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Indoor Pool

My client has a 16x30' indoor basement pool. Currently, they have a Pool ComPak system that is 4 years old. Since day 1, their electricity usage has increase 100%. They are looking for an indoor dehumidification/ac solution to decrease this electric usage. Any suggestions?

Comments

  • Techman
    Techman Member Posts: 2,144
    Indoor pool

    Double the electric? Was the pool & the dehumidifier put in @ the same time? How  was the dehum sized ? If undersized it will run a lot. What is the dehum set point? What is the room humidity  level? When the pool is not being used  or heated ,is the pool covered? Do they change the pool water set point ?
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    Indoor Pool Dehumidification:

    Indoor pools are a bear to deal with. I am assuming that the dehumidification unit is a big AC unit with the condensate put back into the pool. The thing that you have to be careful is that the chlorine (Sodium Hypochlorite) and Bromides are highly corrosive to HX's and if it is a dedicated and designed pool unit, it will be designed as such. If you do not use a unit like this, you will rot the structure and if you try to ventilate it, you will have high water usage because you have to constantly keep filling the pool.

    If they really want to save money and don't mind some physical work, get a floating pool surface blanket. It stops heat loss and stops evaporation. You still need the dehumidification unit but it won't run nearly as long.

    You have to be really careful with that humidity. Years ago, I put heat in a pool room for a customer. It rotted out the pool heater AND the roof structure. The local high school put in a pool for the students and public. The second maintenance person hired didn't believe that the dehumidification was needed and when the unit stopped working, he turned it off. It cost over $1,000,000 to fix the damage. All new roof skylights, roof plywood and shingles.

    You may understand the problems from the beginning but when the customers change to an "expert hackaroo", all chickens come home to roost.

    I recently was asked to help out someone with an oil pump problem in an Inn. They had a big dedicated pool building. They had this HUGE WA furnace that was fired with a Carlin 901 CRD burner. The WA furnace was totally rotted out from the corrosive atmosphere from the pool evaporation. The unit had been turned off, years ago. They only use the pool in the summer. It is too cold in the winter to use the pool without the WA heat.

    FWIW
  • Empire_2
    Empire_2 Member Posts: 2,343
    Additional info needed.

    Not sure what brand you are using, but a nice way to properly size this system, call Dectron Pool Equipment manufacturers.  They will help you out.  Most pools located inside structures are rarely covered and are always in operation or in use.  The point of any equipment being used for indoor pools is to control the environment in relationship to the water volume, and the temp at which it is kept at.  Also in relationship to that, water in motion will give up it's latent heat content at a greater rate, but this is where the sizing is critical.  Let's look at your equipment.  I would hope it has 2 condenser coils, one for heat rejection and one for heat recovery......is this the case?  In general the air temp in the structure should be at minimum 2* above the pool water temp.  Is that the case?  If the water is at 85*, the air temp should be at 87* and RH is generally set at 70-85%RH  Q:?  How is the duct system laid out inside the structure?.  These systems EAT electrical usage up.  Either control the environment (24 hrs a/day) or replace the inner structure every 5 to 10 years.  There is no " I'm not using the pool so I'll shut the unit down".  As stated above the evaporation will go crazy!  This is just my opinion and more info would help all.  Thanks.



    Mike T.
  • JoeMass
    JoeMass Member Posts: 5
    Budget for Dectron 23 lb/hr and 2,000 cfm

    What kind of budget do I need for replacement of an existing dectron when it needs replacement?



    It is for humidification has remote condensing unit (approx 4 ton) and does not heat the water.



    Is this like $4k, $10k, $20k, $50k?, etc? I have some info that shows dehumidifiers for approx $5k but I also see budgets in other places for $45k+.



    What is the proper range for just replacing the unit - no redesign - no new ducts.
  • Techman
    Techman Member Posts: 2,144
    Pool heater

    Sorry JoeMass but pricing in not allowed on this website
  • JoeMass
    JoeMass Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2013
    Thanks

    I understand - thanks. Feel free to delete these posts.
  • Empire_2
    Empire_2 Member Posts: 2,343
    Electric bill...?

    Generally the power usage will be rather hi on an indoor pool unit.  You must look at it like the unit is running at all times to size and maintain set levels.  By shutting down the unit, all parameters are free to go way off settings, thus maintaining the environment is the cheaper of the 2 evils.  If not controlled, you stand the risk of structural damage.  Techman has you Q? answered, but there is a lot to this equipment.  Without wasting your time, how much do you wan't to know?  I jumped in late to the conversation.



    Peace



    Mike T.
This discussion has been closed.