Heating the swimming pool
The ideal swimming pool temperature for leisure swimming is around 25 to 26 degrees Celsius. This temperature is very rarely achieved naturally. For most of the swimming season, the normal water temperature would be around 18 to 20 degrees. Most of the temperature gained during the day is lost overnight, leaving the pool cold again in the morning.
There are three basic types of pool heating systems - solar, gas and heat pumps. The best system for your pool is determined by numerous factors including your requirements, budget, location, tariffs, operation and physical layout of your premises. Each system can be installed at the time of construction or added later and they are compatible with most types of recirculation systems.
Solar Pool Heaters
Solar heating is popular because the energy to heat the water is free of charge. The principles involved in solar pool heating are very simple. Imagine a garden hose that has been lying in the sun for several hours. When you turn on the tap, out comes hot water. That’s solar heating: the sun’s energy has been absorbed by the hose and transmitted as heat to the water inside it. The hose acts as a solar collector.
A typical pool solar system consists of an array of black plastic tubing laid out on a roof or another large area in a mat or carpet type formation, known as the solar collector. The Pool water pool water is pumped from the pool filtration circuit and pumped through the solar collector. Sunlight falling on the collector heats it, just as it heats the water inside. The heated water is then returned to the pool increasing its overall temperature.
Gas Pool Heaters
Gas Heaters use natural or propane fuel. The gas is burned in a combustion chamber where the heat is transferred to the pool water. In the typical gas heater, water flows through one port, picks up heat from the heat exchanger in the heater, and exits another port on the way back to the pool. Gas heaters can either be connected to natural gas or require a storage tank for propane gas.
Heat Pump Heaters
Today an emerging method of heating pools is the heat pump. By general definition, a heat pump pool is a Reversed Closed Cycle Cooling System, using an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and a pressure control regulator device to heat water instead of cooling air.
Each heating system has its advantages. Zane Solar Systems can help you find out the best heating solution for your swimming pool.
4-Jul-2006