What Is a Pool Heat Pump and How Does It Work?

A swimming pool heat pump is a device similar to an air conditioning unit which is plumbed in line with your pool filtration. Utilising the principles of thermodynamics a pool heat pump extracts heat from the surrounding air and transfers it to the pool water via the heat exchanger, this ensures bathers can swim comfortably in warmer water even when the outside temperature is cool. Pool heat pumps are an energy efficient alternative to other pool heating options such as gas heaters or electric element heaters.

The pool heat pump works using the below processes:

• Evaporation
• Compression
• Heat Exchange
• Condensation
• Expansion
• Repetition

Evaporation

The pool heat pump draws in air from the surrounding environment, even though this air may feel cool to the touch it still contains heat energy. This air passes over the evaporator coil, which commonly consists of copper or aluminium tubes which are often finned to increase their surface area. These tubes contain the refrigerant which is in a low pressure state. As the ambient air passes over the heat exchanger the refrigerant inside the coil absorbs heat from the air causing the refrigerant to expand creating a high pressure environment inside the coil.

Compression

The pressurised refrigerant gas is then transferred to the compressor which contains a series of rotating blades or pistons which reduce the volume of the gas, significantly increasing the pressure. This pressure increase also significantly increases the temperature of the refrigerant which is vital for the next stage of the process, the heat exchange.

Heat Exchange

The heated/pressurised refrigerant then flows through a heat exchanger (condenser) which in the case of a Madimack heat pump is made of Titanium, this heat exchanger is also in contact with the pool water that is flowing through the heat pump. As the hot gas and the pool water flow through the heat exchanger the heat from the refrigerant is transferred to the pool water which is then returned back to the pool approximately 2-3 degrees celsius warmer than when it entered the heat pump.

Condensation

The follow on effect from the heat exchange stage is condensation, as the heat from the refrigerant is transferred to the pool water this results in a cooling of the refrigerant gas. This cooling causes the refrigerant to condense into a high pressure liquid state, from there it moves through the expansion valve where the pressure is reduced back to its original state.

Repetition

Now that the refrigerant has returned to its original state it is ready to reenter the evaporator coil in preparation for another cycle through the system. This cycle will continue so long as the heat pump is switched on and has sufficient water flowing through the unit consistently extracting heat from the air and transferring it to the pool water until such time that your target temperature is reached at which point the heat pump will switch itself off.

Find Out More

Pool heat pumps are the preferred pool heating option of Clarity Pool Management due to their energy efficiency and low running costs when compared to other available pool heating options on the market. We have chosen to partner with Madimack for our pool heating needs.

Madimack heat pumps have the highest coefficient of performance of any other heat pump. Furthermore their Madimack Elite V3 pool heat pump uses their patented centri-flow technology making it the quietest heat pump available on the market.

Get in touch with our team today to find the most efficient pool heating solution for your swimming pool.

Summary of Key Points

• A pool heat pump is a device similar to an air conditioner, integrated with a pool’s filtration system.
• Pool heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative to other pool heating methods such as gas or electric heaters. They employ thermodynamics to extract heat from the ambient air and transfer it to the pool water, allowing for comfortable swimming even in cooler external temperatures.
• A Pool heat pump features the following processes:
  • Evaporation
  • Compression
  • Heat Exchange
  • Condensation
  • Repetition
• Clarity Pool Management favours pool heat pumps due to their energy efficiency and low running costs compared to other pool heating methods.
• Clarity Pool Management partners with Madimack for their pool heating needs, with Madimack heat pumps having the highest coefficient of performance among all heat pumps.