to regiment the amount of power the device uses. Consider buying a pool pump timer to cut off power use at a particular number of kilowatt hours.

For more information on Inground Pool Heaters check out the following link at BestSwimmingPoolShop.com.

- Ryan McCall

Without question, there are few pools you’re likely to find to be at a good swimming temperature year-round. While a chilly dip can be fun once in a while, it’s still preferable to be able to warm up your pool at will. Kids love a warm pool - most of them will never want to leave. You’ll find that, with the addition of a swimming pool heat pump to your pool, you will not only be increasing the value of your home, but making space for a lot of family fun and memories.

First off, though, let’s be clear that the proposition of heating an entire pool needn’t be as drastically power-consuming as it sounds. Heat pumps for swimming pools aren’t equipped with heating elements to make their own heat. Instead, as the swimming pool’s water gets dragged through the pump, the heat pump’s fan draws in surrounding air into a chamber with an evaporator coil, which is hollowed out to contain some kind of liquid refrigerant. When this refrigerant substance absorbs the warm air it becomes a much warmer gas, which is then channeled to pass through a compressor chamber. When the gas get compressed, the particles in it get closer together (remember high school physics?) and so the gas gets even hotter.

It then passes through a condenser, where the gas’s heat is transmitted from it’s pipe housing into the water. Being cooled by the surrounding water, the gas returns to liquid form, and runs back to the evaporator coil so that the process can repeat itself. The heated water goes back into the pool, disperses through it and so, logically, increases the net temperature of the pool.

All science aside, essentially what swimming pool heat pumps represent is a more energy efficient solution to the problem of keeping your pool warm year-round. They work better than other in ground pool heaters, such as those involving solar paneling, because they’re less seriously affected by changes in weather and the absence of direct sunlight. While they cost initially more than gas pump heating solutions, their long term cost is less due to their higher efficiency levels, in addition to which they have a significantly longer life span.

The biggest concern when installing swimming pool heat pumps is whether the job’s being done by a qualified professional - obviously any device involving gas and heat coils is not one you want poorly installed, especially if you have kids running around. Also, proper installation can optimize the functionality of the pump.

Even then, the prospect of a swimming pool heat pump running for hours a day is one that most people would find a little financially intimidating. You need to establish, prior to any installation, whether you’re earning enough to pay the deficit your kids might create running the pump unchecked - the bills could start stacking up pretty quickly. One thing you may want to do is take a look at pump timers, that will switch the pump off if it runs for too long.

To read more about efficient Heat Pumps for Swimming Pools check out BestSwimmingPoolShop.com.

- Ryan McCall