Heat Pumps And Systems

Heating your pool doesn’t have to be a chore, thanks to integrated heat pump technology. This involves combining heat pump technology with gas boosters so that you can do domestic hot water heating. Let’s dive into more vital details about heat pump technology and gas boosters.

Why Choose Heat Pump?

Heat pumps are gaining popularity because of their low environment impact and relatively high-energy efficiency. Heat pump water heaters can work in places that aren’t good for solar water heaters. These places get less sun like the south side of hills.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

Heat pumps use the ambient air surrounding the unit to heat your pool. The air passes over an evaporator coil using heated refrigerant to heat water returning back into your pool. This process does not require natural gas and lowers the running costs drastically.

Why Choose Gas Pool Heaters?

For decades, swimming pools have utilized Gas-fired pool heaters to create an ambient swimming temperature in the water. And even today, gas remains one of the most popular systems for heating swimming pools.

With the huge shift in people’s awareness of environmental impact and the importance of operating energy efficient equipment, the newest gas-fired heater models have much higher efficiencies than older models.

How Do Gas Pool Heaters Work?

Gas Pool Heaters work like a larger version of a domestic water heater. Your pool water can be heated to your required temperature 365 days of the year. Gas heaters are fast, so you can heat your pool during weekends, holidays, and special occasions. Plus, you can leave it turned off when you don’t need it.

Gas pool heaters use either natural gas or LPG. As the pump circulates the pool’s water, the water drawn from the pool passes through a filter and then to the heater. The gas burns in the heater’s combustion chamber, generating heat that transfers to the water that’s returned to the pool.

If you do not use your pool all that often but still want the convenience of a heated pool then gas heating is your answer. They’re most efficient when heating pools for short periods of time, and they’re ideal for quickly heating pools. Gas pool heaters can maintain any desired temperature regardless of the weather or climate.

Why Combine Heat Pumps and Gas?

Installing a dual fuel heat pump enables you to benefit from the energy savings of using a heat pump while efficiently heating your home during bitter-cold temperatures.

What Is a Dual Fuel Heat Pump?

A dual fuel heat pump is a standard electric heat pump with a gas-powered furnace as its backup heater. You can use only the heat pump during mild winter days. When the temperature outside is too low for your heat pump to work, the system automatically activates and switches up the backup furnace. The switch is done automatically so you won’t even notice any difference whether your home is using the heat pump or the furnace.

Things to remember when installing a dual fuel heat pump:

1. Regular System Tune-Up

You must remember to have a regular system tune-up at the beginning of every heating season. Although you may have already had a tune-up on your heat pump during the spring season, you should schedule one during the fall and other seasons. This allows you to deal with issues that might develop during the cooling season. You also need to have your backup furnace inspected and tuned up right before you use it.

2. Thermostat for Dual Fuel Heat Pumps Come With an Emergency Heat Setting

The second thing you should know about dual fuel heat pumps is that their thermostats usually come with an “emergency heat” setting. Only your backup furnace will be used to heat your home when this setting is turned on. You should use this setting only when your heat pump is frozen or acting up and you want to turn it off. You can use your gas furnace while waiting for the technician to arrive. Never use this setting just because it’s freezing cold outside, otherwise, your heat pump will switch to your backup furnace automatically.

Integrated Heat Pump for Your Pool

There are many benefits to using heat pumps and the same is true with gas heaters. Combine the two and you’ve got the amazing system of dual fuel heat pumps. Now you can enjoy pool heating using integrated heat pumps.

Gone are the days when you had to settle for one or the other. Why worry when you can have both. Using heat pumps and gas heaters combined will increase the efficiency of your pool heating solution and provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.

But don’t just take my word for it. Get your free heat pump and gas heating quote today.

The accepted standard for swimming pool water temperature is between 27^oC to 28^oC (max). Temperatures exceeding 30^OC affects the chemical balance of the pool water, causing scale to form and making the water corrosive. This can damage the pool filtration equipment and other components. Hot pools also tend to harbour bacteria, which can cause health issues with swimmers.

The importance of keeping your pool at a constant temperature cannot be stressed enough. There are a number of ways to keep your pool constantly heated to the ideal temperature.

Heat pumps

Heat pumps transfer heat from the surrounding atmosphere to the water in your pool. More specifically, they use electricity to capture the heat from the sun-warmed air, then upgrade the heat with a compressor and transfer it into the water.

Since it doesn’t use any fuel to operate, heat pumps are a great option if you are concerned about the environmental impact of heating your pool.

Heat pumps are generally very efficient, although their performance depends on various factors. For instance, in cooler weather or locations, the equipment will require more energy to heat your pool than in warmer environments.

Nevertheless, many people are choosing heat pumps to heat their pool because of its low operating costs. They add around $50-$150 to your energy bills.

Gas-fired heaters

Pools are traditionally heated using gas-fired heaters, and this practice remains popular even today. Although fuel costs and carbon emissions impact were once an issue with using gas heaters, these are reduced significantly by newer, more efficient models.

Gas pool heaters work pretty much like domestic water heaters, only on a larger scale. They can maintain your desired temperature regardless of the weather or climate in your region. And since gas heaters work fast, you can leave it turned off when your pool’s not in use and turn it on if you’re in the mood for swimming.  This can help you save on energy costs.

Solar heaters

Arguably the most cost-effective method of heating pools, solar pool heaters allow you to extend your swim season even into the winter months. It costs virtually nothing to run since it uses the free energy from the sun, and the equipment itself requires very little maintenance.

Although the initial cost may be off-putting, a solar heater is actually a smart financial investment. It pays back around 2-7years and continues to save you money for another 10 to 20 years.

The only real disadvantage of solar heating is it’s weather dependent.

Which pool heating solution is right for me?

The answer depends on how often you are going to use your pool as well as your location, among other factors.

If you live in the south side and don’t get much sunlight throughout the year, a heating pump will make more sense than a solar heater. If you’re not going to use your pool for long stretches of time, then a gas-fired heater is best. If you want to save money in the long run, go solar.

Ultimately, your pool heating system should be sized and installed properly to get the most benefit out of it whilst making sure your pool is warmed up to the right temperature.

Pool Heating NZ offers affordable solutions customised to your particular situation and requirements. Call us for an assessment or expert advise today!

If you have been reading and researching about ways to heat your pool you most likely will have come across the term “heat exchanger”. A swimming pool heat exchanger uses hot water from a boiler or solar heated water circuit to heat the pool water. Heat is transferred by conduction through the exchanger materials which separate the mediums being used.

Heat exchangers allow heat from a fluid (a liquid or a gas) to pass to a second fluid (another liquid or gas) without the two fluids having to mix together or come into direct contact. The essential principle of a heat exchanger is that it transfers the heat without transferring the fluid that carries the heat.

All heat exchangers do the same job—passing heat from one fluid to another—but they work in many different ways. The two most common kinds of heat exchanger are the shell-and-tube and plate/fin.

Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers consist of a large number of small tubes which are located within a cylindrical shell. The tubes are positioned into the cylinder using a tube bundle or “tube stack” which can either have fixed tube plates (permanently fixed to the body) or, a floating tube stack which allows the tube bundle to expand and contract with varying heat conditions as well as allowing the tube bundle to be easily removed for servicing and maintenance.

Plate Heat Exchangers operate in very much the same way as a shell and tube heat exchanger, using a series of stacked plates rather than tubes. Plate heat exchangers are usually brazed or gasket depending on the application and fluids being used. Their compact stainless steel construction makes them an ideal choice for use with refrigerants or in food and beverage processing.

Heat exchangers can be used in many pool and water applications: Salt water and chlorinated swimming pools, Jacuzzi’s, Whirlpools, Spas and Hot Tubs, Solar heated pools, Domestic Hot Water Supply, Sea Water applications, Hot Climate applications and Waste Water Heat Recovery. This means that no matter why you’re looking at heat exchanger options there will be a heat exchanger suitable for your pool.

When looking at pool heat exchangers be sure to look for brands that offer you the following:

Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion is a problem in both chlorinated and salt water pools. If your heat exchanger has been constructed with corrosion resistant materials, you will find that they last pretty much forever!

Self Cleaning

No one likes extra maintenance. Check the heat exchanger allows for a high flow rate through it. If the flow rate is high, then you will find your heat exchanger requires very little maintenance and will be inherently, self cleaning.

Long Life Span

If your heat exchanger has wide channels then it will take a lot longer to build up any hard water scales and therefore your heat exchanger will have a longer life span.

On top of looking at these benefits, you should also consider their efficiencies. Not all heat exchangers are built the same.

Heat exchanger efficiency can be defined in many ways, and in terms of thermal performance there are several key factors to consider;

Temperature differential – The difference between the hot fluid and coolant is very important in a heat exchanger. The coolant always needs to be at a lower temperature than the hot fluid. Lower coolant temperatures will take more heat out of the hot fluid than warmer coolant temperatures.

Flow rate – A greater flow rate will increase the capability of the exchanger to transfer the heat, but a greater flow rate also means greater mass, which can make it more difficult for the energy to be removed as well as increasing velocity and pressure loss.

Installation – The heat exchanger should always be installed based on a manufacturers’ guidelines. The most efficient way to install a heat exchanger is with the fluids flowing in a counter-current arrangement (so if the coolant is traveling left to right, the hot fluid travels right to left) and for shell and tube heat exchangers the coolant should enter at the lowest inlet position to ensure that the heat exchanger is always full of water. For air cooled heat exchangers it is important to consider the air flow when installing a cooler, any part of the core which is blocked will compromise cooling capacity.

Investing in a pool is not a small task. Getting the right components so you can enjoy your investment needs experience and knowledge. Talk to us at Pool Heating Ltd and we can advise which options will give you the maximum efficiency and best result for your pool for years to come.

Out of the range of pool heating systems available, including solar and gas, why is it that you may choose a heat pump as your pool heating solution?

Heat Pumps are the most popular form of pool heating.  This is as a result of their ease of use, and relatively low installation costs.

So, how do they compare with Solar and Gas pool heating solutions?

Solar Pool Heating

Solar heating relies on the sun.  So, although solar heating can easily heat your pool in summer as well as the late months of spring and early months of autumn, in winter the suns position in the sun is a lot lower, and as a result, the number of sunlight hours, and the suns strength is reduced.  Also, winter tends to be rainy and cloudy in many parts of the country.  As a result, in winter, you will struggle to heat your pool with a solar heating system.

Gas Pool Heating

A Gas powered pool heating system is generally less to install in the first instance, but costs more to run and maintain.  Unless you live in an area with reticulated LPG, you will need to rely on gas bottles, which if they run out, may have a few days wait until they can be refilled.  What’s more, the maintenance costs on a gas system are higher, and the ongoing costs equate to an annual increase in heating costs of around $1300 – $1800 per year, depending on which area you live in (the colder the outside air temperature, the more you need to heat your pool, and thus great savings are seen in areas of colder temperatures).

Heat Pump Pool Heating

The main positives of Heat Pump pool heating, is they can be used year round, regardless of the weather.  Also, they are far more energy efficient than Gas powered pool heating solutions.  Maintenance of the system is relatively easy and cost efficient, and a good system should last 10 years.

If you are wanting to heat your swimming pool year round, then a heat pump is the best heating solution for your swimming pool.

What one should I use, you ask?  There are many factors that influence what pool heat pump is best for your pool, including the surface area of the pool, what the average temperature is during your coldest months, and the temperature you wish to heat your pool.

Pool Heating Ltd are specialists in pool heating, and are here to help you get the most efficient system for your needs.  Call us on 0800 766 543 today!

As with all mechanical and electrical systems, occasionally pool heating systems can develop issues and cease working.  Are you currently experiencing operating issues with your pool heater?  Below are some helpful hints to try, in the event you find your pool heating solution is not working.

The heater won’t turn on/stay on

Clean your filter, then turn the thermostat and try turning on your heater again.

Blocked filters result in a huge reduction to water pressure, causing the pressure switch turning the heater off.  Take this opportunity to also check that the shut off valves are open, and that the electrical connections are tight and free of corrosion.

Your heater is making strange noises

Dirt and debris becoming stuck in hoses and pipes, is the number one cause of heaters making weird noises.  Backflush the filter to get rid of any blockages and check the hoses and pipes again.  If the noise continues turn of the pump.  If the noise is still evident once the pump is off, then your pressure switch is most likely the culprit, and will need replacing.

At this stage, we recommend you turn off your heater and call a professional in, so as to properly diagnose the issue.

Not heating properly or low water pressure

The first thing to do in this instance is to check that the timer is set properly.  If it is fine, then check your filter to see if it is blocked.

If neither the timer, nor filter, is the issue, check all valves, ensuring they are all turned to go through the heater.

If this trouble shooting guide doesn’t solve the problem you have with your pool heating system, then call us on 0800 766 543.  At Pool Heating Ltd, we pride ourselves on our service, and are happy to help you with any pool heating problems you may have.

Do you want to start heating your pool, but don’t want to pay an arm and leg to do it? Have you decided that the best solution is to invest in a pool heat pump? Great! But how do you know what heat pump is the best one for your swimming pool?

One of the most important aspects of efficient pool heating is to select the correct heat pump. If the heat pump is too small or not powerful enough, it will need to work too hard, making it both inefficient in energy use, but also it will lower the life of your heat pump.
It is very important to select the correct heat pump to match the size of your pool and how warm you want it to be. Both the size and power of the heat pump needs to be carefully considered.

At Pool Heating Ltd, we are here to assist you by recommending the best pool heat pump to meet the needs of your individual swimming pool. Contact us today for an obligation free discussion.

The Majority of pool owners have a swimming pool that is not heated, and, as a result, rarely used during the winter months due to the water being too cold. Do you find yourself in this position? Would you like to change this? Pool Heating Ltd can assist you with the correct pool heating solution to meet your lifestyle, allowing you to enjoy your swimming pool 365 days of the year!

At Pool Heating Ltd, we have a large range of swimming pool heating solutions that can be matched specifically to your pool and requirements, whether your pool is small or Olympic sized.  Our aim is to make your pool heating solution as efficient and economical as possible, and a pool that is warm enough to enjoy all year without costing you a fortune.

Pool heating solutions have no reason to be expensive, contrary to popular belief.  Our goal is to provide a solution that is affordable and within your budget, so you don’t have to worry about how much the heating is costing. Pool heating can cost as little as a cup of coffee a day!

Call us today on 0800 766 543 for a no obligation assessment on your pool heating requirements. We guarantee to provide you with the best heating system for your pool!