Extending the Swimming Season with a Pool Heat Pump

As much as we don’t want summer to end, there’s really nothing we can do to stop time. What we can do though is that we can extend the swimming season a couple of more months with an investment in a good pool heat pump like the ones being offered by Madimack.

Pool heat pumps are the perfect pool heating solution for the majority of Australian homes because of the relatively mild winters that we experience. If you live in areas where your pool water actually freezes (sub-zero temperatures) then you may want to consider a gas or electric heating solution, but for places that only get chilly, well, you can’t beat a Madimack heat pump!

Contrary to what many people will think, a pool heat pump does not actually generate its own heat. What it does is that it draws the heat from the air and transfers it to the pool water and this is the reason why it is so energy-efficient and it’s recommended for areas with relatively mild winters. I mean, if there’s no heat in the air to transfer, then there’s nothing to transfer right?

If you have (or planning to) get a Madimack heat pump, then no, using salt water generators will not corrode or damage your pool heat pump. Madimack heat pumps like the ones Mr Pool Man carries on our online pool shop, use titanium as the material for its heat exchangers which is resistant to salt, chlorine, bromine, and many other pool chemicals that are used in home pools.

We really can’t argue with the up-front costs of getting a pool heat pump because the price is the price, but, what we can argue about is the long-term or big picture costs of getting a pool heat pump versus a traditional pool heating solution.

• In terms of the unit cost (the heater itself) the equivalent capacity pool heat pump will cost at least twice that of a gas or electric pool heater. Before you go exit this page, let’s consider first the lifespan of the heaters themselves. Gas or electric heaters have been known to break after five or six years, while pool heat pumps last for around 15-20 years if we take the literature at its word. This means that after 15 years, you will have spent MORE in replacing broken gas and electric heaters, while our heat pump is still up and running. Yes, while technically more expensive in the short term, it’s actually cheaper in the long run!
• In terms of actual usage cost, it’s really a no-brainer. Heat pumps usually have a COP (Coefficient of Performance) of anywhere from 3-10. Three being the most basic of pool heat pumps and 10 being those of the high-efficiency inverter models. Gas and electric pool heaters will have a baseline COP of 1. Without getting all science-sy, what ths simply means is that for every unit of energy used, one unit of heating is transferred to the pool. With heat pumps, for every unit of energy used, anywhere from 3-10 units of heat is transferred to the pool. In layman’s terms, if you’re expected to use $500 for heating your pool with a gas or electric heater, pool pumps can bring that down to $150 (COP 3) all the way down to $50 (COP 10) on a monthly basis. This is massive savings if you’re really serious about extending the swimming season!

For more in-depth discussion on how to properly size your pool heat pump, click here.

Mr Pool Man carries a wide range of pool heat pump options from Madimack at our online store. If you’re confused about the different models available, then don’t be! Here’s a quick rundown of the different heat pump models so you can make a clearer decision. Note: We’ve made comparisons of equivalent-capacity heat pumps so your decision should be based on the differences and not on the heating capacity.

Was that a little bit too long to digest? In a nutshell, the Elite and the Eclipse are similar, the Eclipse being the more compact model with a top-exhaust. So the choice between the two would ultimately depend on your installation location. The Summer model on the other hand, is built like the Elite in size and shape, but it has a lower COP at 8 vs the Elite/Eclipse's 10. While this may look like a low COP, it's still EIGHT times more efficient than a comparable gas/electric pool heater! We have also prepared a separate blog post on why a heat pump is better that a pool heating. You may see this by clicking here.

As with any other pool equipment, the best types of pool equipment is the one that you use all the time! What's the point of getting a cheap gas pool heater if you only wouldn't use it due to the fear of massive gas or electric bills right? With an energy efficient pool heat pump, you can run your heat pump and extend your swimming season with no worries!

Here are some things to consider before getting a Madimack Heat Pump.

Want to learn more about pool heat pumps? Here are the tangible benefits of getting a pool heat pump.

Do you have any questions about this topic or the featured products? No worries, we're here to help! Drop us a question down below and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Happy swimming :)