Swimming pool heat pumps have come on in leaps and bounds over the last 5 years. At H2ofun we have been selling heat pumps for over 15 years and have seen a dramatic switch over from traditional gas heaters on larger pools and electric heaters on the smaller pools to heat pumps. Now we are seeing an increase in inverter heat pump sales. Question is, are Inverter Heat Pumps worth the extra cost??
The benefits of Inverter heat pump for swimming pools are several fold, they are quieter than traditional heat pumps, especially when they are in low mode. They offer more value in terms of electric costs but again this is only when low mode is applied. Inverter heat pumps can operate to a temperature significantly below freezing sometimes as low as -15 degrees which is great for all year round operations that experience low ambient air.
The main factor that goes against inverter heat pumps compared to traditional on/off heat pumps is cost and whether the extra cost of an inverter heat pump is actually worth the investment.
If you compare an Inverter Flotide ( Hydrpro ) PX14 to an on/off Hydropro P14 the cost difference is approx £900.
In terms of performance, below are some details on what they offer
@27 degrees air temperature they both produce approx. 14kw of heat into a pool, @15 degrees both produce approx. 9.8kw and @10 degrees the standard Hydropro P14 produces nearly 1kw more than the inverter @ 7.71kw.
So in terms of performance in standard mode, side by side there is as much an argument to have the standard heater than the inverter.
When the air temperature is consistently high, or if the inverter heat pump is oversized for the pool, or the pool temp required is below what we would expect then the inverter technology works brilliantly.
As an example, @15 degrees air temp. In Inverter mode, rather than the heat pump producing 9.5kw it will produce 1.79kw, this then provides a cop of 7.28 rather than 4.52.
Question is, in the UK, is the inverter technology when applied to low mode actually that usable. The performance @ 15 degrees in low mode only produces 1.79kw, so the pool would need to be on the smaller size to maintain temperature.
Given the costs between the two units, how long before any payback is achieved if at all.
There are other factors that make inverter heat pumps more attractive, we mentioned sound, @10 meters and in low mode the PX14 produces 22 decibels whereas the P14 produces 42 decibels. In standard mode they are both the same
The inverter heat pumps have built in soft start so power requirements are a lot less. The p14 needs a 20amp fuse whereas the PX only requires a 12amp.
We think currently, there are arguments for both types of heat pump but longer term, Inverter technology is going to be the way forward. As it stands though, standard heat pumps do compare favorably and cost is obviously a factor on most peoples minds.
If you need information on what heat pump suits your pool we are always available to discuss via email realoffice@btconnect.com or on 01322554870
We will not be beaten on prices and will give honest opinion on what options are best