turbo33 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Do any of you know about swimming pool heat pumps, have one or supply and fit them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I'm in the process of building a solar panel for mine, experimental really, but I'll post up details and how it turns out if anyone's interested? Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I know someone who did a simple DIY solar pool heater (granted it was not in the UK) - he put a load of coiled black plastic piping in the filter pump loop, and just laid it outside in the sun. Wasn't perfect, but a cheap solution and did raise the temperature several degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEshooter Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I'll be setting my new pool up on Sunday. Have been thinking about getting a heater for it. Not got the first clue about them though. Will be interested to see how yours turns out mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 (edited) Been down the road of the coiled piping idea, then up a level to some panels that the water passes though. Ok and did raise the temperature a few degs. Downside is it acts like a radiator and when the sun goes in and it cooler or windy, it takes the heat away!! So requires constant faffing. Mines only a 16' circular inground. Insulated and solar cover. After a week of sun and settled weather it will be ambient temperature. No heating and at the moment its 72 degs which is nice, but more would be better on the old back And as said, a couple of days of cooler weather and it drops off a reasonable amount. By the time its right back up, the weather turns again. I only use it from May-September. So want to raise it from to a bit higher than ambient air for those few months, say a low of 65 degs to 80 degs Edited June 24, 2014 by turbo33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 you can get them on fleebay,£81 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 (edited) Been down the road of the coiled piping idea, then up a level to some panels that the water passes though. Ok and did raise the temperature a few degs. Downside is it acts like a radiator and when the sun goes in and it cooler or windy, it takes the heat away!! So requires constant faffing. Mines only a 16' circular inground. Insulated and solar cover. After a week of sun and settled weather it will be ambient temperature. No heating and at the moment its 72 degs which is nice, but more would be better on the old back And as said, a couple of days of cooler weather and it drops off a reasonable amount. By the time its right back up, the weather turns again. I only use it from May-September. So want to raise it from to a bit higher than ambient air for those few months, say a low of 65 degs to 80 degs Stick some temperature logic in there somewhere - maybe check ambient, input and output temps and set a solenoid to switch into the coil or not. Edited June 24, 2014 by aris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 When air temp/heated water temp drop lower than water in the pool stop the pump !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 you can get them on fleebay,£81 Probably big enough for a fish tank But thanks anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Most pools use a calorifier, tube heat exchanger. Not very big but quite a high flow rate as its low temp but needs to heat a high volume. Done quite a few plant room changes on school pools in the past. Easiest way I have seen done for domestic use is a small pool heat exchanger heated by a separate domestic heating boiler. Figgy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 I use my house central heating boiler to heat mine via a heat exchanger. Works a treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 How have you got that plumbed CharlieT? Could you sketch a diagram please?. Mine is in the early stages, and as I said experimental. I have an 8' x 4' shallow tray, about 4" sidewalls, 300 feet of black plastic tubing and a small circulation pump drawing from the drain hole in the pool. !6ft above ground Intex pool. Twinwall polycarb cover, all painted black inside - not the polycarb!!! Hoping to finish it this weekend. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted June 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 Most pools use a calorifier, tube heat exchanger. Not very big but quite a high flow rate as its low temp but needs to heat a high volume. Done quite a few plant room changes on school pools in the past. Easiest way I have seen done for domestic use is a small pool heat exchanger heated by a separate domestic heating boiler. Figgy That works well Figgy, have seen it done. Unfortunately mine is too far from the house to make it a practical solution, but thanks anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Well it's up and running, I added a temperature control in the form of a vivarium thermostat control, twin circuit, and am using the refrigeration side to switch the pump on and off, Small probe in the panel, set to 26deg. with a 1 deg. differential. Panel rises to 27, pump switches on, drops to 25, pump switches off. Cost £25.00 from the bay. Got home at 6.00 tonight, and the pool is at 28deg. Water coming out of the panel was still at 29, even though the sun is only hitting it at a very low angle, and it's starting to go into shade. Two more sunny days and reckon it will be close to 30! Unfortunately it's probably at its best while I am out at work, but hopefully on Saturday I'll be able to see what temperature I'm getting in the midday sun. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubble Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Thanks for the update Very interesting N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) Well it's up and running, I added a temperature control in the form of a vivarium thermostat control, twin circuit, and am using the refrigeration side to switch the pump on and off, Small probe in the panel, set to 26deg. with a 1 deg. differential. Panel rises to 27, pump switches on, drops to 25, pump switches off. Cost £25.00 from the bay. Got home at 6.00 tonight, and the pool is at 28deg. Water coming out of the panel was still at 29, even though the sun is only hitting it at a very low angle, and it's starting to go into shade. Two more sunny days and reckon it will be close to 30! Unfortunately it's probably at its best while I am out at work, but hopefully on Saturday I'll be able to see what temperature I'm getting in the midday sun. Mike. That's the problem Mike. I had two solar panels bought from the bay. When the sun was on them, the water came out warm.....obviously.....but a couple of cloudy days and all the heat is lost. I bit the bullet, and bought a heat pump. Ok, it was an expensive investment. Plumbed in and running at 16.00hrs Wednesday and by 2pm the next day it had raised the temp from 72degs to 86 in old money. I have it set to come on with the filter pump 10am to 6pm, when the day is at its warmest. The pool looses about 2degF overnight, and that trend used to continue on dull days. Now the heat pump comes on and replaces that 2 degs after three hours running and switches off. Very economical. My pool is not huge. Its essentially an above ground pool, 16' diameter x 50" deep. Set into the ground. Approx 6000 galls. Since installing it on the 8th July, the pool has been in use every day at a very comfortable 29c. I guestimate the cost of running at 65p per day at the moment. Edited July 25, 2014 by turbo33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 I've just brought a above ground pool came with a 3kw heater which seems useless. Any chance of a photo of yours mike and what size black pipe did you use? Cheers john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 I will get some photos tomorrow and post them up. As I said, mine has been very much experimental, a real 'Heath Robinson' effort. No finesse at all to it, garden hose pipe, bits of old copper tube, and the absolute minimal spend. My pool is 16ft x 4ft above ground Intex, and has a bubble solar cover on unless it is being used. Similar temps today, 28 deg and 29 coming from the 'heater', but the sun is hardly on the panel at the time I get home. Roll on tomorrow! Turbo, out of interest, what did your heat pump cost? Air source or ground source? New or pre-owned? Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) IF anyone wants toadd control of the pool temp/opeartion etc i recomend these http://www.controlbyweb.com/x310/examples.html use them for something totally different but brilliant bit of kit and very easy to cofigure/use 4 relays so can control a boiler if required as well as a heater and solar http://www.audon.co.uk/ethernetrelay/X310-24I.html Edited July 25, 2014 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 I will get some photos tomorrow and post them up. As I said, mine has been very much experimental, a real 'Heath Robinson' effort. No finesse at all to it, garden hose pipe, bits of old copper tube, and the absolute minimal spend. My pool is 16ft x 4ft above ground Intex, and has a bubble solar cover on unless it is being used. Similar temps today, 28 deg and 29 coming from the 'heater', but the sun is hardly on the panel at the time I get home. Roll on tomorrow! Turbo, out of interest, what did your heat pump cost? Air source or ground source? New or pre-owned? Mike. Mike you have pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Well another nice sunny day, and we managed some time in the pool - after seeing Lewis Hamilton's car burst into flames on the F1 qually... If he didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all... Pool water was 28deg just after lunch, with it coming out of the panel at 33deg. Warmed to 29deg. later in the afternoon. My 8' x 4' panel has 300ft of electricians black convoluted flexible conduit, split into four parallel runs. Pump is a small pond pump, feeds from the drain socket at the bottom of the pool, so pulling the coldest water out, up a 15mm hose, onto a central heating 4 into one manifold, 10mm tube out of the manifold, then silicone sealed and wrapped with silicone tape into the conduit. These then loop upwards in a series of 'S' bends, towards the top of the panel, back into a four into one, and 15mm return to the pool. Been in it today, 28 deg. in the pool, and water returning from the panel at 33deg. Obviously it is totally weather dependent... Temperature inside the panel peaked at 51deg., so I don't know if I could pull more heat out of it, but I'm not a scientist... Took a couple of pic's on my iPhone, but they haven't emailed properly, so I will redo them, and re-post tomorrow all being well. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Been in mine for the first time today. Just ran a few tanks of hot water in through the hose pipe, still cold but nice once your in. Think I will sort some solar out for next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 we have been in our pool a hell of a lot, and its nice, came home from shooting yesterday and went in . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Mike does it work better being split into four runs I was just thinking one long bit of black pipe? Also does the bore of the pipe matter, is it better to be smaller or bigger? Cheers john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Brought 100m of black pipe to start with. Wondering what pump to use, would like to put the pipe on the roof of a single story extension so would need to puss it up about 4 m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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