Pool heating

As another swimming season nears its end (cry!), I'm considering our options when we buy a house, which will be soon. One thing is not optional - we will have a pool! But I'm researching how to heat a pool for year-round use.

Currently we rent a house with a 4x8m pool with solar heating, and use a bubble style pool blanket. However, experience tells me that solar heating will not give us year-round use in SE QLD. Last year I didn't swim at all June-August and near froze my toes off in May and Sept!

So it looks like a better option would be electric heat pump. If we also have solar power and run it in the day, running costs shouldn't be extortionate?!?! Obviously we'd use a thermal blanket too, to avoid losing all the heat overnight.

Anyone have experience using this method of pool heating? Is there a better alternative? What about retrofitting an existing pool?

Cheers!

We had a pool blanket when we first built the pool and it gave us an extra few months use either side of summer, it was a thick blanket and not a cheappy one . We do wish we had solar as i think this would give a few more months again.

Cal x

Good solar in conjunction with a blanket should suffice without a heater. Be advised though, we found it dead money because you felt so cold when you climbed out, that the kids just stopped using it at all in winter. Talking to other folk on whirlpool and elsewhere when we were investigating it and most said the same....................their pool was used mainly to cool off in summer and unless you're a dead keen swimmer and want a pool for exercise, then it's a lot of money to fork out just on the off-chance it'll get used in winter

Like Cal says, a pool blanket alone will give you extra months and do you really want to swim when the ambient air is cold?

Thanks folks, we really do want year-round use, I used to go to Chermside pool early mornings in winter and yes it was painful getting out but short-lived discomfort! Much less of an issue at weekends for daytime use anyway. It's really for exercise, I missed swimming so much last winter it was pretty depressing!

Using a heated public pool isn't ideal as we no longer live a short walk from one and probably won't be at our next place. I can't drive. And anyway, I got sick of super-swimmers jumping in my lane, to "share" with a slow messer-abouter like me! Always had to get out and go home.

Not an issue buying a pump, there is budget for it, but retrofitting and ongoing costs may be a different matter!

.........I echo JD's point......

.........even though ours is solar heated....

.........the colder days ensure only those swimming for exercise use it...!

..........it's cold when you get out....

..........yes a quick shower warms you up....

..........but for just enjoying the water......those couple of months mean the pool is rarely used....

...........extending the pool time by solar....and or blanket.....well and good

...........but doubt many would achieve year round TBH,...

I agree with Kev, i wouldnt be eager to jump in mine July / Aug even if it was heated in every way possible, as i would freeze getting out,lol, they are our coldest months and by god do i feel it !! lol

Cal x

In winter it will purely be for exercise, and probably just me using it. I'm a tough cookie when it comes to getting out, did just that when it was 4 degrees at 6am once at Chermside, while the water aas a balmy, steamy 27 degrees. No problem!

Main thing is to get a guaranteed 27-28 degrees in winter.

.........interesting reading paisleylass....

http://www.astralpool.com.au/poolowners/poolmaintenance/poolheating

Thanks tink! Maybe I'm jumping the gun before we even have a pool, and best thing is to get some pool expert types out to assess our situation and get quotes. On the surface, the electric pump sounds best (esp. if we have solar power), but there may be more to it.

If i had my time again ,i would have enclosed the pool like we did the patio (best move we made) so it would look something like the pic below. If i was loaded i would have retracting roof,lol

If i had my time again ,i would have enclosed the pool like we did the patio (best move we made) so it would look something like the pic below. If i was loaded i would have retracting roof,lol

 

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wowwww yes! Love that idea, definitely retracting/side opening if glass roof or it could get nasty in summer heheh.

here's a house I saw go for sale last year, before we were ready to buy. Would have been fab. Pool is enclosed-ish. Not nearly as pretty as the one above but could be tarted up a bit: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-carseldine-120389861

That's a nice house and big inside, i like the big bath tub too,lol.. It would be quite easy to finish enclosing that pool and if it gets rid of mossies and horsefly's then id be giving it a shot.

Cal x

Wish that was still for sale Cal, it's my favourite that I've seen, even though we ideally want two-storey! The plot size allows a pretty big lowset. There's another, nowhere near as nice house in the same street now, asking for high 600s. In yer dreams! I would kill to buy a house that nice for the price it sold for!

Just keep looking, one will come up that you love and you can enclose any pool like that if its close enough to the house, even if you have to start covering from scratch.

Cal x

We have a heat pump. Supposed to be cheaper to heat than gas but also slower to heat. We rarely use it as you have to leave it on for 36-48 hours to get the heat up. We don't have a blanket though which would stop the overnight heat loss. But the getting in and out bit is hard when it's off season. Heard that solar can ruin your roof tiles and can get damaged by birds. Good luck with your decision.

Cheers Jimbo, good to hear some first hand experience! Yep, I've heard they can be slow to heat the pool, but we'd definitely use a thermal blanket when not in use so the idea is to maintain a constant 27° as much as possible, though a huge rainfall like we had last week would no doubt cool things down!

Taking a hiatus from house hunting as we go on holiday this weekend for a fortnight, will resume early July. By the time we actually buy a house we won't need heating til next autumn anyway heh!

solar or electric, stay away from gas.

as has been mentioned it can be quicker, however with the low efficiency and current cost of gas it will be way more expensive to run than electric or solar.

enclosing the pool is probably the best option, add a heat pump if you can... job done

another little heat pump nugget worth mentioning is how a split system air conditioner is the cheapest way to heat an aussie home at the moment.

if you have a split system, use it

hell if you can, cut off the gas completely save another $400 a year in standing charges

I wouldn't mind a gas hob, but probably not worth the hassle and cost! It seems the majority of homes we're looking at have no gas supply, listings often make a big deal of it when there is gas, but we can live without.

Still looking for a house to buy, very few coming up for sale, none of any interest to us for weeks!

Yep, split system goes on when it gets chilly!

I wouldn't mind a gas hob, but probably not worth the hassle and cost! It seems the majority of homes we're looking at have no gas supply, listings often make a big deal of it when there is gas, but we can live without.

 

Still looking for a house to buy, very few coming up for sale, none of any interest to us for weeks!

 

Yep, split system goes on when it gets chilly!

In the house I built we had bottled gas, which was solely for the purpose of the cooker, oven and hob ( it was an Arga type cooker) and was cheap to run 9kg bottle lasts 2-3 months so was about $10 per month. we are currently in a rental whilst waiting to get in our new home, this rental is on natural gas but only for hot water the first bill after only 6 weeks was $75:eek:, so will not be having that in our new home, back to bottled I think.

Got the electric pool heater installed today! It's a very modern one that should be cheapish to run, free when we get solar power. Very quiet too! Just need the pool blanket to be delivered and we're in business, hopefully swimming in the next few days! Can't wait!

I shall be watching this thread with interest. We are saving to have our pool resurfaced this year (it is pebblecrete, sick of losing my finger and toe ends on it!), and we are thinking of having pool heating added while we are at it. We already have solar panels and solar hot water, so I'm not sure exactly what we will install, but we LOVE to swim so having an extended swimming season is very appealing!

You can have a heater added any time, as it can go inline with your existing pump setup. The installer must plumb it between the sand filter and chlorinator though! Heater can be installed independently if you have separate pipes, but this would mean having an extra pump running. Ours is inline, so we need to monitor chlorine levels carefully especially with using a blanket.

The heater we bought is Evo Heat DHP30R, it's a local company that will deliver and install across Australia. They even arranged an electrician to come out and put a 15 amp socket in.

Oh, and I have a phone app to monitor and control the heater, sweet.

Will report on how things go when the heater starts running!

PS we almost bought a house with pebblecrete lined pool, I was worried about scraping my fingers n toes! Re-lining would be a big expense when starting out in a new home. Pool we have is tiled, am a bit concerned about slipping but pool shop guy says PH affects whether tiles are slippery, can't remember which way. But I'm clumsy so might put a handrail in by the steps!

just go to a public pool..cheaper. and everyone pissing in the pool keeps it warm

I'm probably the other way.

I have solar heating for the pool but never use it.

I find the water warms up naturally and I like it to be refreshingly cool when I swim in the heat of summer.

I probably only use the pool from December to February though. And I would not spend hours in the pool either.