If you’ve made up your mind to get a pool heat pump, it’s a wise decision. However, you cannot just choose the first heat pump you see. You need to consider several factors before you decide. Therefore, this piece will guide you through the process of choosing a heat pump based on climate, pool dimensions, and energy needs.
Importance of Choosing the Right Heat Pump
Choosing the right heat pump is important for several key reasons:
- Efficiency: Heat pumps are not created equally; as a result, their heating capacity varies. With the wrong choice, the device won’t pump in enough heat to warm up your pool.
- Cost-Savings: The advantage of pool heat pumps over electric heaters is that they don’t use too much energy. Therefore, when you choose a device that can efficiently heat your pool, you get to save cost on excess energy bills.
- Environmental Protection: Another alternative apart from electric heaters is gas heaters. These heaters use natural gas and propane, which can add carbon monoxide to the atmosphere. You won’t have such issues when you purchase a pool heat pump.
- All-Year-Round Use: The right pool heat pump will effectively warm your pool even during winter. This allows you to use your pool all through the year.
Factors Influencing Your Choice: Pool Size, Climate, and Heat Loss
Like any other product, you need to consider certain factors before deciding. Let’s look at them.
Pool Size
The pool’s size matters a lot when you want to choose a heat pump. A larger pool requires more heat and energy to get it to the desired temperature. If you choose an undersized heat pump, it will only partially heat your pool. This, in turn, will lead to higher energy consumption and bills, without reaching your target comfort. To prevent all these issues, choose a heat pump that matches the size of your pool by knowing the actual pool volume. Use our pool heat pump sizing tool to get the best match.
Climate
You should always choose a pool heat pump with climate in mind. Colder climates require a large heat pump since they’ll need to work harder to overcome the cold temperature before heating the pool. As you might have guessed, you can use smaller heat pumps in warmer climates. If you live on the coast, where there is so much wind, a higher-capacity pump is required.
Heat Loss
Some pools have covers that help insulate the pool, reducing heat loss. If your pool experiences consistent heat loss, you’ll need a bigger pump to compensate for this loss. However, if your pool retains heat, you can use a smaller heat pump to maintain the temperature. But bear in mind that heat loss is influenced by season. So, think about your pool’s ability to retain or lose heat in the season you plan to use the pool and choose your heat pump for this season.
Best Heat Pumps for Different Climates: Cold, Moderate, and Hot
Now that you know how much climate plays a role in the choice of heat pump, let’s look at some of the Arctic Heat pumps and see where they are most suitable for different climates.
Arctic Titanium Pool Heat Pump – 035ZA/B
With 29,000 BTU, the Arctic Heat Pump 035ZA/B is perfect for smaller bodies of water such as hot tub or lap pools in all climates. It can heat and cool. This smaller system works in all seasons for both heating and cooling. When used with the appropriate pool size, you can save above 70% on energy.
Arctic Titanium Heat Pump – 060ZA/B
The Artic Titanium Pool Heat Pump 060ZA/B is ideal for larger pools. It has 95,500 BTU and a 28KW capacity. It can be used for pools, large hot tubs, and commercial spas. Its control feature allows you to switch from cool to hot depending on the weather. It can heat and cool and is ideal for pools that require cooling in the summer.
Arctic Titanium Heat Pump for Spas – 015ZA/B
This DC inverter pool heat pump is perfect for hot tubs because it heats and cools your spa. The Artic Titanium Heat Pump 015ZA/B can work in low temperatures of down to -4°F (-20°C). So, during winter, you can enjoy a warm hot tub with maximum energy saving, thanks to this heat pump. It has 23,000 BTU, a 6.7KW capacity, and a 3.6-13 COP.
Tips for Accurate Sizing and Professional Installation
Before you buy a pool heat pump, you need to carry out proper pool heat pump sizing. Here are the tips to help you accurately size your pool heat pump.
- Measure your Pool Volume: Measure your pool’s width and length. Multiply both values (width x length) to get the pool’s surface area. Next, multiply this surface area by your pool’s depth. The result equals the pool volume.
- Calculate the Required Kilowatts: Divide the pool volume by a conversion factor of 2500.
Installation is also important to get the best out of your heat pump. Here are some tips you should follow:
- Make sure the heat pump has room. Minimum 12” from a wall and no obstructions infront of the fans.
- Install it close to your pool’s filtration system.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Is a Heat Pump Right for You?
Pool heat pumps cost about $1,500 to $5,000 on average. While this might seem expensive initially, its energy savings is substantial and most high-performance pool heat pumps can save as much as 70% of the energy cost. This means your return on investment ROI is very high and often an Arctic Heat Pump can pay for itself in less than 2 year. Furthermore, the negative environmental effects of gas heaters make heat pumps the best option out of the three.
Conclusion
Where you live, the size of your pool and energy needs are important factors to consider when choosing the perfect pool heat pump. If these factors are not properly considered, you might end up with a pump that isn’t effective. Therefore, we recommend you follow the information in this guide to get the perfect pool heat pump.
