Does a Swimming Pool Heat Pump Work in Cold Weather?
Whether you live in the north east or in another country with cold winter seasons you may wonder if a swimming pool heat pump would be a good investment for you. In this article, we will explain how a heat pump works in cold weather and how it can help you extend your swimming season.
Most heat pumps shut down when the outside temperatures go down below 55° degrees, some can continue to operate down to the mid to low 40’s, and some can operate in temperatures of mid to low 20’s. These types of heat pumps have different names and are made by various manufacturers; they can be referred to as reversible heat pumps, heat/cool heat pumps or icebreakers.
In colder temperatures a heat pump works in the same way as in warmer temperature. A heat pump utilizes nature’s “free heat” to transfer what heat is in the air through the evaporator coil. On colder temperature days, a heat pump will begin to “freeze” the condensate that forms normally on the evaporator coil. Standard heat pumps simply turn off at this point to avoid mechanical damage to the heat pump system due to this icing condition. A Hot Gas Defrost unit, like AquaCal’s IceBreaker model, will utilize a reverse cycle process which reverses the flow of refrigerant gas through the unit, quickly “defrosting” the evaporator coil- which allows the heat pump to continue to heat. (See drawing below)
Heat Pump Normal Operation
We at AquaCal recommend keeping the following as a rule of thumb when it comes to heat pumps in the winter; anytime the average temperature (high and low) is 55°F or higher, your heat pump will work to your expectations. It is important to remember that only a Hot Gas Defrost Unit will automatically reverse, enabling operation at below freezing temperatures.
Please remember, if not using your swimming pool during the winter time, or once your swimming pool season has come to an end, it is extremely important to follow proper procedure for winterizing your swimming pool heat pump.
Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have or leave any feedback, we would be happy to help!
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