Pool Heating - Solar vs Electric Heat Pumps
If you are looking to heat your pool but are struggling to determine whether an electric pool heat pump or a solar swimming pool heat pump would be more appropriate for your home, we have assembled an overview of each to help in your decision making process.
Solar:
The benefit of solar heating is largely the cost. It is both less expensive to install and less expensive to maintain and use. Solar pumps absorb heat from the sun and warm bodies of water via tubing on your roof. This water is then pumped through your pool.
Solar pool heat pumps have been problematic in the past, due to the cockatoos’ penchant for attacking and damaging the tubing; this issue has been resolved in recent years through the use of different tubing materials.
As the tubing runs over the roof, and the effectiveness of the system is reliant upon sun exposure, it is beneficial to consider just how much sun your roof is exposed to before choosing solar heating. Also consider the reasoning behind your choice to heat your pool. If you are hoping to swim in winter, solar may not be the best choice for you. While this heating system will take the chill off your pool in the warmer months, and retain heat going into transitory seasons, the lack of sun exposure in winter will result in an insignificant difference in temperature during the colder months.
If none of the above problems are of concern to you, solar is an exceptional heating option. It is both more economically manageable and a far better option environmentally.
Electric Heating:
Electric pool heat pumps are far more expensive than solar, and they also use significantly more energy on a day-to-day basis. They essentially suck warmth from the external atmosphere and pump this heat through your pool, much like an air conditioning unit.
Similar to air conditioning systems, electric pool heat pumps allow one to set the preferred temperature of their pool. This allows for mid-winter heating and thus swimming, and even mid-summer cooling in very hot areas.
Electric hot water pumps use more energy than solar but they are far more energy efficient than their straight electric pool heating counterparts.
For further information contact Pool and Spa Warehouse today
