Maintaining the optimum temperature in the pool is a very important point, especially if you plan to swim in it in the fresh air and not only in the hot season. If we are talking about such equipment as a water heater for the pool: how to heat the water in the pool at the cottage with maximum efficiency is an urgent question for many summer residents. This can be done with the help of various types of special equipment.
What are the types of heaters
With the arrival of the summer season, before the owners of sealed ponds and reservoirs at the dacha surely sooner or later the question arises: how to heat the water in the pool with your own hands? One of the following options can be used for this:
- Heat exchanger
- Solar collector.
- Heat pump.
- The flowing electric heater.
- Wood heater.
- Gas heater.
Each type of equipment has its own characteristics of operation, and also has advantages and disadvantages. It is worth choosing a heater heater depending not only on the volume of the pool, but also on the characteristics of communications at the dacha, the amount of water that needs to be regularly heated and personal preferences.
Flow heaters for the pool – this is one of the most economical and easy to use options. They warm running water with small pressure drops, they can boast compact dimensions and ease of installation. And to install a flow heater, it will be enough for you to equip a small booth on the site. The body of this type is made of plastic, stainless steel or titanium, and the heating element is made of a special alloy of stainless steel that can withstand high temperatures. Due to this flow heater is durable and resistant to all sorts of negative influences.
The capacity of the model should correspond to the volume of water that must be heated. This means that only 3 kW of power is enough for heating water in a small pool with a shallow depth, but a larger unit will be needed for the overall tank.
The maximum power of the flow heater is 18 kW, so it will be a good choice for small pools. However, if you are a happy owner of a reservoir with a volume of more than 36 m ?, then buying a flow-type apparatus does not make sense.
Helpful advice! Buying this model will also be inappropriate if your home has a restriction on electricity consumption or weak wiring.
Electric flowing heaters for the pool can boast the following advantages:
- quickly heat the water in a small tank;
- in some models there is a flow sensor that turns off the heating of water if it does not circulate;
- temperature can be regulated using the built-in thermostats;
- there is an automatic control system;
- compact dimensions.
They also have disadvantages:
- impossibility of installation with limited electricity consumption or weak wiring;
- low power performance;
- high power consumption.
A heat exchanger is a variant of the heater that does not consume electricity at all. It connects to the general heating system of the house and uses heat from there. The design of such a model is extremely simple. The body is a flask in which there is a coil. With the help of a circulating pump water flows into it from the heating system. The coil is washed with cold water, which is heated as a result. Such a simple design serves as a guarantee of reliability and durability of the unit.
When installing a heat exchanger, all you need to do is to set the required temperature on the thermostat, and it will be maintained using automatic systems. A nice feature of the heat exchanger is a high power level, it can be from 13 to 200 kW. Power is selected depending on the volume of the pool, as is the case with any other type of heater.
When heating for the first time, it is very important to avoid sudden changes in temperature that may damage the equipment. That is why for the first time do not expect a quick result, the water will heat up about 28 hours. After the water has warmed up to the set temperature, the equipment will simply maintain it, which will allow you to save money.
If you want to know how to heat the water in the pool with the help of a heat exchanger and optimally arrange it, then this should be done so as to avoid breakdowns of the equipment due to the presence of chlorine in the water. This means that the unit must be installed between the disinfection system and the pumping station. If there is too much chlorine in the water, then it is better if the heater is made of titanium, it tolerates long-term exposure to aggressive environment.
To buy a heater for the pool, operating on the principle of a heat exchanger, is due to the following advantages:
- high level of power and ability to heat water in a large pool;
- financial savings as a result of the operation of the unit not from electricity, but from the heating system;
- easy operation.
The only drawback of this type of heater is the long time it takes to heat water when it is first started. But then you will not have to wait long, as the temperature you set will be maintained automatically.
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Of course, the pool in the open air and in itself is heated under the influence of sunlight. But this process can be accelerated by using a solar collector or solar system. This type of heater is a system of flasks, screens or tubes that take on the sun’s rays and convert them into thermal energy.
Helpful advice! Each of the modules of the solar system is designed for heating about 30 m? water. This means that the larger the tank volume, the more modules you will need to install.
Solar collector works on the principle of absorption by the surface of sunlight. Inside the device there is a coolant that warms up to a temperature of 140 ° C. After that, a circulation pump starts up in the pool heater. The advantage of such a system is that it can be used not only to heat the water in the pool, but also as a heating system of a private house.
Some models of solar systems are equipped with special sensors and an automatic valve that directs water to the heat exchanger. If the established standard temperature of the water in the pool has already been reached, then it passes by the heating element and gradually cools. As soon as the temperature reaches the minimum mark you set, the valve opens and water begins to flow back into the heat exchanger.
The advantages of solar pool heaters are as follows:
- Water heats up very quickly.
- You can use the system to raise the temperature of the water in the pool, to supply a private house with hot water or to heat the rooms.
- Simple and convenient control system.
If you read about the Intex pool of users on the Internet about the solar heater, you can understand that the only serious disadvantage of such a water heating system is that in cloudy weather the efficiency decreases and the heat exchanger does not work as efficiently. This means that it is advisable to install a solar system where there are more sunny days per year than cloudy ones.
One of the innovations in terms of how to heat the pool water is the heat pump. This type of equipment is far from the most popular because of its relatively high price, but in terms of efficiency it can compete with all other options.
The principle of operation of the heat pump is quite complicated and is based on multi-stage heat transfer from different sources. The initial source of heat for the pump can be groundwater or thermal springs, flue gases and, in general, anything that is even a little warmer than pool water.
The external pipe of the heat pump is located underground. On it with the help of a circulation pump, the working fluid is driven through, which is heated by several degrees due to the ambient temperature. Then the liquid enters the evaporator, where it heats the refrigerant. The latter instantly boils and transforms into steam, which, in turn, enters the compressor.
The compressor compresses steam to 20-25 atmospheres, as a result of which a large amount of thermal energy is released. It is this energy that is used to heat the pool water.
How to heat the water in the pool at the cottage so that the energy from the heater is also enough for other needs? To do this, just fork out and install a heat pump. The system works so efficiently that with its help you can easily heat private houses with an area of up to 300 m ?. In addition, the system works in a circle, that is, the working fluid, after it releases the accumulated heat, cools and circulates again through the pipeline.
If you are interested in the question of how to quickly heat the water in the pool with a heat pump, then you should know its advantages:
- very high power;
- for heating water, free sources of energy are used, which allows you to significantly save money;
- water is heated in a very short time.
The disadvantage of such a system is the high cost. For the same money, you can buy several instantaneous water heaters for the pool.
Helpful advice! If you think that a heat pump is a waste of money, then think about how much money you will save by using free energy sources. This is especially true if the system is used not only to heat water, but also to heat a large private house.
Wood heaters for the pool – this is one of the most simple and economical designs. In fact, it is a spiral through which water moves. The fire is set under the helix, it heats up and gives off heat to the water. As fuel you can use not only firewood, but also peat, dry garbage, coal and much more. This type of unit is good because it can be used in suburban areas where there is no electricity and gas. The pump, which is responsible for the circulation of water in the spiral, can be operated from an independent generator.
Buying a heater for a pool on the wood, the main criterion for selection is its power. It directly depends on the dimensions of the heat exchanger, as well as the type of fuel used. Most models allow you to adjust the intensity of burning, and you can easily connect a wood-burning unit without special skills.
Advantages of the wood heater:
- Saving money through the use of cheap fuel.
- Easy to operate.
- Fast water heating.
- Ease of installation.
The lack of heating the water in the pool with their own hands with the help of the unit working on wood is the lack of automatic systems. This means that the system must be constantly monitored, maintained in it the fire, to prevent attenuation. Also, the lack of an automatic thermostat means that you cannot precisely set the temperature to which the water should be heated.
Gas heaters for the pool are fundamentally different from wood-burning only in that they use natural gas as fuel. This makes the system a little easier to operate and allows you to leave it without constant supervision. The advantage of a gas heater is its relatively low cost, but in this case you will receive considerable gas bills, so you should consider whether you need this type of heater before buying.
We should also mention such an interesting type as a heating cover for the pool. In fact, this is a special cover that can be made of polyethylene or tarpaulin, as well as made in the form of blinds. Special heating blankets for the Intex pool not only prevent leaves and other debris from getting into the water, but also accumulate solar energy to heat the water. Of course, with the help of a blanket it is impossible to heat the water as efficiently as with the help of flowing or storage heaters, but it gives a rise in temperature by several degrees.
When choosing a pool heater (Intex, Bestway, Behncke or any other company), a number of general parameters should be taken into account.
Power. This parameter depends on the size of the pool and the amount of water that will need to be heated. Also, the power of the heater directly affects the rate of temperature rise. For example, the Intex pool water heater is 3 kW and the Bestway pool heater is 2.8 kW. The power required for effective heating can be calculated using a very simple formula: the volume of the pool is divided into two.
Heating method. Instantaneous water heaters – a popular option if you need to heat the water in the pool in the country. As a rule, the main advantage of any flow heater is its relatively small size, due to which such a device can be mounted in a small area. The principle of the flow system is that the water passes through the heating element, which gives it heat. Most of these systems operate cyclically. It is good to use the flow model, for example, the heater for the pool Inteks, for small tanks, water for which is taken from the central water supply system, a well or a well.
Energy source used. Here you need to consider the availability of a particular fuel, as well as its financial capabilities. For example, a solar-powered unit is the most efficient, but it is quite expensive, and it makes no sense to use it in an area where there are more cloudy days than sunny ones.
Of course, you can always assemble a pool water heater with your own hands, there are a sufficient number of ready-made schemes on the Internet. However, buying a factory product will allow you not only to save time and effort, but also to get a reliable and durable device with the possibility of warranty service.
