AC & Swimming Pool?

Unknown

Hi- This next year I'm getting my swimming pool redone and also my air conditioning.

I was wondering how practical it was to heat my pool while cooling my house? I have a basic understanding of the equipment necessary for each application but haven't any idea of the cross over equipment  and integration necessary or whether this is really practical.

Thanks for your help!

- Rod

Tom Blackwell_2

WSHP

I have a system installed in 1990 that is still operational. The idea of using waste heat for pool heating is not new, but in this climate of cheap first cost is rarely done. My system operates at an eer of 14 with the pool at 85 degrees, so it saves cooling energy also. As for equipment, a standard low temperature water source heat pump works well, but must have a cupronickel heat exchanger to survive with pool water. We had to add a spray nozzle for additional cooling when the pool got too hot in the middle of the summer. As for piping, recommend using a separate pump for the WSHP, taking water off downstream from the filter and back in to the discharge piping. We used a check valve placed between the takeoffs for the additional pump so the main filter pump would not have to be running-the smaller pump would pull water through the filter and pool pump if the pool pump was not in operation.

Unknown

AC& Swimming Pool

Tom- Thanks for the reply. Sounds like I might really be able to "kill two birds with one stone". Do you have any sort of controls on the heat exchanger pump or is it just wired to operate when the heat pump is running?  Now that you have given me some hope that this setup is practical I'll do some research and see what I can find in the way of info  and work up a design and do the calculations. Please let me know if you think of any website or source that might be of benefit to me

Edit:  After I wrote this, I looked around and I see there is a lot more info available than when I looked a few years ago. You must have been a real "pioneer" in this field!

Thanks again, I appreciate your help!

- Rod

Tom Blackwell_2

Control

Nothing fancy, just have the pump interlocked with the compressor. We were able to use the system in the fall and spring for heat; untill the pool water got down to 50 degrees. That gave a good safety margin to prevent freezing in the heat exchanger. I used a bulb type thermostat sensing suction gas as a secondary safety and also had a flow switch. The WSHP packages have internal safeties, so none of this would be required with one of these. Our system was built in 1986 using well water, and transferred to our new pool in 1990. Did it the hard way using a shell and coil condenser and a belt driven compressor. Capacity is 6.5 tons with 5 hp motor, using R-22. I'll try to find a picture and post it. Found it! The compressor is on the left; the insulated vertical device on the right is a homemade desuperheater for domestic water heat. The condenser is above, supported from the structure. There is a KWH meter, and actual power draw including the ahu fan and pump is 5.2 kw per hour.

Unknown

Heat Pump & Pool

Thanks again Tom. I spent the day reading up and like you say there seems to be a lot more components available than there were even a few years ago.

- Rod