Need guidance on heating and cooling system installation

[josephrussel]

Hi everyone,

I am looking forward to install heating system for my swimming pool but I am confused that which system will be perfect whether I should go for solar heating or heat pumps. So I need complete information about the hating system which will be perfect from cost and health point of view. Please suggest me.

[russ]

Hi everyone,

I am looking forward to install heating system for my swimming pool but I am confused that which system will be perfect whether I should go for solar heating or heat pumps. So I need complete information about the hating system which will be perfect from cost and health point of view. Please suggest me.

Where are you located - makes a bit of difference

[josephrussel]

Where are you located - makes a bit of difference

I lives in Miami, Florida so according to you which will be good to me??

[russ]

Hi Joseph - Hang tight - a couple of the guys are experts at this and should be around soon.

[josephrussel]

Hi Joseph - Hang tight - a couple of the guys are experts at this and should be around soon.

Sure I will be waiting and in case you got any exact idea or person so suggest me.
Thanks!!

[Naptown]

Hi Joseph
Pool heaters are sized according to three things Pool surface area, average ambient temperature during the cold season it will run and location which you have given.

[russ]

Look at this thread also.

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?13769-Hi-there-from-a-newbie-in-the-Canary-Islands&p=95389#post95389

[SunEagle]

Hi Joseph
Pool heaters are sized according to three things Pool surface area, average ambient temperature during the cold season it will run and location which you have given.

Don't forget the item of how hot the owner wants to keep his water temp at. Some people just like to take out the chill while others want it to be like a hot tub.

[josephrussel]

Don't forget the item of how hot the owner wants to keep his water temp at. Some people just like to take out the chill while others want it to be like a hot tub.

I am staying with my wife and our opinions are always mutual to each other, so we prefer hot tub as compare to chill.

[inetdog]

I am staying with my wife and our opinions are always mutual to each other, so we prefer hot tub as compare to chill.

With that kind of temperature your very first investment should be a good pool cover that is easy enough to handle that you are willing to keep it closed whenever you are not using the pool.
Otherwise the heat loss through evaporation and convection is too much to overcome economically whenever the air temperature is lower than the pool temperature or the humidity is low.
A pool cover also reduces the amount of chemicals you need to use.

[brokejame]

Solar Heater

From my opinion, you should go with solar heater.

[J.P.M.]

From my opinion, you should go with solar heater.

One other factor to think about is ease of operation and the cost in money/time/aggravation.
Fossil fuel fired heaters are probably the easiest option. Set and forget except for some regular maintenance. I'd put heat pump heaters in that category as well. They've been around for a long time and are a pretty mature technology. The likely high reliability and ease of operation come at the cost of the fuel - natural gas, propane or electricity.
Solar pool heaters are effective and can have reasonably modest maintenance requirements, although probably higher than fossil fueled heaters. Their initial cost is usually higher than fossil fuel heaters probably by a fair amount. Sometimes rather bizarre financial gyrations of questionable validity are necessary to justify that high initial outlay vs. fuel savings. Also, space may be limited for the application and some folks don't like the looks, although that opinion usually disappears quickly as the collectors tend to fade into everyday experience.
Solar pool covers can be by far the most cost effective and economical, and quite thermally effective. They can also be the biggest PITA by far in terms of user involvement and ease of use, and the least esthetically pleasing, i.e. in the opinion of some - ugly. But they do work.

So, you pay your money and you take your choice.

Perhaps a combination of the above or something else. I've had combinations of all of the above on the same pool. If I had it to do again, I'd again go with the motorized, opaque, dark brown cover that covered my pool when the pool was not being used. It also doubled as a solar collector, reduced cleaning and chemical use and kept the H2O above 85 deg. F. 24/7 from early April to late Oct. in Albuquerque without fossil fuel input. The cost was high - about the same as a "conventional" solar pool heater would have been, but without the plumbing and view issues. Pumping rainwater off the cover was a minor PITA, but not bad in the bigger scheme of things - perhaps partly because Albuquerque is a pretty dry place. 1 or 2 initial bugs, but after that it was pretty trouble/maint. free.

[SunEagle]

One other factor to think about is ease of operation and the cost in money/time/aggravation.
Fossil fuel fired heaters are probably the easiest option. Set and forget except for some regular maintenance. I'd put heat pump heaters in that category as well. They've been around for a long time and are a pretty mature technology. The likely high reliability and ease of operation come at the cost of the fuel - natural gas, propane or electricity.
Solar pool heaters are effective and can have reasonably modest maintenance requirements, although probably higher than fossil fueled heaters. Their initial cost is usually higher than fossil fuel heaters probably by a fair amount. Sometimes rather bizarre financial gyrations of questionable validity are necessary to justify that high initial outlay vs. fuel savings. Also, space may be limited for the application and some folks don't like the looks, although that opinion usually disappears quickly as the collectors tend to fade into everyday experience.
Solar pool covers can be by far the most cost effective and economical, and quite thermally effective. They can also be the biggest PITA by far in terms of user involvement and ease of use, and the least esthetically pleasing, i.e. in the opinion of some - ugly. But they do work.

So, you pay your money and you take your choice.

Perhaps a combination of the above or something else. I've had combinations of all of the above on the same pool. If I had it to do again, I'd again go with the motorized, opaque, dark brown cover that covered my pool when the pool was not being used. It also doubled as a solar collector, reduced cleaning and chemical use and kept the H2O above 85 deg. F. 24/7 from early April to late Oct. in Albuquerque without fossil fuel input. The cost was high - about the same as a "conventional" solar pool heater would have been, but without the plumbing and view issues. Pumping rainwater off the cover was a minor PITA, but not bad in the bigger scheme of things - perhaps partly because Albuquerque is a pretty dry place. 1 or 2 initial bugs, but after that it was pretty trouble/maint. free.

I had thought of getting a standard cover for my pool years ago but after talking to a number of home owners that had tried a pool cover they all told me that due to the amount of rain we get in Florida keeping the cover above water was more than a PITA. I figured having a couple more months of warm pool water was not worth the hassle.

I do like the idea of a pool cover that also heats the water as a solar collector. Most of the covers I have looked at were light in color and reflected the rays.

[Naptown]

One other factor to think about is ease of operation and the cost in money/time/aggravation.
Fossil fuel fired heaters are probably the easiest option. Set and forget except for some regular maintenance. I'd put heat pump heaters in that category as well. They've been around for a long time and are a pretty mature technology. The likely high reliability and ease of operation come at the cost of the fuel - natural gas, propane or electricity.
Solar pool heaters are effective and can have reasonably modest maintenance requirements, although probably higher than fossil fueled heaters. Actually much lower they are virtually maintenance free Their initial cost is usually higher than fossil fuel heaters probably by a fair amount.Actually if you take the cost of running a gas or electric line for the heater the cost is a bit lower in most cases Sometimes rather bizarre financial gyrations of questionable validity are necessary to justify that high initial outlay vs. fuel savings.It is a no brainer to install and the most cost effective solar install that can be done. Don't believe me check the Dept of energy out on this. Also, space may be limited for the application and some folks don't like the looks, although that opinion usually disappears quickly as the collectors tend to fade into everyday experience.
Solar pool covers can be by far the most cost effective and economical, and quite thermally effective. They can also be the biggest PITA by far in terms of user involvement and ease of use, and the least esthetically pleasing, i.e. in the opinion of some - ugly. But they do work.

So, you pay your money and you take your choice.

Perhaps a combination of the above or something else I agree with the combination approach. If you don't want the hassle of putting a cover on and off you can use a liquid pool cover that will reduce evaporative losses which are 70% of the heat loss in a pool. I've had combinations of all of the above on the same pool. If I had it to do again, I'd again go with the motorized, opaque, dark brown cover that covered my pool when the pool was not being used. It also doubled as a solar collector, reduced cleaning and chemical use and kept the H2O above 85 deg. F. 24/7 from early April to late Oct. in Albuquerque without fossil fuel input. The cost was high - about the same as a "conventional" solar pool heater would have been, but without the plumbing and view issues. Pumping rainwater off the cover was a minor PITA, but not bad in the bigger scheme of things - perhaps partly because Albuquerque is a pretty dry place. 1 or 2 initial bugs, but after that it was pretty trouble/maint. free.

comments in red

[J.P.M.]

comments in red

Respectfully:

Opinions, prices, situations and options vary. What's a no brainer to some may be rocket science to others. There is actually an engineer in my neighborhood who works for a well known defense contractor that builds missile systems that he works on who has a plumber's nightmare that he calls a pool heater. My main point is that there are always options and sometimes the solar option, as much as I may like it, and I do, is not the only game in town and may not be the best or most cost effective way to go.