So I’m “lucky” enough that that house I purchased has a pool. I say lucky because for so many years with little kids its been a money sink that I occasionally throw money in. Anyway, the little ones are getting bigger and I decided to get the pool heated because while they might accept a freezing pool (24C), me and missus arn’t as keen. And if we’re already spending that much money on a pool why not throw some more money at it to use it a bit more.
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Types of pool heating use in Australia
- There are a few types of pool heating used in Oz.
- Gas heating – The gas kettle of heating. You turn it on. It heats up the pool quick. And its costs you a fortune in gas. Maybe better for really cold places live Tas and Vic.
- Solar pool heating – Black pipes on your roof filled with pool water. Takes ages to heat as it needs to be sunny and hot ambient temperature. Average costs as you need an additional pump to push the water to the roof (or second sotry roof).
- Heat Pump – Basically a reverse air con/fridge. Takes a fair bit of electricity and concentrates the ambient heat, so heats even when the sun isn’t shinning. (given the electrical it can be offset with solar power)
Long story short I’ve chosen the new heat pump technology as its can heat the water even when the ambient temperature is below the pool temp and can run off solar power.
What size heat pump do you need in Australia?
Okay, so you’re gunna need to know your pool size and where you live. (let’s hope you’ve got a handle on the second)
- The size of the pool can be handled with one of these handy pool size calculators:
- What power/size heat pump you need will be based on where you live. The manufacturers have some good guides on this one.
Note: The larger size heat pumps (approx. over 13 watts) will require their own electrical breaker line. Ie. they will need to be wired into the mains directly by an electrician. This is similar to air conditioning because they draw a lot of power.
The manufactures have helpful guides and I’ve listed them here:
- https://www.madimack.com.au/blog/pool-heating-how-to-calculate-heat-pump-sizes
- https://www.bestpoolsupplies.com.au/pages/heat_pump_calculator
What is COP?
You’ll see the term COP rating or Coefficient of Performance from the manufactures. This means how much efficient the pool pump is. Or how much heat is transferred into the water for every unit of electricity used by the heat pump. In simple terms the higher the COP the better.
COP is measured as a range and at different ambient temperatures. If it’s colder outside (those living in the southern states) it will not be as efficient as those living in places with warmer ambient temperatures. I.e. it will be more expensive to run.
Brands
Madimack: https://www.madimack.com.au/
EvoHeat: https://evoheat.com.au/
Sensa-heat : https://spa-craft.com.au/
What’s the difference between some of the cheaper and more expensive Pool heat pumps?
A bit more efficient, a bit quieter, Higher quality inverters / compressors with longer warranty times. and some features like Wifi (cause we all want to see what the pool temperature is without having to actually go to the pool).
Comparison best pool heat pumps Australia
Brand | Size (kW) | COP range at 27 degrees | Noise | Price | Features | Australian | Link |
Madimax Eco  | 13 | 11.0 - 6.3 | 43 - 54 | $3,564 | Wifi | Unkown | |
Madimax elite  | 14 | 16.0 - 7.4 | 36 - 45 | $4,894 | Wifi, Side venting | Unkown | |
Evoheat fusion  | 12 | 12.5 - 5.8 | 39 - 51 | $3,575 | Yes | ||
Evoheat Force  | 12 | 16.2 - 6.7 | 42 - 52 | $4,795 | Wifi | Yes | |
Sensa Heat ES  | 13 | 10.8 - 6.3 | 43 - 54 | $3,495 | Wifi | Yes | |
Sensa Heat PI  | 13 | 14.5 - 7 | 40 - 48 | $4,590 | Wifi, Side venting | Yes |
Heat switches. What is that?
The heat pump relies on the pool pump to run however it doesn’t run all the time. A heat switch is a way for the heat pump to turn on the pool pump when it needs to heat up the pool at the set temperature.
FAQ
Space considerations
Heat pumps need air to circular to pull the heat out of the air so keep this in mind when looking at where it can be installed. If they can’ get access to fresh air then they won’t be very effective.
Noise
They’re not that noisy really. Like your average air conditioner, it is most likely the pool pump is noisier than the heat pump.