There is always varying information around heating a pool sith pool solar vs heat pump vs gas.
Gas is #1 - without question. But does come at a cost, however you get heat on demand.
Feed back from a customer below, the result will shock you.We are dropping in photos of actual performance of solar systems.
We will make note if a cover is used and where a cover is not used. n.b. Solar does not need a cover, but granted it is not effective when cold (But you are not swimming when it is cool. A heat pump acts the same on cool days i.e. They take the ambient air and strip out the warm air. So if warm air does not exist, it will simply work hard for very little gain).
If you are not using a cover, then generally pool builders/ installers are advised to use solar heating, as a heat pump will simply not work. Which begs the question, is Pool solar heating better than a heat pump.
No need to debate which heat source is better (And we sell all heating options). We can let the facts talk for themselves.
March2023
17th March - Whitianga, PSH solar system. Customer has a bubble blanket, but it is not being used. PSH solar system only. Ambient water temp 17 degrees
April 2023
April 6th, PSH solar system, 4mm heat guard thermal blanket
May 2023
June 2023
N/A
July 2023
Ambient pool temp 10 degrees. Pool solar only, no cover
August 2023
August 15th, no cover. Auckland metro. Ambient water temp is 15 degrees
September 2023
2nd September, PSH solar system, 4mm heat guard thermal blanket. Client has a heat pump, but the heat pump is not being used, as the air temp is too cool.
Ambient water temp 15 degrees
September 16th, PSH solar system, 4mm heat guard thermal blanket. Client has a heat pump, but the heat pump is not being used, as the air temp is too cool.
Ambient water temp 16 degrees
October 2023
15th October 2023, PSH solar system, 4mm heat guard thermal blanket. Client has a heat pump, but the heat pump is not being used, as the air temp is too cool.
Ambient water temp 17 degrees
19th October - 4mm heat guard thermal is used. We removed a heat pump, customer has PV panels which maintains the house hold. When ever the client used his heat pump, it would simply use up his generated electricity. So he added pool solar heating and has said the heat generated using pool solar is more effective than his heat pump, not to mention, he used less electricity.
Ambient water temp 18 degrees
20th October - 4mm heat guard thermal is used
November 2023
This pool is in Carterton, this pool had no blanket on the pool. It had a 24kw heat pump that couldnt get the pool over 22 degrees as it was at the limit of its capability with no cover. (Which is a 4 degree lift from ambient temp) We started the pool on 20 degrees and took a reading at 9am. By 2:45pm the pool was on 26 degrees using PSH pool solar heating. The pool ended on 27 at the end of the day. Because the pool was so warm, the body of water managed to hold a temp of 25 degrees. All with no cover and 95% done by pool solar.
This is a 1 day performance. No cover. There is no domestic heat pump that can achieve this. However, gas can exceed this performance by 3 times.
The reason the heat pump couldn't not work effectively is because the air temp is so cool. So it relays on warm ambient air to work effectively.
The heat pump has a COP of 6 and the PSH pool solar system has a COP of 30. This is why the Pool solar system can drive fast high heat effectively.
Ambient water temp is 16 degrees
