Pool heat pumps using solar panels

[@TheExix]

I guess you could have a better COP running the heat pumps in parallel, but it brings other challenges with the hydraulic Nice nerdy content :)

[@DeveloperDIY]

@TheExix Thanks, for some reason my wife won’t let me build a giant cauldron, it would be so much easier! Parallel, that’s a great suggestion, it would slow down the flow and give the heaters a fighting chance. It feels like you are encouraging the nerdiness, you only have yourself to blame for more nerdy content now!

[@adamswire9152]

When I lived in Texas, people used a waterfall like yours on their pools to COOL the water as it would get uncomfortably hot! After three weeks of 40 degree days and 32 degree nights the pool water would be ridiculously warm. By using one, I suspect you are losing a lot of heat energy to the atmosphere. To heat that amount of water to say 30 degrees would take approx 800 million joules under ideal conditions. (no losses) That's an awful lot of energy! At 7.5 kw, it would take about 30 hours of continuous running, again under ideal conditions. But its difficult to run solar powered heaters at night... Insulation would help losses and I've used a top cover made of bubble wrap to cover my hot tub over night which made quite a difference. Your pool has a large surface area relative to the volume so a similar cover during the day when not in use would make a few degrees difference too. Also, taking the water to be heated from the deepest part of the pool (coldest water) would help heating efficiency. Your water is taken from the top, which is probably the hottest. Anyway good luck!

[@DeveloperDIY]

Thanks, it’ll probably be easier to just move to Texas. My calculations were very similar, I worked it out to about 92Kwh of energy to go from 22 to 28 degrees, which sounded achievable but like you say that is in ideal conditions. Maybe digging a big hole with insulation is the way to go. Then build a shed on top of it. 🤔