Heating a swimming pool can consume a lot of energy and add to high heating bills. You can improve your pool heating and Energy Efficiency by installing an energy-efficient pool heater and by taking steps to reduce pool heating costs. For more information on efficient performance pool heater you can check over here Poolvacuumhq.com . COP or coefficient of performance is used in heat transfer to describe the efficiency of any device transferring heat. All heaters are compared to a standard form of heating known as resistance heating. Resistance heat is transferred by passing water over the red hot coil.
This form is constant and has a COP of 1. The COP of all heaters are compared to this standard, so a COP of 6.21 means the heater is 6.21 times more efficient than resistant heating. If you compare the same heater to one with the COP of 4.14, a heater with COP of 6.21 would be 50% more efficient. The COP of a heat pump measures between 5 and 6, which translates to an efficiency rate between 500 % – 600 %. The higher the number the less it will cost to operate.
What is a BTU?
Heater size is measured in BTU output. BTU is British thermal unit and a standard for measuring heating capacity. It is the measured amount of heat output that the unit will produce and may vary with the ambient temperature and humidity levels. It needs 1 BTU to heat 1 lb of water 1°F.
Determine Pool Heat Pump Efficiency
Energy efficiency of heat pump pool heaters is measured by the coefficient of performance COP. The higher the COP number, the more efficient is the pump. You really can’t compare the COPs of different models unless you know that the manufacturers use the same test for each model. For example, the same heat pump operates at a higher COP when the outside air temperature is higher.
Manufacturers measure the COP by testing a heat pump pool heater with an outdoor temperature of 80 °F and a pool temperature of 80°F. COPs range from 3 to 7 which converts to an efficiency of 300 % to 700%. This means for every unit of electricity it takes to run the compressor, you get three to seven minutes of heat out of the heat pump.
Determine Gas Pool Heater Efficiency
New gas swimming pool heaters have a standard test they go through to determine their Energy Efficiency based on their British thermal unit output (BTU). Heater Efficiency is the ratio of usable output to energy input. For example, an 80% efficient heater uses $80 worth of useful heat for every dollar hundred worth of fuel. Therefore it wastes 20% of the fuel. Gas Pool Heaters show their efficiency percentage on their nameplates. Heaters manufacturers can also provide its efficiency percentage. Nowadays there are gas pool heaters 89% to 95% of efficiency.
Managing The Swimming Pool Temperature For Energy Efficiency
The water temperature you want for your swimming pool not only affects the size of the pool’s heater but your heating costs also if you use a gas or heat pump pool heater. Pool water temperatures range from 78°F to 82°F. The American Red Cross recommends a temperature of 78° F for a competitive swimming pool. This coincides with good fuel savings. This may be too cool for young children and the aged, who may require a temperature of 80°F or higher.
The energy consumption for each degree rise in temperature costs 10% to 30% more energy costs, depending on your location. In warm climates, this percentage is higher because of the low cost of heating a pool at 78°F. Turn the temperature down or turn off the heater whenever the pool is not used for several days. This saves energy and money. It’s a myth that it takes more energy to heat a pool back up to the desired temperature than you save by lowering the temperature or turning off the heater.
Installing And Operating An Efficient Pool Pump
You can save energy and maintain a comfortable swimming pool temperature by using a smaller high-efficiency pump and by operating it less. In a study of 120 pools by the center of energy conservation at Florida Atlantic University, some pool owners saved as much 75% of the original pumping bill when they used these energy conservation measures.
The average pool pump energy bills probably are higher in Florida than in many other areas of the country because of the long swimming season. While the absolute savings will be greater there than elsewhere on the percentage savings should apply nationwide. The savings for the combination of measures are not simply the sum of savings for the individual measures. When both are implemented, the use of energy is 60% of 40% of the original use percent savings.
You can install a timer to control the pump’s cycling. If debris is a problem use a timer to activate the pump for many short periods every day. Running the pump for 3 hours continuously leaves the other 21 hours a day for the pool to collect debris. Several short cycles keep the pool cleaner all day.
Leave a Reply